Page 76 of Free to Fall

“Right. Bye, Daddy.”

Laura smirks. “Bye, Daddy.”

With a wink at both of them and praying to God I can walk without spraining my dick, I leave them to it. Still, from the moment I start my car’s engine and back out of the driveway, I mentally count down the hours until I can get back to find out what this huge surprise is.

Chapter

Forty

I wait for the garage door to close before I reach for my backpack. Confidentially, I share, “I bought three kinds of pillows.”

“Can I see them?”

“Sure. We need to let them fluff a bit before my aunt gets here.” I pull the backpack closer. I’m grateful I knew I’d have another use for it someday since the last time I used it was when Jon graduated Harvard, and I had a few weeks off after my first year of medical school. The two of us left everyone and everything behind touring Europe together, cementing our twin bond as we experienced European history, hit the bars, all while traveling on the Eurail.

“How did you get three pillows in there, Laura? It’s like Hermione’s bag.”

Loving the Harry Potter reference, I explain to her the trip. Wistfully, she looks down at her legs before looking at the bag. “That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“What? A vacation?”

She nods.

“Have you ever told your dad you want to go on a vacation?”

“No.”

“Why not?” I ask, reaching inside for the first pillow.

That’s when she throws my heart into a tailspin about the man I’ve been becoming more and more entranced with. “What if he decides he doesn’t want me around all the time anymore? He can’t send me back home to Mommy, Laura. What will I do?”

My insides curdle and my voice is icy. “Excuse me?”

She frantically tries to explain. “I ... I didn’t mean to say anything, Laura.”

I pull her out of her wheelchair and into my arms. “You can talk to me, Bailey.”

“Do you have to tell Daddy?”

“I might.” And I might have to kill him if he doesn’t reassure me, I think viciously.

Bailey’s expression is panicked.

“But it’s only to help you, Bails.”

Her eyes well with tears before she whispers—as if she’s confessing something. And maybe she is. “S-sometimes m-my M-mommy u-used to scream at me.”

I smooth a hand up and down her back. “What kind of things?”

“T-that I r-ruined her l-life.”

What kind of woman was Liam Payne in love with? Fury surges through my veins when she goes on in a broken voice, “I-I n-need to s-show h-him I-I’m a g-good girl.”

My heart is struggling so hard to beat, I wonder if I’m about to trigger an arrhythmia. How did Liam end up creating such a beautiful child with such a complete bitch?

Knowing I’ve been “let in,” I tread carefully like I would with any ER patient. “You don’t want me telling Daddy?”

Her head shakes frantically.

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