Page 13 of Forever Player

She nods and her arms come up and hug her center. I keep reminding myself she thought I told her to buzz off. That is what she believed, and she doesn’t know me well enough to know anything else.

“You can leave your bag down here,” she says, so I leave it on the floor and remove my boots.

“Take your jacket off too. It’ll make noise. She isn’t a light sleeper, but I also don’t want to risk her waking up,” she explains.

I leave my coat on the back of the couch and take off my boots and leave them beside my bag. Willow places her boots and coat in a closet by the door. I take her in and I feel the same attraction I felt that night. She’s wearing a pair of tight jeans and an oversized sweater that hides her body, but she still looks hotter than hell.

“Follow me.” She waves, motioning me with her hand. I follow her through the quiet house.

“Who was watching Maylee?” I ask.

“My brother, Finn, and his girlfriend, Chelsea. They’re seniors in high school,” she explains.

“What about your mom?” I whisper.

“She went out tonight for her friend Jana’s birthday. They were at a local bar celebrating. Since Dad died, Mom has been doing a lot of celebrating,” she shares.

As we take the steps upstairs, I remember the night we were together. Her parents had a relationship that resembled the Cold War. They stayed together for the wrong reasons and were always miserable and at each other’s throats. What doesn’t make sense is why her mother isn’t more helpful. Willow came to confront me tonight. That must have been hard as hell after what she believed about me. I see that Jacob has her back but what about her mom?

We reach a room. The hall is dark and quiet. The water is running from a bathroom, but other than that you can hear a pin drop. A guy opens a bedroom door and leans on the wall. I’m guessing it’s Finn Heaton, since he looks like he’s probably in high school.

“Why is he here?” the kid barks, sizing me up. He’s a big guy but he just doesn’t have weight on him yet.

“Brett, this is my brother, Finn,” Willow says, stepping in front of me like she expects the kid to swing. “We had a horrible misunderstanding, which I can explain in the morning. For now, I need you to remember he is Maylee’s father and he’s here for her,” she says.

I watch the kid grind his jaw. A blonde walks up behind him dressed in plaid pajamas. “Come on, Finn.” She places a hand on his shoulder and he melts a little.

“Brett, this is Chelsea, she’s Finn’s long-time girlfriend,” Willow explains.

The girl extends her hand to me. “Nice to meet you.”

“You’re shaking his hand?” Finn chides her.

I shake her hand. “Nice to meet you too, Chelsea,” I say to her. Then I zero in on Finn. “Look, kid, I get you’re watching out for your sister, but I didn’t know Maylee existed because of a messed-up communication. Now I know and I’m not going anywhere, so you’ll just have to get used to me.”

His eyes widen and he looks over at Willow.

“You guys are going to wake Maylee. We’ll deal with this in the morning. Come, Brett,” she orders.

Chelsea pulls Finn back into the bedroom and they close the door. I follow Willow, feeling like my heart is picking up pace with every step.

Boards creak beneath my feet as we make our way to a room at the end of the hall. When we reach the threshold, I feel like I stop breathing.

Willow walks into the room and up to the crib. She waves me over. I walk over slowly, feeling like my life is changing with every step. There will be no going back. I haven’t even seen her and my heart is beating differently. I make it to the edge of the crib and look down at the little angel sleeping. Tiny button nose, heart-shaped lips, chubby cheeks; she’s breathing softly lying on her back. Her arms point upward with a blanket that’s covering half her body. Her chest rises and falls slowly. Tears fill my eyes. This is my daughter. This is my daughter. I feel a little woozy as I just stare, and then I get nauseous. Nauseous about missing so many important milestones. Willow’s pregnancy and the first five months of her life. My first thought isI will never leave you again.

“Brett, say something,” Willow urges.

I thought I was just shaking inside, but my body is shaking as I try to hold back tears and nausea.

“Where is there a bathroom, Willow?” I manage to croak out.

“Just outside the door, on the right,” she replies.

I turn and head that way and then, for the second time tonight, I vomit into the toilet. Feelings of guilt and loss wash over me. Willow not feeling like she could reach out to me. Whoever took my phone and answered her that way has a lot of bad karma coming and if I ever meet them. . . I fall to my knees, feeling like all the energy has drained from my body.

“Hey.” Willow walks into the bathroom and rubs my back.

“Sorry,” I apologize. “This is a lot. I. . . feel. . . I don’t know what I feel, but it’s making me upset that I missed so much.”

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