Page 90 of Totally Off Limits

“Maybe they’re celebrating the fourth somewhere else,” Layne said.

Although Sierra nodded, she knew better.

They were gone. It was time to record their new album, and they’d left. Deep in her heart, she knew it.

She’d missed her one fucking chance…and so, by the time Layne parked in front of her condo, she couldn’t stop a couple of stray tears from escaping her eyes—but a real cry would wait until tonight in the privacy of her bedroom.

Until then, she would be the strong mother and sister…and daughter who’d stood up to her parents for the first damn time in her life.

* * *

Layne had offeredto stick around, but Mia was ready for bed—and Sierra needed to call Mickey. Even if he told her tofuck off, which she knew very well he might, she needed to be completely honest with him.

No more lies.

No more evasion.

No more denials.

This wasn’t something she would text, either. She needed tosayit out loud.

So once Mia was tucked in, all the talk of her father long forgotten, Sierra brushed the little girl’s hair back with her fingers. She whispered, “Mommy loves you, Mia.”

Damn it. Why were the tears falling again? She needed to get her shit together, or else the call might just sound like someone losing their marbles.

Her eyes flickering closed, her child said, “Mia loves mommy.”

That didn’t help—but at least those tears were happy ones.

After heading downstairs, she made her way to the back of the condo. Pulling the drapes to the sliding glass door in the kitchen aside, she looked through the glass and saw the Winchester firework display—showers of red, silver, gold, green, and blue, flower-like as they hung suspended in the air for a short time before fading into the background of black again. Before it had even registered that she was moving, she’d stepped out onto the deck to watch the endless display.

A cool breeze dried the tears on her cheeks as she gripped the phone in her hand.

It was time.

There was a text message from her mother.Call me.There were voicemail messages from her, too, but Sierra wasn’t going to listen. She’d talk with her parents later, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it right now. For the moment, she was going to do what she should have done long ago.

She was going to tell Mickey everything…so she finally called.

Why had she expected him to pick up the phone?

It didn’t matter. He had voicemail.

“Mickey, this is Sierra—and I’m sure you don’t want to talk to me right now, but I’m going to make it quick. First…I’m so sorry I never told you Mia was your daughter. It was a chickenshit thing of me to do, and I regret that—for both you and Mia. I won’t contest shared custody and visitation. You deserve to be in each other’s lives.

“But there’s more.”

Goddamn tears.Not right fucking now.

She swallowed, forcing herself to continue. “I love you, Mickey. I’m sorry I never told you that, but I do. I thought we didn’t belong together. I justified not telling you…but I do. I don’t want to live without you anymore.” Squeezing her eyes closed so the tears would stop, she inhaled a deep breath, and it helped her mind clear. “If I’m not the right person for you, I’ll accept that. I just thought I should tell you the truth. For once.”

Hanging up, she turned her eyes to the red shower of sparks in the sky as she let the tears fall freely. “You are the love of my life, Mickey…and I think I told you too fucking late.”

Finally, she allowed the tears to drop and they kept falling long after the sky had grown dark.

* * *

“How long haveyou been coming here?” Sierra asked her brother.

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