Page 71 of Like You Love Me

How could she have been so stupid to discuss Collin within the same house, her daughter was staying? Did she think Sierra overhearing wasn’t even possible?

Before they had left Baytown, Sheyna called apologizing. She had no idea Sierra was standing behind her listening until the call ended. When she asked Sierra how long she had been in the room, she lied and told Aunt Sheyna she had just walked in. Bianca groaned inwardly as so many scenarios swirled around in her head. She should have blocked Collin’s phone number instead of giving him a personal ringtone to alert her to decline his call. No, what she should have done was talked to London; instead, she had made a mess of things. Her stomach quivered, and she could only imagine how Sierra was feeling. The confusion, the uncertainty, and Bianca’s heart broke for her daughter finding out in a way that should have never happened. Instead, she had envisioned she and London sitting down with her and having a discussion, ensuring their daughter knew she was love and that it didn’t matter. Now she probably thought they were purposely keeping secrets from her.

Reaching up, Bianca brushed a tear from her eye.

“Are you okay?” London asked as he briefly looked away from the road.

Bianca nodded, still feeling too ashamed to look at him. “Yes, I’m fine, but I’m going to close my eyes for a bit.” She didn’t want to talk. She just wasn’t ready yet to have that conversation. Not until she had a chance to speak with her daughter. Besides, London was still angry. She could see it in his demeanor, the nerve ticking at his jaw, and she couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t been honest.

“Bianca.”

She opened her eyes and tilted her head in London’s direction.

“Sierra’s going to be fine.”

A sob caught in her throat that she pushed passed and nodded her head. “I really want to believe that,” Bianca whispered then switched over to Kevin Hart’s radio talk show because she wasn’t up for discussing. She leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes, praying the trip was short.

“Why, Bianca? I just want to know why you didn’t tell me?”

Her eyelids snapped open and across at the harsh accusation blazing in London’s eyes. Swallowing a hard knot of emotion, she responded honestly. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“It hurts more to know my wife couldn’t be honest with me.”

She studied his stony profile before saying, “And what would you have said if I had told you Collin wants Sierra to know he’s her father?”

“I would have told you, hell no,” he replied with an unyielding set of his jaw.

“And that’s why I didn’t say anything.”

“Bianca, Collin gave up his parental rights,” he replied with a pointed look.

She nodded. “Yes, I agree, but people change.”

“Not him,” he countered.

She turned on the seat to stare at him. “How do you know?”

“How doyouknow?”

She took a deep breath making sure to choose her words carefully. “I don’t know. Not really, but it doesn’t matter what we think. At some point, she has a right to know the truth.”

“Whenweare ready. When I’m ready, dammit! That’smydaughter. Collin doesn’t dictate when she finds out the truth. I do.”

“AndI’mher mother. Do I have any say?”

London just stared out the windshield. Bianca continued to look at him, and when he didn’t answer, she closed her eyes. He was stubborn. That was something she had learned about her husband over the years, and not much had changed.

The drive back to Sheraton Beach was long. Once they reached the heart of the town, London pulled up in front of Denise’s house within minutes. Bianca shivered and suddenly realized that maybe she wasn’t ready for the conversation. London helped her out of the vehicle, and then he was gone in a few vast strides inside the house. She lagged and swallowed as she stepped through the door. As soon as she did, she met Denise’s eyes and saw the solemn look on her face. A wave of guilt unsettled her stomach. Although she knew London was already down the hall and in the room designated as Sierra’s, Bianca asked, “Where is she?”

“Is it true?”

Bianca stopped and turned to look at Camille, followed by Carmen stepping out of the kitchen. Tears had filled Bianca’s eyes that she brushed away. Her gaze shifted from Denise to Camille and Carmen before sadly nodding her head.

“Well, I’m sure you had your reasons,” Camille said softly.

She was grateful for her sister-in-law’s vote of confidence. If only she felt the same at this point.

Bianca headed down the hall, heart beating heavily with each step as she drew closer to the room. She stepped inside to see London sitting at the edge of the bed, hands folded across his lap. It wasn’t until she stepped into the room that she found Sierra laying at the head of the bed with her back to them.

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