Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ipulled up to the curb and put the car in park but didn’t turn it off. The engine idled, and I peered up at the Craftsman, wondering if this was a mistake. Wondering what my mom would think.
Rita said Mom would want me to be happy, but I wasn’t convinced she’d approve. The mere idea of crossing over the threshold to the home my father shared with the woman he’d left my mom for felt wrong, like a betrayal.
My phone vibrated in my lap, and I jolted. I scrambled to catch it as it began to slide between the seat and the console. Gripping it with my fingertips, I slowly extracted it.
But when I glanced at the screen and saw who’d texted me, I nearly dropped it again.
Hunter:I know you don’t want to hear from me, but I’m thinking of you today.
Another text camein as I was reading the first one.
Hunter:And every day.
Hunter:Every moment.
My bodyand my mind were at war. I ached for him, for his touch. But he’d lied to me, hurt me. I’d let him in, and he’d betrayed me just like my father had. The only two men I’d ever loved.
Where had I gone wrong? How had I managed to trust a man who was just like my father? A man who had lied for months, and not just about something small. It was a freaking child.Shit.
I stared ahead, down the tree-lined street. It was idyllic, and the more I sat there, the more pissed I grew. I was mad at Hunter. I was mad at my father. I was mad at myself.
You know what,I thought, glancing back at the house.Fuck it.
I switched off the car and yanked my purse up on my shoulder.Fuck it.
I climbed out and practically slammed the door shut.Fuck it.
I marched up the stairs and rang the doorbell.Fuck it.
I was tired of allowing these lying assholes to control my life, my heart. I was going to do this on my terms. And I was going to finally get the answers I needed and move on.
I lifted my hand to the door and knocked. It swung open wide, and Shane greeted me with a sad smile. Instead of the bitterness I’d felt for so many years, I felt…nothing. If anything, I pitied Shane for trusting my father. For believing he was capable of anything other than deceit.
“Hey.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, likely feeling just as awkward as I did.
“Hey.” I glanced around, twisting my hands.
“Come on in.” He opened the door wider, allowing me to pass through.
The first thing I noticed was the scent—something had been baked, and recently. It smelled good, smelled like a home. And my stomach churned with nerves.
As he led me down the hall, I couldn’t help but study the photos on the walls. My dad and his other wife, his other children, his other family. This wasn’t my family, and I didn’t belong here.
Much as I’d wanted to ignore it all these years—he loved her. He’d made a life with her, a family. And I wasn’t part of it. Partly due to his actions, but also because of my own decisions. It wasn’t like Shane hadn’t reached out to me in the past—him and my father. But it had been almost easier to pretend my father was dead than face the truth that he’d chosen a different family.
“He’s just in here,” Shane said, gesturing to a closed door. “Look, um—” He glanced down at his feet, twisting his hands together. “It’s been a rough few days. He’s in a lot of pain.”
I nodded but said nothing else as Shane knocked gently on the door before opening it. I stood at the threshold a moment, debating whether to go in. Was I ready for this? Would I ever be?
“Lolo.” Dad coughed, squinting at me from the large chair on the other side of the room. “Is that you?”
Despite my anger, I deflated when I saw how frail he was. He was so changed from the man in my mind, the man I’d grown up adoring and then vilifying. His hair was gray, his skin sallow, and his eyes lacked the vibrancy they used to have. I didn’t want to admit it, but it made me sad.
With a deep breath, I stepped farther into the room. There was a large desk, and the walls were lined with wooden bookcases that seemed original to the home. Wood casings wrapped around the windows, and though the décor had been modernized, it was still in keeping with the style of the home. As a designer, I appreciated that nod to the past.
“Do you need anything?” Shane asked, and I shook my head before he excused himself.
