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Chloe’sface lit up, and in that moment,Rosaliecould see theShephardfeatures in her face.Thehair, the nose, the shape of her jaw. “Thankyou,” she said again, her fingers toying with the friendship bracelet on her wrist.
“It’sno problem,” saidRosalie, shootingAutumna smile.
Chloe’sfocus moved to something behindAutumnandRosalie, and she started gathering up her homework. “There’smy dad,” she said. “Ihave a piano lesson.I…Iplay some ofCarrie’ssongs, when my teacher lets me,” she added, shoving her books into her backpack, which was adorned withCarrieClark-themed buttons and enamel pins.
Rosalieturned, her curiosity pulling at her as she again wondered whichShephardsibling was this sweet girl’s dad.
Shefelt as if the floor had disappeared from under her when she spottedJackwalking straight towards them.Hissteps faltered as he spottedRosalie, and she saw his easy smile fade, saw the way he pulled a breath into his lungs.
Jackhad a kid.Andhe hadn’t said a word about it to her.
BecauseRosaliewas an idiot who’d completely misread the situation between them.Becausehe’d told her that he didn’t do relationships, wasn’t looking for anything beyond sex, and she’d let herself catch feelings for him anyway.
Oh,God.
“Hey, kiddo.Youready to go?” he asked, his gaze darting back and forth betweenChloeandRosalie, who was frozen to the spot as humiliation washed over her.Jackhad a kid, and he hadn’t told her because it wasn’t like that between them.
Thiswas why she didn’t do relationships.Whyshe didn’t put herself out there.Shedidn’t need this horrible feeling churning away in the middle of her chest, making her ache, making her wish the ground would swallow her up.
“Yep.Wehave to go toMom’sthough, becauseIneed my music folder.”
“Alreadygot it.”JackruffledChloe’shair and then took her backpack for her, still glancing repeatedly atRosalie.Wasthat guilt written across his handsome face?Orjust the look of a man who kept his life compartmentalized and who was less than thrilled that two very separate parts were mingling?
“IinvitedChloeandAutumnto come to the video shoot tomorrow afternoon,” saidRosalie, her voice a little too loud.Whywas it so hot in here?Itwas like an oven.
“I’mgoing to meetCarrieClark!” saidChloeexcitedly, clutching at her dad’s arm. “Isn’tthat amazing?”
Jack’sblue eyes sparkled as he smiled at his daughter. “Thatis.Didyou say thank you?”
“Shedid,” saidRosaliequickly.Shecouldn’t stop staring atJackand his daughter.Hehad a kid.Probablyfrom his marriage.Andhe clearly wasn’t an absentee father, either.Hewas here, taking her to piano lessons, radiating warmth.
Hehadn’t wantedRosalieto know.Shecouldn’t seem to move past that thought.Howmany times had they talked or texted over the past couple of weeks?Andhe’d never…Sheswallowed, her skin burning, her stomach full of rocks.
Shefelt like the world’s biggest idiot.Shefelt…confused.Andsad.Disappointed, and embarrassed.Shesipped her hot chocolate, not tasting it as she watchedJackshoulder his daughter’s backpack for her.
“Enjoyyour piano lesson,” she said toChloe, her heart feeling bruised. “AndI’llsee you and your aunt tomorrow.”ShecaughtJack’seyes and then looked away. “Seeyou.”Herhot chocolate in hand, she grabbed her coat and headed out of the sun room, making a beeline for the stairs.Shereached her room and shut herself inside, her heart pounding, and she was grateful that she was in a different room than before.Shedidn’t need the memories of her night withJackright now.
Shehung her coat up and then sank down on the bed, which was soft and plush, offering her a small bit of comfort.Really, it was fine.Jackhadn’t done anything wrong.Hewas allowed to set whatever boundaries around his child that he saw fit.Andhe clearly didn’t wantRosaliewithin those boundaries.
Itwas fine.Hewas fine.Shewas fine.Or, she would be, once she got over the embarrassment she felt at so obviously misinterpreting…well, everything.
Shestood from the bed and pulled her phone out of her coat pocket.Shedidn’t let herself re-read all of the old texts between her andJack.Honestly, she’d be better off deleting them.
Rosalie:
I’mreally sorry, butIhave a lot of work to do tonight.
Shewatched her phone screen as three dots appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared, then disappeared.Aminute passed, and then another.Finally, three dots and a message.
Jack:
Noproblem.Raincheck?
Rosalie:
Maybe?Itturns outI’mgoing to be pretty swamped.
Jack:
