Page 109 of Deal Breaker
She nods, satisfied, and disappears down the hallway. I let out a slow breath, moving toward the kitchen, but Fordstops me with a touch to my wrist. “You want me to hang out until she’s asleep?
He says it softly, without any pressure. I shake my head. “She’ll be out in five minutes flat. Girl ran on full energy today. She’s going to crash.”
He nods but doesn’t make a move to leave. I hesitate for a moment, trying to read the look lingering in his eyes.
“Mom! Ready!” Poppy calls out from down the hall, breaking the moment between us. I pull myself away and join her in her bedroom, where I tuck her in and read until her breathing evens out.
When I come back out, Ford is still here, standing at the window, looking out at the darkened yard. The dishes are done. The lights are low. And suddenly, it’s quiet.
Just us.
“You didn’t have to clean up,” I say softly as I walk into the room.
“I wanted to,” he says, turning to face me.
I cross my arms, suddenly feeling uncertain. The weight of everything we haven’t said yet feels like it’s humming between us, unavoidable.
“We need to talk.” We say it at the same time.
He wipes his hands on a towel, tosses it onto the counter, and walks toward me with a look I’ve come to recognize—serious and determined, but softer now, like he’s treading carefully.
“I don’t want to wait,” he says. “We need to tell her. Soon.”
I nod, but my throat tightens.
He steps closer, drops his voice. “She’s smart, Landyn. She’s going to figure out we’re keeping something from her, and the longer we wait, the more it might feel like a lie. Like we were hiding it from her.”
“I know,” I whisper, eyes stinging. “I know.”
“I’m not saying we blurt it out tomorrow, but I can’t keep pretending I’m just some guy she likes hanging out with. She’s my daughter. I want her to know that. I want her to hear it from us, not piece it together on her own.”
I swallow hard and sink into one of the kitchen chairs. He looks at me for a moment before pulling out the chair beside me and sitting down.
“I know you’re right,” I say. “I do.” He waits, watching me closely. I press my palms to the table, trying to keep myself grounded. “I’m just scared, Ford,” I admit, my voice cracking as I swipe tears from my eyes. “I’ve already messed this up for her. What if telling her now only makes it worse? She’s… she’s everything to me. And I kept you from her. That’s on me. I know that I did this to you both.”
I’m so afraid. Fuck, it kills me that I’ve put Ford in this position. And Poppy, is she going to hate me? I don’t think I could take it if she looked at me with betrayal in her eyes. A sob escapes me, and I cave in like I’ve been punched in the gut.
Ford grabs me, hauling me into his lap and crushing me to him. I pull back to look at him, surprised. He’s been so careful to keep distance between us ever since the night I told him about Poppy. The concern on his face only makes me cry more. I shift, creating space, knowing that I’m undeserving of his kindness and care. But he tightens his grip on me, his hand moving to cradle the back of my neck, and I finally let myself sink into him, my head resting against his shoulder.
“Lan, this isn’t about blame, or secrets. Not now,” he says, voice low and rough. “That used to be the thing keeping me up at night. But now… it’s just her. It’s Poppy.”
He runs his hand over the length of my spine, over andover, while my tears stain his gray shirt. He just keeps holding me, his heartbeat slow and steady, until I’ve cried the last tear. When I do, he tilts my face up and when our eyes meet, I see that he’s not angry. He’s not the man I lied to. He’s not the 20-year-old whose kisses made me dizzy, or the broody CEO who makes my heart beat double time. He’s just Ford. Steady, strong, in control. And right now, he’s quietly supporting me while my whole body trembles from the weight of what needs to be done.
“You know what’s killing me now? Thinking that when we tell her, it might hurt her. ThatImight hurt her. That she’ll look at me and feel confused or betrayed or think I wasn’t there because I didn’t care enough to show up And I can’t—” his voice catches. “It kills me, Lan. I can’t be the reason she feels like that.”
I nod, understanding exactly what he means. How he feels.
We stay like that for a long time, his arms wrapped around me, my head on his shoulder. We’re both quiet now, but somehow, it feels like we’ve said enough. Or maybe just enough for now. We heard each other. Really heard each other. And that alone settles something inside me.
Eventually, Ford shifts me gently off his lap and stands to leave. I walk him to the door, watching as he descends the front steps slowly, pausing at the bottom to glance back at me. I lift a hand in a soft wave. He gives me one in return.
I should let it be. Let him go. Let the moment end.
But I can’t.
When he reaches his car, he looks back again—and that’s when it hits me. It doesn’t feel right, watching him walk away. It rattles something loose inside me.
Panic blooms fast and hot in my chest. What if he didn’thear the things I didn’t say? The ones I couldn’t bring myself to voice?
