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Hart remains silent as Mamma speaks. “Your father saw them. So, it’s true.”
I throw my towel down. “You’re wrong. You misunderstood something,” I say.
“I’m afraid not. Your father said he was holding her hand when he saw them and he was touching her face and kissed her before she got in her car,” Mamma says quietly.
“And you believe your cowardly, murdering husband?” I ask with a shout.
“Hawk Abbott! I’m still your mother and you won’t speak to me that way. I’ve always believed your father, of all his faults, he’s never been untruthful. You may believe him to be a coward, but I know him to be a man who made an impossible choice and had to live with it the only way he knew how. So, yes, I believe him when he says that’s what he saw. I may not understand it, but I believe it,” she says with tears in her eyes.
“I need you to leave. Both of you. Hart, can you stay?” I ask flatly.
He nods as Mamma is ushered out of the gym by Vincent.
“What do you know, Hart? I know you know something,” I say.
He lets out a sigh. “All I know is she said she went. She sent me a text saying if she wasn’t back in a couple hours, come find her. She said she was going to his club. But she was back in an hour and a half. I timed her.”
“Damn it,” I growl through my hands now covering my face.
“But, Hawk…you don’t know what you don’t know. If she went, there was a reason. It may not be the one you think it is. That girl loves you. I don’t see her going with any malicious intent,” he says. “If you’re asking my opinion, there’s more to it.”
My heart thunders wildly in my chest, unsure what to believe, I know in the depths of my soul she’d never go see him tobe with him.But why was she with him? And why wouldn’t she tell me? This is supposed to be our second chance to get this right. Not our chance to start keeping things from each other again. Even though you’re not telling her you may have to eventually push her away to keep her from being tangled up in what it means to be a Rossi,my mind taunts.
“I need to talk to her,” I say as I turn to leave.
“Hawk, be careful. You don’t want to say something you can’t take back. And you sure don’t want to lose this fight. Tread lightly,” he says.
I nod before going back to the main part of the house.
Mamma is at the door, and as she closes it, I see an envelope in her hand. She sees me and extends her hand out. I take the envelope from her and walk into the living room and drop onto the couch. I open it and the letter takes the wind out of me.
Hawk Abbott, in the case of the paternity of Ethan Leone, we cannot confirm nor deny based on the sample given. It was compromised. We apologize for any inconvenience and will be happy to retest if new samples are provided.
So, we’re still in limbo not knowing. Brittney’s voice cuts into my thoughts. “You’re Ethan’s father?” she asks with red-rimmed eyes.
“I don’t know. The sample was compromised,” I admit.
Her brows furrow. “Is that normal? I mean does it happen a lot?” she asks.
“How should I know?” I snap. “Apparently everything I thought I knew, I don’t.”
“What do you mean?” she asks with a slight tremble in her voice.
“I mean, everyone in this house seems to know you snuck out to meet with my former best friend and your current fiancé.”
Her eyes widen as if shocked, but her shoulders slump in defeat.
“Why? Why would you meet with him alone?” I demand to know.
“I wanted to talk to him and tell him the truth,” she says as a tear trickles down her cheek.
“I already told you telling him would make no difference to him. And I didn’t want to turn him against his sister!” I shout.
She winces as if I slapped her and covers her mouth with her fist. It’s her tell when she’s trying not to cry. The tears drip steadily off her chin anyway. “You did love her, didn’t you? Even though you said you didn’t before. And maybe you do now. Why else would you care about her relationship with her brother?” she asks.
“It’s hard not to have feelings for someone you sleep with, Brittney,” I say flatly and as soon as I say the words, I regret them. I don’t love Angel and I never did. I cared about her yes, and I don’t want harm to come her way, but my feelings are no deeper and I’m a bastard for letting her think otherwise.
“I wouldn’t know. You’re the only man I’ve ever slept with and the only man I’ve ever loved,” she says sadly.
