Read Folding Hearts for Free Online Page A

understand my intentions. I was there for Izzy’s birth.”
    “Bella.” She interrupted.
    “Izzy is my name for her. Just let me finish.” I smiled at her disappointment. “ I watched her being born. Something that day made me fall in love with that little girl. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I always want to keep her safe. If Tucker did something to her mother, then I want to know about it. I know you think you need him in your life, but that bastard doesn’t deserve either of you.”
    “Who are you and what have you done with my asshole cousin?” She joked.
    Sometimes I hated that she thought of me as her family. This day had been one of those times. “Stop making fun of me. Can’t I be nice? I was never mean to Van. Even she will tell you that.”
    “Sor ry. It is keeping me from losin ’ it again. He said he never wanted her and that I should have got an abortion.”
    Before she could say anymore I lost it. “HE SAID WHAT?” I yelled. “Tell me where I can find his little ass. I will fucking kill him.”
    “Ty, please just leave it alone. I told him to stay away from us.”
    I ran my hands through my hair. “If I see him, I will hurt him.”
    “I don’t want the family to know Ty. Please keep this between us. They can’t know.”
    “Are you afraid of him?”
    She shrugged. “I am not afraid of him right now, but i f you or my brother go after him, there is no tellin’ what he will do. I can’t worry about that. I need to keep my focus on Bella. Please promise me.”
    I shook my head. “Fine. If I hear about him hurting you, it’s on.”
    “Thank you for carin’. Sometimes I feel like I can’t talk to anyone about him. I know you hate him too, but at least you made me feel better. Safe even.”
    I walked out of her room and gave her a high wave as I walked away. One day I would find that fucker and kick the shit out of him. It would be on my bucket list.
     

Chapter 7
    Miranda
    Even after I told Ty I was fine, I still cried myself to sleep. I kept replaying the night in my head. I saw Tucker’s lips and tongue kissing that girl over and over. I wanted to throw up. He told me he loved me. He said we would be a family. How could he take it all back? How could he not love Bella?
    That was the part that upset me the most. She was the most perfect little baby. How could someone not love her ? For goodness sakes, Ty was infatuated with her. He video chatted with a baby because he was so crazy about her. Sometimes he would tell me to put the computer next to the crib while I got a shower or had to get changed . They would play peek-a-boo. He would keep her occupied through the screen of a laptop and her own father wanted nothing to do with her. When Tucker was with her, he would play on his phone while she cried or crawled at his feet.
    I should have known he was no good, but I wanted to believe he would change. I had been so stupid, so infatuated with the idea of us being a family.
    The next morning I woke to sounds coming from Bella’s bedroom. After the shocking revelations the night before and the lack of sleep, it didn’t register that it could be Ty. I entered the doorway and froze as I saw him bent over the changing table, singin g to Bella, while changing her diaper.
    You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…you make me happy, when skies are gray…..
    I folded my arms across my chest and smiled from cheek to cheek. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. “Again, I have to ask…who are you and what have you done with my cousin?”
    He picked up Bella and turned to face me. His grin was huge. Bella grabbed a chu n k of his shabby hair and got his attention. “Ouch, gentle Iz!”
    I couldn’t help but giggle at the two of them. I was so thankful that she was too young to see what I was going through and Ty being here was a godsend. Had I come home last night and been alone, it would have been horrible.
    “I like your hair in the morning. The eighties look really appeals to