Free An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) by Stacy-Deanne Page B

about
something like this, Layla.”
    “Cross.” She stroked his arm. “I’m so
sorry. It must be horrible, not knowing anything about your father. Do you even
know if he’s in Houston?”
    “I don’t know anything about him. He could
sit right next to me, and I wouldn’t know him.”
    She studied his empty expression. “That’s
so sad.”
    “Hey, I’ve accepted it.” Then he made a
silly face.
    “Here you go again. I’m starting to think
you use jokes and laughter so you don’t have to deal with things. I’ve noticed
that about you.”
    “I just like to have fun. Life is too
short.”
    “You were taken from your mom when you
were eight?”
    “No, she gave me to the system. I told you
she was scared of me, and I don’t think she ever wanted a kid anyway. Being a
foster kid wasn’t bad at all. You know how on TV they make it sound like foster
families are always abusive or something?”
    She nodded.
    “That’s not true. There are many great
foster families. I lived with three different families. One was a black family.”
He chuckled. “Now that was fun.”
    She smiled. “I’m glad you had a good
experience, at least.”
    “When I turned eighteen, I went to college.
The rest is history.”
    “Do you see your mother?”
    “Yeah, she lives on Post Oak. We talk on
the phone now and then. We’re cool.” He scratched his head. “I don’t harbor any
bad feelings toward her. She had her own sickness. How could I expect her to
handle mine?”
    “I’ve heard it can be rough being bipolar.”
    “It’s very hard to deal with. One minute
you’re happier than can be, and the next you’re so angry you feel like you’ll
bust. Then you get so depressed that you wanna just lock yourself away and
forget everything and everyone.”
    “It’s a different kind of rollercoaster,”
Layla whispered. “I think of schizophrenia as being like a rollercoaster
because you can’t control it.”
    “People choose to get on rollercoasters. We didn’t choose to be bipolar or
schizophrenic.”
    “You know how you said you investigated me
when I first got here? I’ve been asking around about you. You’ve been here six
months, and no one feels you need to be. I’ve heard the doctors would’ve
released you three months ago. What’s the deal, Cross?” She leaned up. “Why are
you here? Are you afraid to go back into the world? I can understand if you are,
but you can’t hide in here forever.”
    He looked away. “I’m not hiding.”
    “Yes, you are.” She put her hand on his
cheek and turned his head toward her. “You don’t have to be afraid. You’re an
extraordinary man. I’m convinced you can do anything you put your mind to.”
    “Maybe I am scared.” He touched her hand
that lay on his cheek. “It’s funny that I can give others insight and
confidence. But when it comes to myself, I’m afraid of falling off that horse
again. I want a sure thing this time, Layla. I wanna know that things will be
all right.”
    “There are no sure things when you have a mental
illness.” She took her hand from his face. “That’s what’s so hard to accept.
You need to get out of here and live your life, Cross. That’s what I’m gonna
do.”
    “Maybe I wouldn’t be so scared if I knew I
had someone on the outside who understood how it feels to go through things.”
    “You do have someone like that.” She put
her hand in his. “Me.”
    “You promise?”
      “I
promise.”
    He pulled her close as if he’d kiss her.
    When he stopped, Layla asked, “What is
it?”
    “I forgot you said you didn’t want me to
kiss you.”
    “I never said that.” She stroked his hair.
“I said I wasn’t ready for a relationship. I never said I didn’t want a kiss.”
    “You…” He turned toward her. “…you want me
to kiss you?”
    “I’m not pulling away, am I?”
    He leaned over her and planted his
succulent mouth on hers.

 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    “Shit.” Layla stopped midway in the hall
before getting