“It wasn’t about you.”
“Yeah, okay.” I roll my eyes, not buying that for a second. “Well, whatever it was about, I hope it was worth it... Daddy,” I tack on just to be an a-hole.
“I should have known you’d jump ship the second things got too real for you,” he spits, nostrils flaring in anger.
“You got another woman pregnant. I’d say that’s more than just real,” I fire back. “You want to be angry with me, fine. Be mad. It seems that’s what you’re best at anyway. But while you’re over there convincing yourself that I’m the one who ruined your life, perhaps you should take a long, hard look in the mirror. I left, yes. But that doesn’t make me the scapegoat for everything bad that’s happened in your life since then.”
“You know what, now that I think about it,youare the bad thing that’s happened to my life. You’re right. You should’ve never come back.”
Hearing him say it is much different than saying it myself and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t break something deep inside of me.
“If you’re going to leave, leave. Wren Cove is better without you here. I’m better without you here.”
“Glad to know how you really feel.” I start to back away. “Goodbye, Penn.”
I spin around, not able to get off the boat fast enough.
“Goodbye, LV.” I hear just as I reach the gangway and while every pore in my body is screaming to turn around and go back, to beg him to never let me go again, my pride simply will not allow it.
He made this bed.
He can enjoy lying in it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Penn
“Today’s the day, huh?” Alec flops down beside me in the waiting room, ignoring the look of confusion on my face.
“What are you doing here?” I voice what my expression is likely already saying.
“Thought some company might do you good,” he says like it should be so obvious. “Besides, if I’m going to be an uncle, I want to be the first to know.”
“Ifyou’re going to be an uncle, God willing, it won’t be today.” I blow out a hard breath.
I’ve waited six long days for the paternity results and when I got the call that they were in, I wanted to hear it straight from the doctor’s mouth so that I was certain, hence why I’m currently sitting in a packed waiting room, feeling like I ate rocks for breakfast.
A paper can be forged. A lie can be voiced. But Dr. Thomas—I’ve been seeing him since I was little, so I trust him. Downside, his office kind of lives in the Stone Age and hasn’t fully adopted this whole online portal thing, so it was either come in and get the information myself, or trust whatever Cat gave me, and that was definitely not happening.
She’s pregnant. There’s no disputing that. I was there when they confirmed it via ultrasound. Me being the father is still up for debate. A question that will be answered soon... I hope.
“As exciting as being an uncle sounds, I’m with you there. Can you imagine having to deal with Cat Stewart when a child is involved? That woman is a nightmare on her own. I still don’tunderstand why you chose to takeherto your bed. I’d have to duct tape her mouth shut.”
“I’m considering doing just that to you,” I grumble.
I don’t need someone rubbing my nose in my mistakes. I’m punishing myself enough as it is.
And then there’s London, the things I said. I wish I could take it back, but she won’t answer my calls or texts. The only communication we’ve had after our argument last week was her letter of immediate resignation, which came the very next morning.
For all I know, she’s somewhere halfway across the country by now. Rand is my only lifeline to her and he’s not talking, not that I blame him. He wants to stay out of it, and I get that, but not knowing is torture.
Not knowing if she’s really gone.
If I’ll never see her again.
If that night really was goodbye forever.
My stomach churns at the thought.
