Page 74 of Like You Love Me

For London and Bianca…the discussion had just begun, and sooner than later, they would talk.

They had pizza for dinner and then watched a new family movie on Netflix. Afterward, Bianca let Sierra use their large tub to take a bubble bath. That tub had been her favorite place since she was too small to bathe without assistance. The bathroom floor would be a swimming pool by the time she was done splashing and showing off her swimming moves, but he didn’t care. He would do anything for her as long as he saw that smile on his daughter’s lips. Emotion filled his gut as he realized his vow to do anything for his daughter would someday include sharing her love with another man she would also call her father.

Long after Sierra had gone to bed for the night, Bianca went upstairs to their bedroom. London was in his recliner in their sitting room watching a new episode ofLaw & Order. He stared at the television screen. He may have appeared engrossed in the episode’s suspense to anyone else, but she knew there was more to his silence, and she could thank Collin for that.

Bianca headed straight into their ensuite, where she turned on the shower. While the water was warming, she walked back into their room and reached inside her dresser drawer for a nightgown. She stole a glance over at London, who glared at the screen, and she still had no way of guessing what he was thinking.

Damn you, Collin! Why did he have to come to Sheraton Beach? With a sigh, Bianca dragged the sweater over her head then lowered the jeans down her hips. She unclasped her bra and slipped out of a pair of low-rise panties. As Bianca headed toward the ensuite, she caught London looking in her direction and froze. She stood there, her chest rising and falling heavily as she waited for him to say something; instead, a storm cloud settled onto his features. And when he realized the commercial was over and the program had returned, he dismissed her when his gaze shifted back to the television screen. With a frustrated roll of the eyes, Bianca went to take her shower. Once under the water spray, she reminded herself that she was the only one to blame for this mess. If she hadn’t avoided telling London about Collin being back, none of this would have happened, and she could have spared their daughter the pain and confusion and London the embarrassment. But she knew what bothered him most was that she had kept the truth from him. It would take time because his wife had betrayed him as far as her husband was concerned.

By the time she reemerged, the television was off, and London had changed into the navy sweatsuit she had bought him last season. He looked briefly up at her before his eyes shifted to the sneakers he slid onto his feet.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked softly.

“Trash pick-up is tomorrow. I’m going to go roll the cans out to the curb.”

Bianca walked over to her side of the bed and sat down as she said, “When you come back in, I would like to talk.”

London rose and didn’t bother to look her way as he said, “What else is there to talk about?”

“Collin…Sierra…the truth,” she said, swallowing with difficulty.

London scrubbed a hand down his face and said in a low voice, “We talked about it enough today, and I am so pissed it’s probably best we save this conversation for another time.”

“Okay, but we have to talk about him,” Bianca countered mildly.

“Really? Why the sudden interest?” The words were laced with so much sarcasm she couldn’t bring herself to speak, and instead, they stared at each other.

London shook his head. “All this time, I knew there was something you weren’t telling me, and yet every time I asked, you said it was nothing.”

Sitting up straight, Bianca met his angry glare. “I know. I should have been honest about Collin.”

“Yes, you should have.” There was a tense, prolonged silence before London asked, “How long has this been going on?”

Bianca started to lie, but she didn’t have it in her. “He contacted me around Christmas.”

She watched London’s expression turn to stone before he looked away and left the room.

Chapter 18

Ablue pickup truck pulled into the elementary school parking lot. London waited until the door opened, and the driver’s identity was confirmed before he climbed out of his SUV. With wide strides, London reached Collin just as he retrieved his briefcase from the back seat and shut the door. The second he saw London, his eyes widened with alarm.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Collin told him while his eyes scrambled the lot, looking for witnesses.

London laughed shortly, but there was no humor in it. “Is that what you call it? Because I see it differently.”

“Bianca told her. Not me,” he said defensively.

“No, what you did was come back around and stir up all this crap.”

Collin held his hands up in surrender. “Listen, all I want is a chance to make all this right. Yes, I was wrong for not being in my daughter’s life. But please don’t stop Sierra from getting to know me.”

London came closer without moving, and yet Collin took a step back. “It’s because I love that little girl, I’ll allow her to see you and for no other reason. I could give a damn about you and how you feel at this point. The only reason why I am even here is because of my daughter.”

There was a hopeful gleam in his eyes. “That’s all I want,” Collin replied with an awkward smile. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Problems? If you ever think of upsetting my wife or my daughter again, we are going to have a problem.” He gritted his teeth. “I will snatch your ass up so fast you will be gasping for air. And trust me, you won’t see me coming. Unlike you, there’s no way I could imagine one day without my daughter in it.”

“She’s my daughter, too,” Collin declared softly.

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