Page 21 of The Keeper

“But you’re not fine,” she pointed out in a gentle tone. “You’re exhausted, overworked, and falling apart at the thought of running into Dane. This isn’t healthy, Piper.”

“I know,” I said, my voice cracking again. “But what am I supposed to do now? Walk up to him and say, ‘Hey, remember that night we spent together? Surprise! You have a daughter!’”

Ivy placed her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at her. “Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re going to do. He deserves to know, and more importantly, Avery deserves to know her father.”

The thought of confronting him, of seeing the shock and potential anger on his face made me want to vomit all over again.

“You don’t understand,” I choked out, shaking my head frantically. “I can’t just drop this bomb on him out of nowhere.”

“Then when, Piper? When Avery’s graduating from high school? When she’s looking for someone to walk her down the aisle?” Ivy’s voice softened. “There’s never going to be a right time, but the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.”

The full weight of her words sank in. She was right, of course. But knowing what I had to do and doing it were two very different things.

“What if he wants nothing to do with us? Oh my god. What if he tries to take her away?”

“Breathe,” Ivy commanded. “You’re catastrophizing. You don’t know how he’ll react until you tell him.”

I paced back and forth across a small section of pavement. “That’s just it. I don’t knowhim. Not really. We spent one night together, and then he vanished. For all I know, he could be married with three kids.”

She latched onto my arm, halting my frantic movement. “Then you need to find out so you can stop torturing yourself with the what-ifs. You also need to consider the possibility that he might want to be involved. Are you prepared for that?”

Was I prepared for Dane to want to be a part of Avery’s life? To potentially disrupt the careful balance I’d constructed over the past year?

“Piper?”

I froze, my heart pounding so violently I thought it might burst from my chest. Time slowed to a crawl as I turned around, coming face to face with the man who haunted almost all my dreams.

Dane stood less than six feet away, looking even more devastatingly handsome than the last time I saw him. His dark eyesroamed over me, and memories of that night flashed through my mind like an uninvited guest.

“I thought that was you inside,” he said, his presence as palpable as ever. The kutte he wore molded to his muscular frame like a second skin, while the black T-shirt underneath strained against his biceps and broad shoulders.

Had he always been this muscular, or was it a recent development? I couldn’t remember.

He took a step closer. “It’s been a while.”

A while.

As if the past year and nine months could be summed up so casually. As if he hadn’t knocked me up and disappeared without a trace.

Not that either of us had known I would end up pregnant when he slipped out in the middle of the night, but still.A while?That was the best he could come up with?

A vein pulsed in my forehead. My emotions were rapidly cycling between anger, hurt, confusion, and rage.

Heavy on the rage.

An awkward silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words and lingering questions. I could feel Ivy’s eyes darting between us, practically vibrating with the need to intervene.

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. This was it—the moment I’d both dreaded and longed for. And I was completely unprepared.

“You look…” He trailed off, his brow furrowing as he studied me more closely. “Are you all right?”

No, I wanted to scream.I’m not all right. I haven’t been all right since the night you left.

My throat was bone dry as I replied, “I’m fine.”

Dane’s eyes narrowed, clearly not buying what I was trying to sell. He took another step closer, close enough now I could smell the faint scent of leather and something distinctly him. My traitorous body reacted instantly, a familiar warmth spreading through my veins.

His forehead creased with concern. “You don’t look fine. What’s wrong?”

---