Say Yes (Something More) Read Online Free PDF

Bad breath or not, he is not going to get away with trying to control my life any longer.  
    He flashes a boyish grin, the grin I once loved and now despise. When we first started dating, I thought he was the cutest, smartest boy I’d ever met. Now I know better.
    “So that ship’s really sunk, huh?” He bats his lashes. “There’s no chance I can send in some divers and resurrect it?”
    So like Jackson’s family. Hire someone else to fix their problems. Well, this is one problem he’s not going to fix. I look out the window again. Andrés is gone. He must have gone back inside the bar. I know he’s exhausted, and I’m feeling tired, too. Tyler is still sleeping in my arms, and I realize he’s probably down for the night. I kiss his little forehead and wish him sweet dreams. Then I hand him to his father.
    “Here. Hold him,” I say. “My arm’s going numb.”
    Jackson’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step back. “I don’t know—“
    But I’m not about to let Jackson evade his paternal responsibilities. I advance on him and place Ty in his arms. Jackson looks awkward holding him, and I hesitate to leave Tyler in his care. I mean, the poor kid is already sick. Do I need to torture him even more by making him inhale his dad’s breath?
    Luckily, Mrs. Peterson walks in. She’s got this frazzled look in her worn eyes. “I have no idea where Karri went.”
    I don’t know how to break it to her that her daughter ran off with a drug dealer, but I know I don’t want to do it here in front of Jackson. That’s all his family needs to wrest full custody from Karri. Not that I think Karri deserves custody of Ty, but the baby is Mrs. Peterson’s whole world. If I don’t tell Mrs. Peterson Karri left, she will probably be looking for her all night.
    I decide my only recourse is to lie. I hate lying to Mrs. Peterson, but I’ll come clean tomorrow when Jackson isn’t around. “Karri has a migraine. She’s waiting in the truck with Andrés. We’re taking her home.”
    “Oh?” Mrs. Peterson looks perplexed. “She should have told me. I’ve got aspirin in my purse, although it’s not helping my migraine much.” She squints and rubs a point above her left eye.
    “She doesn’t want to see her son?” Jackson’s tone is a mixture of shock and disgust, which is ironic, considering he didn’t even want to hold his baby moments ago. He still looks awkward, sneering as he holds Tyler away from him, as if the baby is made of thorns.
    Mrs. Peterson hobbles over to Jackson, and he gladly relinquishes the baby to her. When she sits in a nearby rocking chair and cuddles him close to her heart, I know it’s finally safe to leave. I kiss him once more on his forehead before hurrying out the door. I think I hear Jackson calling my name as I race down the hall, but I don’t dare look back. Not now. Not ever. 
     
    * * *
     
    Andrés
     
    Dallas is ahead by twelve points. I should be excited, but I’m too aggravated to care. My girlfriend is at the hospital across the street with her ex-fiancé and his kid.
    His sick kid, I tell myself. You’re being a jealous ass, Andrés .
    I know Christina loved this baby long before she knew Jackson was the father. I know I shouldn’t be jealous, especially after the way Christina has badmouthed Jackson to me.
    But I am jealous. Fucking jealous.
    It’s taking every last ounce of willpower to keep from showing Christina how much I don’t want to be here. How much I don’t want her to be here.
    I’m glad the kid is going to be okay. I don’t like to see babies suffer. I’m not that much of a pendejo .
    But after my girlfriend has spent all evening with the idiot she almost married, I think when I get her home I’ll need to remind her what it feels like to be loved by a real man. I think I’ll be reminding her all night long.  

 
    Chapter Three
     
    Christina
     
     
    Andrés flashes me a teasing grin and waggles his eyebrows when we walk through the door. He strips off