Page 8 of The Forever Play

Why isn’t he at Kelsey U where he’s supposed to be?

He blinks again, his expression buckling like he can’t believe I’m real.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

This is bad.

Zander Donohue is standing six feet away from me.

Six feet!

I never thought I’d see him again, and now he’s here. In Nolan.

What the fuck is he doing in Nolan?

My heart starts to thunder, my body frozen as Zoey shouts, “Mommy!” with her usual glee. I can’t even smile in response.

Zander’s eyes bulge, his skin paling as he watches Zoey run toward me. I scoop her up, perching her on my hip, my eyes still glued to the one person I swore I’d never speak to again.

But there he is.

He looks stronger, more manly somehow.

He’s still just as gorgeous as he was back then. Dammit.

Anger flares through me as I gaze at that face I used to trace with my fingers, my lips.

He held my heart in the palm of his hand… and then he closed his fist and squeezed the life right out of it.

“Sparks.” He whispers my nickname, and I…

I can’t!

I can’t do this with him.

I don’t want that thrill of desire dancing through me when I hear his voice.

I don’t want anything to do with him!

But does he know I’m holding his daughter? The little girl I never told him about? The little girl he didn’tdeserveto know about?

Shit, I have to get out of here.

He shifts toward me, and my head is shaking before I can stop it.

“Nope!” Snatching the stroller handle, I spin in the opposite direction and start running like I’m being chased by a masked gunman.

Zoey giggles, thinking I’m playing a game andclinging to my shirt while her body jostles against mine. “Fasser, Mommy. Fasser.”

“Sienna!” Zander shouts behind me, and I pick up my pace.

“Faster. Mommy’s going faster.” My voice is trembling, and thank God Zoey doesn’t seem to notice. She giggles again, loving this game while I fight a wave of panic.

This can’t be happening.

This cannot.

Be.

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