Page 63 of My Favorite Mistake

Connor furrowed his brow as his heart gave a guilty twinge. January ten years ago was when he’d come apart at the seams and broken off their relationship, and it appeared Liza had been through all kinds of hell that month.

“Damn, baby,”he said under his breath.“What happened to you?”

Broken ribs, collar bone, cheek, arm, and hand.

Connor looked up from the form and stared at the space in front of his eyes.

If that didn’t sound like a person who’d been in a severe fist fight, he didn’t know what did. But who in the hell would fight someone likeLiza? Unless…

He gripped the clipboard as an idea burst into his brain and flooded his veins with rage.

Someone might have attacked her. And she fought back. But ifhe’d been there, she wouldn’t have had to.

But he couldn’t be sure that’s what it was, even though he couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Connor knew he shouldn’t be looking at her private medical history, but a need for answers caused him to look at the form again. More of her handwriting drew his attention to the bottom of the form to a section titled Women’s Reproductive History.

Pregnancies: 1

Miscarriages: 1

Both were dated the same as the broken bones section.

January, ten years earlier.

A chill washed over his face. His arms suddenly felt heavy, and his head spun like a top.

Couldthathave been…?

No.

No, they had been very careful. He’d used a condomevery single time, and then she’d gone on the pill, and he’d watched her take itevery single daybecause she’d set an alarm on her phone to remind her. They’d been very responsible because they didn’t want anything to derail the plans they’d made. Those plans included kidssomeday, but not until after he’d found a place for them to live, and gotten a steady job, and married her.

They had doneeverythingright, and there wasno possible way.

Connor knew he was a piece of shit for what he’d done to her, but he’d had a good reason—Morales beingdeadwas proof of that good reason—but even he had standards for being a piece of shit. There was no way he could possibly be the kind of piece of shit who would abandon his pregnant girlfriend. They’d beenextremelyresponsible, and there was no way, no way, no possible, fucking way.

But whatelsecould have explained it?

Had Liza stopped taking the pill after he broke up with her and then rebounded with some idiot who didn’t care enough about her to be responsible? And what the fuck was with all the broken bones? Had the idiot been a brute who beat the hell out of her, and hadthatcaused her to lose the baby?

Whatever it was, Connor was suddenly ill with rage, and anxiety, and regret.

No matter what had happened orhowit had happened, he was staring at the aftermath and was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that none of it would be listed on the form if he wasn’t sofucking weak. If only he’d been strong and solid like everyone in his life had always expected and demanded of him, he would’ve prevented all of it.Surelyhe could’ve protected her from it. He would have prevented the injuries that, the more he stared at the laundry list of broken bones, seemed like some bottom-dweller had pummeled her within an inch of her life.

And if he’d been there, the baby…

Would there have been a baby for her to lose in the first place?

With no knowledge of specific dates beyond just the month, no idea whether or not she’d stopped taking her pill, and little understanding of gestation and trimesters and all that other pregnancystuff, Connor couldn’t even begin to have an idea. The only thing he was one hundred percent sure of was that she’d suffered both physically and emotionally, and he hadn’t been there for her like he’d sworn on his own life that he would be.

The wordpregnancywritten on the form hooked claws into his eyes, and he couldn’t stop staring at it.

Liza had been a mother. Even if only briefly. Even if for only a moment in time, there had been a little life right there inside her. One that, if it had survived, would be Caroline’s age right now. Connor vividly remembered the excitement and happiness that sparkled in Ophelia’s eyes when she and Scott discovered they were going to be parents. Had Liza been able to partake in such joy? Or had she not even known about the potential joy and future life before it had been snuffed out?

The monsoon of thoughts ricocheting around Connor’s brain caused heavy, aching grief to weigh on his shoulders, and a rock lodged itself in his throat.

“Sir?”

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