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Nikolai was everything I had ever dreamed of in a man. From his almost black hair to the crystalline blue of his eyes. Not to mention, the perfect body he possessed. He was anyone’s wet dream; having him as the father of my child was a double-edged sword.
I wanted nothing more than to agree. To join him for a meal that would surely lead us back to my room. To re-enact the night that landed me in a world of trouble. Above all, I wanted him. But things weren’t so simple.
I only had an hour left of daycare, and I needed to grab Kat before that time was up. The idea of getting into everything with him made my stomach turn, and I decided he didn’t need to know.
If Nikolai had gone three years without knowing about his child, what harm would a bit more time cause?
Swallowing back my hesitation, I weaved myself away from him and pulled what sympathetic smile I could manage.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have a plane to catch this evening.”
Compromise glimmered in his eyes. “Not even before the flight? I’m free so long as you are.”
The moment he’s gone, I have to change hotels.
No questions asked. I couldn’t risk seeing him at every turn, reminding me of every lie I ever muttered to him. I could only take so much at once.
Shaking my head, disappointment filtered into his face, but before he could argue, Nikolai’s phone rang in his pocket. Scoffing at the inconvenience, he grabbed the phone and checked out the caller ID.
“It’s my brother,” he mumbled, immediately angered.
That was my cue.
“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” I murmured, not smiling big enough to reach my eyes.
Defeat cascaded around Nikolai, but he sighed with a nod, already answering the call with the phone against his ear.
“What is it?” he barked through the phone, stalking down the hall in the other direction.
Finally able to breathe properly, I released my breath and hurried down the hall. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure he was out of sight, I realized he was already gone, and I pushed forward.
Without wasting a moment, Kat and I went back to the hotel room, to which she was somewhat disappointed. I promised her we’d visit the pool at another hotel instead, and her mood lifted.
While Kat was glued to the tv, sitting on the bed, I raced around the room and grabbed our suitcases, stuffing them with our belongings. We had only been there for a day, and I knew it would be somewhat confusing for Kat, but we couldn’t stay. We needed to get away before I ran into Nikolai again.
Just as I zipped up Kat’s bag, my phone chimed again. Glancing over at it, I found my aunt Maria’s name once again.
Releasing a heavy breath, I reached for it and checked the message.
‘Your father has taken a sudden turn. He may not be conscious tomorrow.’
An icy hand gripped my neck, and I knew there was no ignoring him any longer. It was my last chance, and I couldn’t waste any time.
I’d have to check out of the hotel later and find something else, but at that moment, I had to go.
“Come on, Kat,” I called to her lightly, hardly able to speak over the pounding of my heart and the dread that flooded my system. “We’re going to go see someone before dinner.”
“Who?” she asked, peering over at me from the bed.
I swallowed hard. “Your grandfather. He wants to see you.”
There was a time when he wanted nothing to do with Kat, and consequently, me. He was a mean, evil man who only cared about advancing himself. He wanted me to get rid of my child.
But according to my aunt, he had changed. Getting sick altered him in more ways than one, and surely he wasn’t the same man I ran away from.
With a steadying breath, I tried my best to remind myself of that.
Kat’s face lit up at the idea, even if she didn’t know my dad, and she hopped off the bed. Once her shoes were strapped on, I guided her out of the hotel, and we piled into the rental car that looked incredibly worn down compared to the vehicles I parked next to outside of dad’s building.
