Page 65 of Royal Beast
“I just don’t want you making the same mistakes I’ve made, Darcy.” His voice quavers, but there’s a deep sadness to it, a worry I can’t ignore. “I only want you to be happy. Are you happy with Kellan?”
I swallow, the weight of his words settling deep in my chest. I don’t know how to answer his question. I can’t give him the truth because the truth is complicated, and he doesn’t deserve that burden. I’ve been carrying around so much already, and I can’t add more weight to his shoulders.
“I’m trying,” I finally say, my voice breaking. “I’m doing my best.”
Max watches me, his expression softening with understanding, but there’s a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I see.”
He doesn’t press me further, but I know the weight of his worry will follow me long after I leave this room. The silence between us feels like it stretches beyond the confines of the room. I want to reassure him, but as I watch his face, it relaxes and he starts to fall asleep.
I don’t want to burden him right now. He needs rest. He needs to take it easy. The last thing he needs is to worry about me. If I can ease his pain, I’ll find a way. Maybe it’s better if I justlie to him, tell him that I chose to marry Kellan because we fell in love and that he’s Rose’s biological father. Would that ease his conscience in his final days?
There are no easy answers, so I settle down to sit by my father’s bedside, holding his hand in mine as he slumbers. His nurse comes back to check on him and change out his saline drip, and I leave to use the restroom.
When I come back, Max is awake again, though he seems tired and drawn. “How’s Rose?” he asks, neither of us willing to revisit our earlier conversation for the moment.
“She’s good,” I say, relieved to have something else to talk about. “She’s been reading more and more on her own. I have some pictures I can show you if you want?”
Max leans in, looking at the photos I show him on my phone’s camera roll. I took some of Rose when we went to the Botanical Gardens, playing with the butterflies, a few from Disney on Ice, and some with her in her little nest after her fall, all cozy and bundled up.
“She was very brave,” I tell him, a soft smile on my face. “She didn’t complain once. She’s been an absolute trooper.”
Max’s eyes glisten for a moment, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile. “That’s my girl,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. He reaches out a shaky hand and gently strokes the screen, his finger lingering over Rose’s face. “She’s strong, like her mama.”
I feel my throat tighten as I watch him, my heart aching. Despite everything, despite the past, despite all the regrets that hang between us, there’s still so much love between us. It’s the one thing that’s remained constant through all the years.
But then, the door to the room opens, and my attention snaps away from the moment. My heart stutters in my chest as I see Guy standing in the doorway, looking around the room as ifsearching for something. He spots me and his eyes flicker with recognition.
“Darcy,” he says, his tone casual but with an edge I can’t quite place. “I was looking for your father.”
I freeze, confusion flooding me. What is Guy doing here? Why is he looking for Max?
Max’s expression tightens, and I can tell he’s just as surprised as I am. Guy is a coworker from work, but I’ve never heard him mention anything about knowing my father.
“Guy?” I ask, my voice shaking slightly with the uncertainty. “How do you know my dad?”
Guy glances at Max, a brief flicker of something unreadable passing between them. Then he looks back at me, his smile fading just a little.
“I have some business with him,” Guy replies, his voice even, but there’s something in his eyes that doesn’t sit right. “It’s important.”
The air in the room thickens, tension rising between us like a storm on the horizon. Max, despite his condition, suddenly looks more alert, more guarded.
I don’t know what’s happening, but I can feel it—the sense that something is off, something I don’t understand. As I glance between Guy and my father, a knot forms in my stomach, a gut feeling that tells me this is not a coincidence.
What the hell is going on?
32
KELLAN
“Hey, kiddo,” I say, leaning down to Rose’s level. She’s sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, her stuffed rabbit tucked under one arm, watching cartoons. “What do you think about spending the whole day with me today? Just you and me?”
Her eyes light up, and she clutches the rabbit tighter. “Really?”
I nod, ruffling her hair. “Really. We could watch movies, have snacks, maybe even eat ice cream for breakfast if you promise not to tell your mom.”
She giggles, and the sound melts something inside me. “Okay! Can we watchMoana?”
“Of course,” I say, already resigned to another round of her favorite movie. Whatever I can do to make her happy, right?
