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“I don’t even know what the fuck you’re talking about! You should have told me as soon as you knew.” I let my own anger be heard, and in return, she slaps me. It’s the same cheek that’s taken several punches now. “Damn it, Isla. Is your whole family going to hit me this week?”
“I did! I called you as soon as I knew and you didn’t answer, you ignored my calls. At the most crucial time in my life, when I needed you most, you didn’t answer,” she says, her eyes shine but no more tears fall. “I called Torsten to ask if he knew where you were.”
Fuck me. Fuck. Me.
That call changed everything. Torsten had hounded me for weeks to decide; either cut Trina’s attention off completely or break it off with Isla. He knew I was struggling. Instead of letting me teeter for longer, he took the opportunity to make the decision for me. We argued over that, but eventually, I forgave him. After all, all he did was answer a call. I’m the one that did all the harm.
More than I knew, apparently.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t answer, but that doesn’t excuse five years of keeping her from me.” There’s no excuse for what she’s done.
“The first apology I get and it’s for not picking up the phone,” she says. She can try to hide the hurt behind her indignation, but I hear it anyway. As if I can hear her heart breaking, but that can’t be right because that happened a long time ago now.
As angry and hurt I am right now, and it’s a lot, I can’t help that I hurt a little for her too. I dig my hands into her hair, one at each of her temples, bringing my face closer to hers.
“That’s why I came here tonight, Isla. To apologize, to try and make some sense of it all.”
“Your apologies are years too late, Cillian.” She blinks rapidly, fighting so hard to keep the sadness away and to hold on to her hate of me. I hate her too at this moment, but that doesn’t stop the connection we’ve always shared. The undeniable yet invisible thing that has been between us since we were children. It’s still there and I know she feels it the same as I do.
“What is my daughter’s full name?” I rub my thumbs back and forth along her hairline, trying to keep her on the calmer side.
“Sadie Nadine Cole.”
Nadine was my grandmother’s name. But Cole is all wrong. I want to fuck her over and fuck her stupid at the same time for that.
“Why doesn’t she have her own bedroom,” I ask, and she blinks a few times before answering.
“Willa moved in as soon as she finished high school. I was having… it was hard. Being a mom, trying to finish college. We’ve been talking about a bigger place, but it hasn’t been a priority just yet.”
“I made an offer on a house today; she’ll have a room there.”
“The fuck she will,” she snaps, pulling away from my touch.
“She’s my daughter too, Isla. You can’t keep her away from me anymore.”
“I won’t, but that doesn’t mean she gets to stay with you.”
“Yes, it does.”
“No, it doesn’t. You can’t be trusted, Wylder. You couldn’t be trusted to care for me when I was an adult. I sure as hell can’t trust you with her. Even if you had any idea of how to take care of a toddler.”
“I’ll learn,” I say confidently.
“Maybe,” she says with a heavy shrug. “But I’m not taking chances with my daughter.”
“Our daughter. And neither will I. We can reasonably work something out or I’ll lawyer up and fight you tooth and nail, Cole.”
“I fucking hate you,” she spits, her tears making another appearance.
“I hate you, too,” I tell her, stepping back into her space, pinning her with her back against the countertop. She takes a few heavy breaths, the rise and fall of her breasts grazing my chest. You’re just as affected as I am, Isla, you can’t fucking hide from me. Her face lifts to mine and those trembling lips of hers grab my attention. So, I take them. Consequences be damned, I’ve missed this too much. I’ve missed her too much. Hating her doesn’t stop my wanting her, as fucked as that is.
Wherever we end up after all of this, at least I’ll have tasted her one last time. Savoring the slide of her tongue against mine and the slight hum she releases as her body relaxes in my arms. It’s only a brief few seconds before she pushes me away and punches me in the same damned cheek. If it wasn’t bruised before, it sure as hell will be now.
“This isn’t over, Isla,” I bite out before leaving.
7
ISLA
