Free Close to Heart by T. J. Kline Page A

questioning her instincts?
    “Franklin, I haven’t decided . . . ”
    “What haven’t you decided?” When she didn’t answer right away, she heard him sigh heavily into the receiver. “Are you telling me you’re not divorcing him? The man has been sleeping around on you for who knows how long, he’s used you to build a career for himself while he ruined yours, and now he’s kicked you out? What more is it going to take for you to wake up?”
    Her hand ran over the curve of her belly. This wasn’t just about her now. “You’re not wrong, Franklin, but we are having a baby. I have to think about what’s best for him and put his needs first.”
    “Women have babies alone all the time, Aly. You don’t need Elijah; you never have. Besides, you’ll have me. I’m going to draw up divorce papers for you,” he insisted, ignoring her protest. “We don’t have to file them if you decide you don’t want to, but at least look at them and think about it. Where are you staying? I’ll bring them by for you.”
    There was a quiet rap of knuckles on the bedroom door. “Alyssa? Lunch is ready.”
    “Is that him?” Franklin demanded. “I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
    “No,” she whispered before covering the mouthpiece of the receiver. “I’ll be right there,” she called to Justin. “Franklin, I just need you to lay out my options. I need to know every scenario. Then I can decide what’s best for me and the baby. I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
    “Wait, where are you?”
    “I got in a small car accident and I—”
    “What? Are you okay? Have you been seen by a doctor? Did you—”
    “I’m fine, the baby is fine. Franklin, I have to go. Just look into things for me, please. You’re the only person I can trust. And keep it quiet, because no one else knows anything. I don’t want this to turn into a media exposé before I make any decisions.”
    Alyssa hung up before Franklin could ask any more questions and made her way down the hall to where Justin waited, feeling as if she was carrying too many burdens on her shoulders. Until calling Franklin, she’d been avoiding facing the reality of her situation—her marriage was over and she was on her own. There was no turning back. The only real decision left to make was what she would ask for in the divorce, for her and their child. It was enough to deal with finding out her husband was cheating on her, had been for almost the entirety of their marriage, but to have him cast her and their child aside, to know the apathy he felt for their child, hurt too much to bear.
    “Would you like tea or water?” Justin asked as she came into the kitchen. Two sub sandwiches sat on the table as he opened the refrigerator. When she didn’t answer, he looked back at her over his shoulder. “You okay?”
    “I’m fine, I just . . . ”
    She was tired of keeping secrets, but she wasn’t sure how much she could tell Justin. She didn’t know him, not really. He turned toward her as if waiting for her to say more, his eyes seeking hers, and she imagined she could see empathy in them.
    “Things sounded a little heated in there for a minute.”
    If he thought that was heated, he would have been shocked to hear Elijah when he got started about how she didn’t want him to be successful just because she dared to question his decision to sign on to represent yet another new young actress. She suspected, now, he’d wanted to do far more than “represent” them, but she couldn’t prove it. And, after her last confrontation with him, he’d probably throw it in her face just to hurt her.
    Justin had been kind to her, rescuing her and giving her a place to stay. She knew he didn’t really need her to work in the clinic and was just using it as a way to help her out. He was more tender than Elijah had ever been with her, treating her like a porcelain doll that might break.
    Other than that kiss.
    Just the thought of his kiss made her body hum to life.