Page 54 of The Forever Play

She narrows her eyes, and I squirm in my seat while she rests her chin in her hand and tries to read me. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.” My voice sharpens with agitation at the idea that she’s found a special someone. A someone who’s not me.

What the fuck is wrong with you? You should want her to be happy.

I hunch over, staring at the table and trying to ignore the reprimand I’m giving myself.

“Zander, Russell has always been like a brother to me. That hasn’t changed.” Glancing up, I watch her lipstwitch. “He’s just been nice enough to let us stay with him while my parents are away. And he’s great with Zoey. She seriously adores him.”

My chest keeps hurting, but I try not to let it show.

“He wouldn’t have lost her today,” Sienna mutters, and screw my no hand-holding rule. I reach for her fingers, needing to comfort her even in the smallest way.

“Hey.” I give them a gentle squeeze until she’s looking at me. “That was not your fault. She took off on you.”

Sienna starts blinking, her chin bunching again like she’s seconds away from crying. “It scared the shit out of me. Zoey getting kidnapped is my greatest fear. The thought of someone taking her or hurting her, scaring her, holding her against her will… and I can’t reach her or help her…” She sucks in a ragged breath, her hand trembling as she rests it against her forehead. “It terrifies me.”

“I understand. The thought is harrowing. But I’m around now. Whether you like it or not, I’m staying in my daughter’s life, and I will do anything to protect her…” I hold Sienna’s chin, encouraging her to look at me. “And you.”

She stares at me, her blue eyes so round and beautiful.

I lose all the power from my voice as I track my eyes across her face. “You know you’ve gotten even prettier, right?”

Her blush is instant, her voice breaking as she leans away from me, pulling her fingers out of my grasp and sniffing. “You look at me like I still mean something to you.”

“You do.” I’m horrified by the idea that she would ever think otherwise.

With a slow shake of her head, I watch her eyes glass over and feel like dying a little on the inside when she whispers, “But you let me go so easily.”

My lips part, and I wish I had something cool to say. Something that would erase all this shit and make it better. But I’ve got nothing.

And then she goes and keeps talking, driving this spiked ball of regret and pain even deeper into my chest.

“I could never get over you.” Her lips form an awkward, watery smile, and I can sense she’s about to lose the battle with her tears. “You haunt me every day, because I have this beautiful girl who I love so much, and she looks just like you.” The first tears spill out of her eyes as she snivels and rasps, “It’s not fair. I had no chance.”

Her tears are killing me. I quickly reach for them, brushing them off her cheeks with my thumbs and wanting to promise her that I’ll never hurt her again. She needs to know that letting her gowasn’teasy… and I couldn’t even do it in the end. I came back for her!

But I don’t get a chance to say any of that, because Zoey comes bounding back to the table and Sienna jerks away from me, quickly wiping her face and putting on a bright smile.

“Hey, lil’ lovebug. Was that fun?”

“Yup!” Zoey puts her hands on her hips, her little legs spread wide. “Wywee call me cowgewl.”

“He called you a cowgirl? That’s so cool.” Sienna’s face is so animated as she hides all her angst and interacts with her daughter like she hasn’t just broken down in front of me.

I sit there staring at her, amazed by how incredible she is, then laughing when Zoey mimics Wily’s “Yeehaw!”

The sweet girl with ice cream plastered all over her gives me the cutest grin, and I know without a doubt that I’m going to love her for the rest of my life.

Which is why I have to fix things with her mother.

CHAPTER 21

SIENNA

Zander ends up coming home with Zoey and me. That wasn’t the plan, but as we left the ice cream parlor, Zoey wanted him to carry her. Wily had to go, which made her cry, and Zander did his magic thing again where he rubbed her back and said I don’t know what, but it calmed her down.

Then it was time for him to say goodbye and she started crying all over again, so he jumped in the back seat with her and talked to her on the drive home. I checked the rearview mirror every chance I could get. Watching my daughter interact with her dad like it was the most natural thing in the world hurt my heart… and made it sing at the same time.

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