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ZACH
Hope and I wait in front of Ray’s school as kids of all sizes come out of the gate. This number of mini humans are not helping with my growing anxiety.
What the fuck?
A tiny girl with pigtails comes out howling, making noise twice her size. Her face is red and wet with tears. When her embarrassed parents come forward to pick her up, she flops on the ground, thrashing her arms and legs wildly.
“We’re sorry. She’s still adjusting to being away from me.” The red-faced mother tries to explain.
“Fucking brat,” I hiss under my breath.
“Zach!” Hope elbows me.
But I can’t fucking take this anymore. I take big steps toward my car and get inside, efficiently cutting off the loud wailing.
The passenger door opens and Hope glides in. “What was that?” she asks incredulously.
“That was some exceptionally bad parenting.”
She does a double take before pinning me with her gaze. “You have been a parent for what, less than six hours? Don’t you think it’s too early for you to preach about parenting?”
“I don’t have to be a parent to know that.” I adjust the air-conditioning, suddenly feeling too hot.
“What’s up with you? Are you hungry?” she asks completely out of context.
“Why would you ask that?”
“You’re usually cranky when you’re hungry.”
My chest fucking tightens at her accurate observation, and it settles a bit temporarily when she rummages in her handbag and pulls out a chocolate bar.
“I’m not hungry.” I pull Ray’s favorite Snickers bar from her hand anyways and tear the wrapper.
“But you admit you are anxious. If I didn’t know you, I would say you look nervous,” she mumbles while zipping her handbag closed. When I don’t reply, she looks up at me. “Please don’t tell me you are nervous about Ray.”
When I avoid her gaze and instead focus on the half-bitten chocolate bar, she exclaims, “He loves you, for God’s sake! He is going to be the happiest person after hearing we are married. How can you even doubt that?”
I straighten my jacket lapels before turning toward her in my seat.
“I… I’m not sure what I’m competing against.”
She goes from confused to shocked in a period of a few seconds. “Zach!” Her otherwise warm voice is icy cold as every other time I have tried to broach this subject.
“We never spoke about his father. I have no intention of opening your old wounds. But don’t you think it’s time we talk about him. What happens if he comes up someday?”
“That’s why you want to adopt Ray as soon as possible?” Her fingers tighten around the strap of her handbag.
“I’m a careful businessman and Ray is the biggest deal of my life. I will not leave a soft spot for anyone to take him away from me.” I grab her hands in mine. “Just tell me, do I have to worry about anything?”
“No. No one is looking for Ray, Zach. No one is coming for him. No one knows about him.” Her voice is clipped as her nervous gaze darts around.
I open my mouth to ask more, but she beats me to that. “That’s the most I have ever told anyone about Ray’s…” She gulps loudly. “Father. Please, Zach.” Her pleading, beseeching eyes force me to hold my words.
What’s your story, Hopper? Who is that fucker and what the hell did he do to you?
After Hope and Ray moved to my place, Keith, my head of security, ran a background check on Hope to see if he could find any information on Ray’s father. But he came up empty-handed. There was nothing. Nada.
How did you keep this affair under wraps, Hope, and why? You were still a teenager then. Did someone blackmail you?Issomeone blackmailing you?
