Always Me Read Online Free Page B

living room, and found Garrith and Keisha glaring at each other.
    “And so it begins,” Brett mumbled.
    I smiled and placed Antonio in his high chair. I laughed as he smacked his tray and kissed him on the forehead. Definitely inherited his lack of patience from me.
    “Impatient are we, baby boy?” Keisha crooned as she came up beside us, handing him a bottle. She tickled his belly. He laughed and squirmed, shoving the bottle in his mouth. “I can’t believe how much he looks like Sebastian,” she pointed out.
    I sighed, running a hand over his head. “You and me both.”
    “Think he’ll be tall too?” she asked.
    “I think so, and with those big brown eyes, he’s going to have women falling at his feet,” I grumbled.
    Keisha laughed. “Oh yeah. He has me wrapped around his finger already.”
    “Does he now?” Garrith asked as he took a step towards Keisha.
    She giggled and then squealed when he swatted her ass.
    “You have competition, dude,” Brett teased.
    They all laughed, and I tried to laugh along with them, but I wasn’t feeling myself that morning.
    I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. As I leaned against the counter, I took a sip from the steaming mug and watched my friends. People I met not that long ago when really, it felt like I had known them my entire life.
    Keisha sat in Garrith’s lap trying to feed him the eggs with spinach.
    He grimaced and grabbed her chin, placing a hard kiss on her lips before pushing her off of him.
    She laughed and linked her arm through mine. “You had another nightmare, didn’t you?”
    “Yeah...” I answered, sipping my coffee.
    “Did you ever see that counselor your nurse recommended?”
    “Just a couple of times, but I stopped once I moved here.” I sighed. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about my problems. I just wanted Sebastian back. Missing him from my life was hell.
    “How are things going with my brother?” she asked, changing the subject.
    “I love him like a friend, but Keisha, I can’t give him what he wants or deserves.” Fresh tears welled in my eyes.
    “He’s good for you, better than...” she paused, hesitating.
    I turned to her when she didn’t continue. “You think he’s better than Sebastian?”
    She shrugged. “With the whole Jose mess, I just think that...I...”
    Tension brewed in my belly at what she was implying. “You think if I never met Sebastian or if I’d stayed away from him then I wouldn’t have Jose after me.”
    Keisha didn’t need to reply. Chewing her bottom lip, she looked away.
    I thought a moment. “But then I wouldn’t have Antonio...”
    She smiled. “Well at least something good came out of this shit.”
    “Yeah, no kidding,” I mumbled.
    “He’s in love with you, you know.”
    I sighed, releasing myself from her, and turned around to grab another coffee. “I can’t. I’m not ready. I wish I felt for him what he feels but...”
    “Sebastian is gone, Tori.”
    “I know that!” I snapped, making Antonio cry.
    Garrith and Brett stopped their conversation and stared at us.
    I huffed and walked past the scrutiny of my friends and picked up Antonio. “It’s okay, baby. I’m sorry.” I opened the patio door and stepped outside, cradling him in my arms.
    We walked out into the early morning sun, the warm air wrapping around us. I sat down on the soft grass and placed Antonio between my legs, rubbing his back soothingly. I watched him hold his bottle in one hand and pick at the grass with the other, not having a care in the world. He giggled and cooed, chatting away in his baby talk.
    My vision blurred at the sight of him. He was perfect. Rising to his feet, he turned to me, blew some bubbles, and threw himself into my arms. To have that trust, knowing that I would catch him, was simply inspiring. Would I ever have that trust again? That one person to depend on that, no matter what happened, would always be there for me? I hoped so.
    “Hey,” Brett said from behind