HI!

I have a hard time focusing. I don't remember how many times I've said that. Anywho, I feel like these chapters are getting shorter and shorter, so I'm sorry about that. There's just so much I want to add but there wouldn't be anything else to add. I've only planned like 10 chapters in this so hopefully I can draw it out more than that.

I think a Jade chapter is next? I think that's the rotation.

Leave a comment telling me what you think!

-Sky


"Chapter 5 – Telegraph Ave"

"If you tell me 'turn around,' then I'm on it for the moment, but you know me. You know how I get when I'm lonely. I think about you and the moments, but everything you do is so…" – Childish Gambino

Tori was used to going to bed alone, but the thought that Andre was downstairs and could come up at any time during the night to crawl under the covers with her made her feel at least somewhat better.

Man…that was messed up. But to each her own, right?

She hated going to bed alone (even though technically she wasn't since she brought Antonio's crib into the bedroom) and now she truly felt it.

After kicking Andre out, she spent the rest of the day in her room. She didn't want to do anything else, and she had to try her hardest not to cry in front of her son. So she stayed on her bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling, while her toddler played around on the floor. Eventually, they both fell asleep, and her phone blaring Katy Perry's new single startled them both.

Tori shot out of bed and looked around her room for her son. He sat crying in a corner, so she quickly ran over to him and picked him up while the song looped back to the beginning. Propping the baby on her hip, she ran back over and answered the phone without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" she shouted over her son's crying as she bounced him.

"Tori, it's me," Danny told her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she answered hastily. "The phone just scared Antonio."

"Well, I'm on my way over," he said awkwardly.

"Okay," she breathed, "I'll see you when you get here."

She quickly ended the call and shoved her phone into the pocket of her jeans. She cursed herself in her head as she rushed to Antonio's crib and set him down in it, thankful he'd finally stopped crying. She told Danny to get here as soon as possible. She should have been up and busy by now.

She gave Antonio a kiss before running out of the room and down to the bathroom. She slammed the door and quickly stripped her clothes. Once all her clothes were scattered on the floor, she turned on the shower at full blast and screamed as she shuddered beneath the cold water once she hopped in.

She didn't have time to wait for the water to heat up!

She showed as fast as she could, letting out shuddering breaths as the freezing water berated her skin. After a few seconds, the water started to warm and she let out a sigh of relief. However, she screamed again when the water turned scalding hot and she slammed the knob as close as she could to the line that separated hot from cold. She held her hair up and twirled around beneath the water to get all the soap off her body, almost slipping twice. Parts of her hair got wet and produced a stinky smell, causing her to wonder how long it had been since she washed her hair; it was easy to lose track of your own hygiene when you worried about providing for your baby and trying to get your boyfriend to give you the time of day.

She snatched a shampoo bottle from the rack beside the shower nozzle and squirted a generous amount into her hand. She dropped the bottle with a loud clank and applied the shampoo to her hair, scrubbing furiously as she made sure to cover every inch. It got in her eye a few times, but she still scrubbed at her hair, despite the stinging pain. When she was sure she got all of her hair, she quickly turned around and let the water spill over the back of her head. She tilted her head back and shook her hair to make sure all of the shampoo was out.

There was no time for conditioner, either.

She shut the water off and jumped out of the shower, slinging water everywhere and nearly slipping on her blouse. She grabbed a towel and roughly dried her skin as best as she could. When she thought she got all the water off, she wrapped the towel around her body, turned to the sink, and flipped the cold water on at full blast, holding her left eye beneath it to cleanse it of the shampoo.

She hurriedly scooped up her clothes and darted back to her room, slamming the door so hard that she rattled the walls. Dropping her clothes in a pile, she ran to her closet, tousling the small amount of hair on her son's hair as she passed him. He stared at her in wonder as she threw clothes left and right, looking for something decent to wear.

Her wet hair dripped down her back and she could hear soft water thuds hit her carpet. She turned around and jumped to her nightstand, searching for a scrunchie amongst the clutter of paperclips, napkins, and old lipgloss tubes. When she found one, she quickly tied her hair up in a bun behind her head to keep the water still trapped in it from dripping all over her carpet and clothes.

She went back to her closet and picked out a white, sleeveless, button-up blouse. It was referred to as her 'mom shirt' because it made her feel like a mom when she wore it, but it was cute and the only thing she deemed suitable to wear. She snatched a pair of dark blue skinny jeans from her closet and threw them onto the bed along with her blouse.

She ran to her chest of drawers, filing through the clothes inside and grabbing the first bra and pair of underwear she touched. It didn't matter if they matched; she didn't plan on sleeping with Danny…today. Turning her back to her son's curious eyes, she dressed modestly, moving the towel down on her body to hide parts that little boys shouldn't see. She was being silly though, because she'd taken numerous baths with him and he wouldn't even remember any of it. But c'est la vie.

"Tori!" her mother called from downstairs just as she snaked one of her legs into her jeans. "Danny's here to see you!" She squeaked and fell onto the bed, hurriedly jamming her other leg in and pulling her pants up.

As she dashed out of her room, she faintly heard her mother saying other things to Danny and quickly rushed downstairs in case she said anything embarrassing. "Thanks, Mom," she said breathlessly when she reached the bottom of the steps. "You can go now."

"Calm down, Sweetheart," her mother advised with a warm smile. "Maybe I want to talk to Danny, too." She turned back to the boy who stood nervously in the doorway. "I'm so glad you and Tori are on better terms," she gushed as she pinched his cheek. "Out of all the boys she's dated, you were my favorite."

"Mom!" Tori whined in shock. She shoved her mother out of the way and reached out to grab Danny's wrist. "We'll be upstairs," she announced as she pulled him into the house.

"Keep your door open!" Holly ordered as her daughter hurriedly dragged Danny up the stairs.

"I have a baby in my room!" she reminded as she shoved Danny into her room and slammed the door.

She let out a sigh as she pressed her back to the door. "Sorry about that," she apologized once they were alone in the quiet.

"It's okay," Danny chuckled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his red skinny jeans. He looked around the room for a moment as an awkward silence filled the air. "So—"

"I don't—" Tori started at the same time he spoke.

The both stopped talking and looked away from each other. After another small moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "You go," he suggested.

She started to wring her hands and looked down at them, trying to find the strength to get those words off her chest. How could she start? What would she say? She could honestly say she'd never done anything like this before…

"Andre and I got into a fight," she announced, staring at her feet. Her head quickly shot up. "It was after I asked you to come over though."

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Then what did you call me over for?"

Tori sighed and stepped away from him again before walking over to Antonio's crib. The little boy smiled when his mother headed his way, and he reached out his arms to her. She smiled back at him and kissed him on the top of the head before picking him up and placing him back on her hip.

She turned back to Danny and opened her mouth to speak when he stepped backward and his hand shot out to grab onto something to steady himself.

"We used protection," he mumbled, forcing himself to look up at his ex-girlfriend.

"I know we did," she acknowledged quietly. "But…sometimes it doesn't work."

"Is this what you and Andre fought about?" he asked, raising his voice to a normal tone.

She nodded and walked past him to grab the booklet from her desk that Andre hadn't even bothered putting back in its rightful place. "I wrote down everything about Antonio," she announced, looking at the book with regard. "From the day I took a pregnancy test to the day he was born." She turned back to her ex-boyfriend and walked back to him, holding the little book out to him at arms' length. "I told him in one of the worst ways possible, but this is a little better."

With a shaking hand, he took it from her and opened it to the first page. They stood in silence as he looked at all of the dates. There were so many milestones written in the pages. His eyes scanned through the booklet, taking it in and thinking about where he was. Dates with Cat, getting hotel rooms with Cat, leaving Cat, holding his daughter… He did all of that…while she did all of this pretty much by herself.

He couldn't breathe.

He let the book fall to the ground and covered his mouth sloppily, staring at the disheveled mess of papers on the carpet. Now his mom was definitely gonna kill him! He never meant to sleep with her. He and Cat were just going through some rough patches and he wanted Tori's advice since he didn't know—or like—Jade well enough to ask her. But then one thing led to another and now another girl with his kid stood before him.

He made sure to use protection though. Even being so careful…he still got her pregnant.

Shaking slightly, he looked up to Tori and her son, his son. The boy had his nose. The tiny tufts of hair atop his head were straight and black, unlike his mother's wavy brown.

He let out a shuddering breath that quickly turned into slight laughter. He quickly crossed the distance between him and Tori and grabbed her face, kissing her deeply.

Her eyes widened on impact and she held Antonio a little tighter. The feeling of his lips on hers brought back old memories, fond ones that she greatly missed. Whether he loved her or not, he kissed her with more fire and passion that Andre ever had. No matter how many times she kissed Andre, nothing could compare to Danny.

After all, he was her first love.

Just as she was about to put her free hand on the back of his neck, he pulled away from her and kissed Antonio on the top of his little fuzzy head. Tears filled his eyes as he smiled down at his son. "I can't believe it," he whispered as Antonio wrapped his fingers around one of Danny's. "You're my son…"

And just like that, he found a new reason to live.

He had to be there for Antonio; he needed to. With the realization that he had a son, he would be able to leave Cat alone. It was blatantly obvious that she didn't want anything to do with him; she was just too nice to say anything. As bad as it may sound, he could stay out of Cassie's life; he would be able to give her the choice of spending time with her real father when she grew up.

"I love you, Tori," he confessed, gently cupping her face while holding onto his son's tiny fingers. "No matter how much I loved Cat, I never stopped loving you; that's never gonna change."

"Then why did you let me go?" the Latina whispered. "You were my best friend at Sherwood, and it was a mistake breaking up with you."

He chuckled slightly, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. "You always did whatever you wanted," he reminded her. The small smile he wore faded. "But I should have fought to keep you." He leaned in and kissed her softly, leaving his forehead pressed against hers when their lips broke. "I would gladly give up ever meeting Cat if I could have spent these past three years with you."

Tori closed her eyes and held her mouth. That should have made her happy, hearing that from him, but it had its price.

I would gladly give up ever meeting Cat.

He would give up Cassie.

What if she'd never broken up with him? What if she'd been his first instead of Cat? He told her he leaved her, but he left her the minute he found out she was pregnant. Who was to say he wouldn't have done everything the same if it was Tori, not Cat? He would leave her. He would meet Cat. He'd be happier with her.

"Take it back," she whispered, a shaking hand wiping away the tear falling from her right eye.

"What?" Danny repeated hesitantly.

"I said 'take it back,'" Tori repeated a little louder, opening bloodshot eyes. Her breathing faltered and grew frantic. "Take it back, Danny!" She stepped away from him, pressing her back to wall and gripping her son tighter. "L-l-look at where you and Cat are right now! I-I-If you never m-met her, you'd be with her right now. I would be the one with a baby you don't care about! W-what if you have another kid out there that you don't know about? How do I know you won't tell any other baby mama you might have that you love her and would give up everything for her?"

"I love you, Tori!" Danny exclaimed, his eyes frantic and pleading. "You and Cat are the only girls I've ever slept with. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love you. The only reason I left Cat is because my mother raised me to be a decent man, and I knew I'd have to spend the rest of my life with her. I was terrified because I still loved you; I couldn't love her the way I love you."

"Then prove it!" she blurted out, bouncing slightly on her heels.

"What?"

"I said 'prove it,'" she said again. "I have a son to worry about, your son, and I can't keep living with guys that don't love me or my baby. If you really love me, then let's go to the courthouse right now and get married."

"Done," he complied without hesitation, grabbing her hand. He got down on one knee and looked her in the eyes. His heart beat rampantly in his chest, but he kept telling it to shut up. This is what he was supposed to be doing. This is what he was meant to do all along.

"Victoria Mariana Vega," he began, mustering all the confidence he could, "We've been best friends since elementary school, and I was an idiot for letting you out of my life. You were the best thing I never asked for, and I never want to lose you again. I want to make things right by you, and I want to love you forever. Will you marry me?"

A grin spread from ear to ear and she nodded rapidly, bouncing joyously. Danny jumped up and grabbed her face with a small chuckle, kissing her deeply.


And if I married you tonight, it would probably start a riot.


Apparently, getting married on a whim wasn't as easy as Tori thought it would be.

They had to have a marriage license, which usually took an hour to process, and they had all these fees they had to pay. It was a mess, and she almost called it off. If not for Danny's mom, she probably wouldn't be getting married.

Under her instructions, they both filled out a marriage application online. Luckily for them, there weren't a lot of people applying for a marriage license that Thursday, so that was a plus. However, the nearest courthouse that would marry them was in Norwalk. She didn't appreciate having to drive thirty minutes just to get married, but the Norwalk location was the only one that would marry people Mondays through Fridays.

At least they wouldn't have to go to Vegas.


And if I married you tonight, it would probably start a riot.


Thankfully, Danny was able to convince his mother to be a witness at the ceremony…and to pay for some of the fees. Tori wasn't ready to tell her parents yet, and Trina was known for her loose tongue. His father was away on a business trip, but he wasn't so sure he wanted his quick tempered old man to know about the sudden engagement.

"Daniel," Mrs. Kerrigan called as the two teens made their way toward the courthouse. They both turned around and he walked back to her.

"Yeah, Ma?"

His mother began to wring her hangs and took in a deep breath. She closed her eyes and laughed in spite of herself. Tori envied the melodic sound. "I never thought I'd say this on your wedding day," she breathed. She took in another deep breath and opened her eyes. "Your father and I are getting a divorce."

"But we're Catholic!" he cried. "Do we even believe in divorce?"

Mrs. Kerrigan nodded. "But I changed my faith for your father," she explained. She lowered her voice so Tori wouldn't hear. "And in any religion, cheating is frowned upon. I like Tori, so I want you to have a happy marriage with her." Her hand snapped out to his ear and she pulled, causing him to cry out in pain. "So keep it in your pants."

"Ow, ow, ow!" he howled. "I will, Ma! Let go!" He stood up straight and cleared his throat when she released his ear, trying to pretend that didn't just happen. "So what's going to happen at home?"

Mrs. Kerrigan nodded and looked away. Though she'd prepared the answer at least four times, she still didn't want to tell him. "Your father's leaving me the house in the divorce," she told him, looking back to him with sad eyes. "Perfect timing, really." She smiled weakly. "I didn't have a wedding gift for you."

Danny grabbed his mother's hands frantically. "What are you saying?" he questioned.

"I'm saying I haven't worked in nearly two decades," she admitted. "I'm going to stay with my parents in Azusa until I can afford a place of my own. You, Tori, and my precious little grandson can have our house. It's already been paid off, so that's one less thing you have to worry about. You just focus on keeping her and your little boy safe and happy. Am I clear, Daniel Nolan?"

Danny nodded with a small sigh. "Yes, ma'am," he breathed.

Mrs. Kerrigan patted him on the shoulder. "Now let's get you married."


And if I married you tonight, it would probably start a riot.


The bad thing about being impulsive was that you were never dressed for the occasion. Tori always thought she'd get married in a dress, but at least her blouse was white. She was so worried about finding a witness, filling out the license, and the annoyingly long half-hour drive that the thought of what she and Danny were wearing—him, those red skinnies she hated and that green Camo T-shirt she wanted to burn—hadn't even occurred to her.

She instantly fell in love with her future mother-in-law when she pulled a folded black dress shirt out of her obnoxiously big purse. She must have grabbed it for him while the young couple was filling out their application for a marriage license.

The room where they were about to get married was decorated enough to look like a church, and it settled her slightly. There were a few pews situated in rows with a walkway down the middle, and it made her wish she had people to fill those pews. Fat white ribbons hung loosely along the walls, making long fabric smiles topped with bows on each corner. Large potted white roses stood around the wedding arch at the altar, making it feel a little more normal.

Her grandparents had a house by the beach in Long Beach that she and her sister used to go to a lot when they were younger. Trina wanted the big, extravagant wedding, but she just wanted to get married on the beach behind her grandparents' house. She had always dreamed of a conventional wedding.

But she wanted this.

She loved Danny and practically forced him to marry her. She didn't want to take chances with him leaving her, so the sooner the better. People got married in courthouses all the time, anyway. When she was ready to tell her family, she and Danny could always renew their vows with the ceremony she originally planned.

"Are you ready," he whispered, taking her hand gently.

She looked up to him, coming back from her regards about the venue, and smiled warmly. "Always," she breathed. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it gently. Together, they walked up to the altar, and she continued to mentally prepare herself for what was about to happen.

After this, she would officially be Victoria Vega Kerrigan.

On the application, you had to specify what middle and last names you wanted, and she hated her real middle name. She wasn't too fond of Danny's last name, but she didn't mind taking it since she had him. She thought about hyphenating—because that was what Jade was going to do—but decided the name she'd chosen fit her better.

"I'll get you a real engagement ring," he whispered once more after leaning down to her ear when they reached the wedding officiant—a man in his late 40s with a receding hairline and a beer gut that could hardly be contained by the finely pressed tuxedo he wore.

She turned to him and pressed her hand against his cheek, kissing him softly. The officiant cleared his throat impatiently and she jumped, turning back to him awkwardly.

"Daniel Kerrigan and Victoria Vega," the officiant began, opening a bible with cheat notes on what to say, just for the sake of looking official, "Today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauties of love, as you join together in the vows of marriage." He turned to Danny. "Daniel, do you take Victoria to be your wife?"

"I do," Danny stated confidently with a sharp nod.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all other and holding only unto her?"

"I do."

The officiant turned to Tori. "Victoria," he began in his husky voice, "Do you take Daniel to be your husband?"

"I do," she breathed, the wide smile never leaving her face.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all other and holding only unto him?"

"I do."

"May we now have the rings?" the city appointed man asked.

Danny's mother stood, her grandson on her hip, and pulled the rings she'd bought at the front desk from the pocket of her teal jeans. She smiled as she placed them in Antonio's hand and closed it over them. She kept her hand over his to make sure he wouldn't drop them and walked over to her own son. "Do you want to give them the rings?" she cooed, holding his hand out. If she didn't hold his wrist, he would have thrown them. Tori sensed that and quickly took the larger ring from her son's hand, Danny following suit and taking the smaller ring.

"The wedding ring is a symbol of unity," the officiant continued once Mrs. Kerrigan had taken her seat once more, "A circle unbroken, without beginning or end. And today, Daniel and Victoria give and receive these rings as demonstrations of their vows to make their life one, to work at all times to create a love that is whole and unbroken, and to love each other without end. The couple will now exchange vows."

Ring in hand, Danny took Tori's left hand and slid his ring on her finger. He held both of her hands and looked to her with a smile she'd never seen before. He looked happier than he'd ever been, and it warmed her heart to know that she was the cause of that happiness. "Tori," he started, "I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife. I vow to make you and our son the happiest on the planet. I vow to always take care of you. I vow to always love you, even when we argue. Whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, whenever you need someone to help you up, I vow to always be there. I vow to love you even when we wake up tomorrow and your hair looks like a rat's nest and you think you look hideous. I vow to be your forever and always."

Grinning broadly, Tori slid her ring onto his left ring finger. "Danny," she commenced, her voice already quivering with oncoming tears, "I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband. I have loved you for the past six years, and I vow to never stop. I vow to be a good wife for you, to take care of you when you needed it, and to give you space when you don't. I vow to keep you as happy as you make me. I vow to never complain about your shower singing, no matter how bad it gets. I vow to make a good life with you, our son, and however many kids come along after. I vow to be your forever and always."

"Daniel and Victoria," the minister concluded, "Just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love.

"Love should be the core of your marriage; love is the reason you are here. But it also will take trust—to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication—to stay open to one another, to learn and to grow together even when this is not always so easy to do.

"It will take faith, to be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. In addition, it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey, you both now pledge to share together.

"Daniel and Victoria, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, I now declare you to be husband and wife. Congratulations, you may kiss your bride."


And if I married you tonight, it would probably start a riot.


"I'm so happy," Tori breathed as she rested her hand on her new husband's shoulder as her mother-in-law drove them back home.

"I'm happy, too," Danny whispered back. He grabbed her hand gently and ran his thumb across the back. "I never thought I'd see this day."

She opened her mouth to say something, but a loud yawn took her over. She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment, looking up at her husband through her lashes. "Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her drooping eyelids. "I haven't been sleeping well lately because I've been taking care of the baby."

He looked to his son in her lap. "You make it look easy," he joked. She laughed and rolled her eyes playfully, shooting warmth through him. He never realized how much he missed her laugh.

"It's hard doing it by myself," she confessed. "Andre never had time and I couldn't ask my parents for help."

"Why not?" he asked curiously. He eyed Antonio who played with his mother's hair. "It doesn't matter now, though. I'm here to help you out, now." He reached out to lightly stroke his new wife's cheek as a dark question clouded his mind. "Does Andre think he's mine?"

Tori looked down at her hands as an awkward silence filled the car. "I don't think so," she spoke quietly, keeping her eyes on her wringing fingers. "He didn't say anything about you, but I don't know if he suspects you at all."

"What do you think he'll do when he finds out?"

She shrugged and looked up at him through her lashes. "I don't know," she confessed. She grimaced. "I don't plan on seeing him again."

He smiled weakly. "So what does that mean for us? When are we telling people?"

She smiled softly and tilted her head up, planting a light kiss on his lips. "We have a lot of catching up to do," she announced, indirectly answering his question.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "All we have is time now," he breathed as he leaned in to kiss her tenderly. "We can get to know each other all over again."


And if I married you tonight, it would probably start a riot.


She didn't tell her parents that Danny was staying the night. She should have spent her first night as a married woman with her husband in their new home, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone just yet. She wanted to wait for the perfect time, and the day of her wedding would not be it. It would be hell to have her parents chewing her ass about it, so it would have to wait until another day.

On their wedding night, they were quiet, but it was the best sex she'd had in a long time. She missed the feeling of hands caressing her every curve, the taste of skin between her teeth. Their bodies pressed together was a refreshing change from…absence. If she had it her way, they never would have broken apart.

But they needed sleep.

That Friday, they didn't do much other than lay in bed. What else was there to do when you were a newlywed? Around noon, however, Tori finally left the room to check on Antonio. When she made sure he was okay, she took him to her mom and asked if she would watch him because she had a lot of schoolwork to focus on.

The only 'work' she focused on, however, was Danny.

Around two PM, he'd fallen asleep and she had been well on her way until her phone rang. She scrambled for it quickly, trying to silence the vibration.

"Hello?" she called in a hushed whisper.

"Tori?" Beck called back, "Where are you? Andre's mom's been trying to get in touch with you. What are you doing?"

"No she hasn't," she denied, keeping her voice low. "Andre called me five times today, but I didn't want to talk to him. We're…spending time apart." Danny groaned at her side and she quickly shushed him, clenching her eyes shut in embarrassment.

"How long have you two been broken up?" Beck questioned pointedly. Hopefully he didn't notice.

"Since Tuesday," she responded meekly.

"Andre's in the hospital," he spat after a brief silence. She wasn't sure if she heard anger in his voice. "His mom thinks he tried to kill himself."

"What?!" she cried in disbelief. "What hap—" A beep signaling an ended call sounded and she pulled the phone away to look at it.

She jumped up from the bed after dropping her phone on the bedside table and ran to her closet.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked groggily as he watched her scramble through her clothes.

"I'm going to go see Andre at the hospital," she replied obviously. Blouses and jeans flew across the floor as she ripped through her closet for something decent to wear.

He didn't quite enjoy the thought of his new bride visiting her ex-boyfriend, but he couldn't tell her not to go. He scowled as he sat up, propping himself up on his hands. "Don't you think you should take a shower first?" he shot passive aggressively. "You wouldn't want your boyfriend to think you've been sleeping around with the husband no one knows about."

Tori stopped rummaging and her hand squeezed the blue silk blouse she was about to pick out. She turned around with a miffed expression. "Excuse me?" she snarled. "I'm going to see him because we were friends before we dated. You're my husband, Danny; if I were visiting him because I loved him, I wouldn't have suggested we get married."

Danny scoffed, tossing his head back with sarcasm. "That's not what you said on the phone," he pointed out. He swung his legs out from under the covers and pulled on his underwear and jeans without exposing himself. He picked up his shirt and turned to her with a pointed glare. "You have a hard time making up your mind, you know that?"

"What's that even supposed to mean?" she cried as she crossed her arms and Danny pulled on his shirt.

He rolled his eyes with a sneer. "You know exactly what it means," he spat, putting on his shoes. "You either want me or you don't, and you've been going back and forth for three years now; I'm starting to think you only want me when it's convenient for you."

She gasped, at a loss for words as he stormed out of her room. She did not go back and forth! Who was he to say that to her? If he really felt that way, he wouldn't have spent the day in her bed! He wouldn't have married her! He didn't bother talking to her after they broke up when she was at Sherwood, he didn't bother talking to her after she'd ruined his relationship with Cat, he didn't bother talking to her before he and Cat got back together, and he didn't bother talking to her after they'd conceived Antonio. If he had the nerve to sound…jealous…then he could have done something about it earlier. She was always the one to call him, not the other way around.

There was no doubt that she loved him and missed him, but he kept tossing her back whenever she threw her heart out to him. She couldn't live like that, especially now that she had a kid.

But did she love Andre?

He was a really great friend—obviously closer than any of her other friends—and he was great in bed. She couldn't say she saw him as a brother; she wouldn't have sex with her brother even if she had one. If anything, Beck was more like a brother to her than Andre was.

But whatever that love was that she held for Andre, it was nothing compared to the love she felt for Danny. She would never marry Andre.

In the midst of her thoughts, she turned back to her closet and grabbed the first things her hands touched: the blue, silk blouse she'd almost grabbed earlier and a pair of black skinny jeans. She thought of him as she dressed, how his hands felt on her body as he undressed her, how his lips singed her skin and shot electricity through her body…

Stop.

She couldn't keep thinking about him; she needed to think about Andre.

She still couldn't believe what Beck told her…

What if he really did try to kill himself? What if it was her fault? Beck seemed to think so. What if she really hurt him when she practically threw it in his face that Antonio was someone else's son. She made a big fuss about it otherwise, but she knew that Antonio was his pride and joy.

Thinking about it, she wanted to love him like he loved her, but her heart belonged to Danny, just as it had for the past few years. He probably wouldn't take it well, but she couldn't keep stringing him along; she couldn't string either of them along. Not anymore.

Maybe Danny was right and maybe he wasn't, but she knew what she wanted. She just prayed she hadn't ruined everything.