Conditional Love

Chapter 26

I bet you guys thought we forgot about this story. Don't worry, we know it still exists. It's just time isn't as available to us as it used to be. So here's an update to enjoy for now! Thank you for sticking around and reading! Also, I didn't do a final read through so excuse the mistakes.

***

**|Sang's POV|**

I work my way down the steps with Sean at my back. When we get to the bottom, I can hear someone moving around in the kitchen. I turn to Sean.

"Can I speak with North, alone?" I ask.

He smiles and nods. "Of course. I need to go talk with Owen anyways."

"Thank you," I whisper and go to where I can hear the clinking of pans.

North is bent over, digging through cupboards and with the open-spaced kitchen, I get a good clear view of his firm ass covered by dark jeans.

I take a moment, not to just enjoy the view, but to also get myself together. My nerves are making themselves known by the way my hands shake and my heart rate picks up. I bite at my lip before blowing out a breath, trusting in what Sean said.

North wouldn't use what happened last night against me. I have to believe in that. Just thinking about what I said makes me want to find a hole a bury myself in it.

And her words.

Everyone will leave you.

I shake my head before the memories take over again. Maybe she's right. I mean, Wil left. He moved on. So has my entire family. Old friends. Everyone. And after dealing with enough, I forced myself to become the person who leaves, who doesn't stick around long enough.

My eyes widen at a realization.

I have become my father. He's just the same, always gone, never around.

My right hand curls into a fist, the nails digging into the skin. I release a breath, forcing myself to relax and then take a step into the room.

"North," I say softly but he hears me. His body stiffens for just a moment before he straightens up and turns to face me.

His expression is carefully blank as he looks me over. I'm used to receiving the once over, that heated look that travels down your body and then back up, becoming even more lustful when they like what they see. But North's glance is nothing like that. I can tell he's searching for signs of injuries, signs of being sick. He's checking me out to make sure I'm okay, not because he's interested in my body.

His look is different. I freeze as he continues his perusal and then finally looks me in the face.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

I blink a couple of times before finding the right words for a response. "I'm okay," I say.

He nods and turns back to what he's doing. Looks like he's getting ready to make pancakes. Or by some of the ingredients I see on the counter next to him, crepes.

Finally, I get up the nerve and ask, "Do you need help?"

He pauses before turning to look at me and then at everything on the counter. He nods. "You can cut up the fruit. I'm determined to make something healthy before Luke gets here and tries to put chocolate chips into everything again."

I flash him a relieved smile before stepping up next to him, only inches of space between us. I can feel his body heat radiating off of him and I take a slow deep breath as I reach forward, pick up a strawberry from the bowl and place it on the chopping board. My fingers wrap around the knife and slowly I lift it, positioning the blade at the top of the strawberry and slowly slicing of the leaves. I then slice the strawberry in half and place the two pieces back in the bowl.