Page 105 of Damien
“True. You’ve gone through so much,” he says, reaching for my hand to place in his lap.
“For complete transparency, he’d like to at least stay updated in Julia’s life. Neither of us are sure to what capacity he’d be. He’s leaving the decision up to me. He’s aware she knows nothing about him, and he’ll accept even being a family friend, if that’s what I want. But since he has such little family, I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there. I need to do right by her and lying to her doesn’t sit well with me.”
Damien squeezes my hand and sighs. “She’ll hate you for it if she finds out later.”
“That’s my gut feeling, too. I’ll tell her the truth, but I think I’d like to talk it over with Zach some more, so we can figure out another time for them to meet. No one’s ever prepared to drop a bomb on their child like this—trust me.”
No kidding. But she never expected this to be the case.
“I have a feeling she’ll handle this better than you’d imagine. She’s so resilient and if you’re honest with her, she can’t fault you for it later. You didn’t even know where he was until today—so eventually, she’ll understand.”
“True,” I sigh, leaning into his chest. When he pulls me close, the tension I’ve been holding onto all day eases.
When he leans in and kisses the top of my head, for the first time all day, I feel like it’s all gonna be okay—eventually.
“The thing is—I get what it’s like to have limited or no family. It’s been just Vince, Jules, and me against the world for so long. I can’t fault Zach for wanting to be a part of his daughter’s life.”
“Do you think he’ll be around often?”
“He’s still at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Then if I got it right, he’ll be a commissioned officer for at least five years after he graduates, so I’m sure what time he gets will be limited.”
With that, Damien relaxes further, though I’m not sure why, so I ask, “What’s going on?”
I feel the heavy sigh before I hear it, and Damien stays quiet for an unusual amount of time. When I can’t take it anymore, I probe, “Talk to me, Dame. What’s going on?”
“You’ve had plenty to deal with today. You don’t need my insecurities added to the list.”
What the hell is he talking about? He’s one of the strongest people I know. Turning my entire body to face him so I can read his face better, I ask, “What insecurities?”
Looking to the ceiling, he bites his lower lip. “Do you remember when I said I hadn’t dated anyone serious in a long time? Well…” he sighs. “There’s a reason for it. You see, when I was in college, I got pretty serious with this girl Amber. We made plans, and I was about to propose to her. Like I seriously thought she was the one.”
“Okay…” I draw out, wondering when the other shoe will drop; stories like this always do.
“Well, one day… we were walking through the U-District, and we ran into her ex-boyfriend. He’d graduated a few years before us, and he’d gone back home to Michigan. I thought things were fine until she dropped a bomb about two months later.”
Oh, shit. She didn’t.
But clearly, by the look on Damien’s face, she did.
“Apparently, she’d been in contact with him since the day they reunited, and he wanted her back—she just didn’t know how to tell me.”
“I’m so sorry, Damien.” There’s no excuse for cheating. If you want to be with someone else—just end things.
“It was the end of the term, so over spring break, she packed her shit and moved to Michigan. Last I heard, she’s married with a couple of kids.”
Oh, this poor man. What he must’ve been going through today with Zach returning out of the blue. My chest squeezes when I realize he’s probably waiting for me to do the same.
Trying to lighten the suddenly dark mood, I tease, “Well, I’ve got news for you, Damien….”
His dark brow arches skeptically. “Really? What’s that?”
I wait until I have his full attention. “I’m not going anywhere.”
A smile plays at his lips, and his eyes crinkle. “And why’s that?”
“Well, I happen to be in love withyou. I’d bet my last check Jules feels the same.”
Reaching out, he cups my face. “Well, that’s good because I love you both just as much.”
