Page 67 of Secret Baby Daddies
“Do you want me to call the cops?” Aaron sounded intense as he shouted in a much deeper voice than he normally used.
Dad shrank even more right before my eyes.
“No. I’ll go. I’m… I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you hate me like this, Harley. I miss you. Come home when you’re ready. Please.”
Tears burned my eyes but I refused to cry for the man who played a part in destroying my mom. I wouldn’t do it. I waited for a few minutes and then I put my hand against the wall.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever come back, Aaron.”
He let out a big dramatic sigh and then read off his phone number.
“Text me or something. Jeez. There’s no need to be so dramatic about it.”
His voice warbled as he spoke and it pushed me so close to the edge I nearly broke down sobbing. I said goodbye and left. By the time I got to the street out front, Aaron was at his window, shouting at me.
“Your car still looks like a piece of shit, you know?”
I grinned up at him.
“Yeah, and you still wish you could drive her.”
He lifted his hand in a wave and I returned it, feeling more than a little choked up. I made it to the outer limits of downtown Dallas before I finally had to pull over and cry. The faceoff with my father, saying goodbye to Aaron and that apartment, it felt like the end of something big.
CHAPTER 46
Harley
I barely made it through the front door at the house that night before Bubbles was climbing my leg in what looked like a three-piece business suit. I scooped him into my arms and nuzzled my face into his hairless body, needing his comfort after the day I’d had. It didn’t seem like anyone else was home yet so I carried Bubbles up to my room and let him sit outside the shower door while I tried to scrub the day away. It didn’t help, though. When I was clean and dressed in my most comfortable clothing, I still felt awful.
I was angry. Angry my dad had shown up. Angry he’d looked so old and helpless. Angry he’d used such a low tactic to get to me. I was even angry he’d left when I told him to. Because that was how twisted my connection to the man was. I hated him but the stupid little girl inside of me wanted her dad to love her and fight for her.
I hurried back downstairs and found Ginger standing at the kitchen island with her hands in a big bowl of meat. She looked up at me and nodded to the stool across from her. She didn’t typically say a lot to me but she’d been kind and had a doctor come out to check me over two times already.
“Sit down, Harley. You look tired.” She waited until I sat down to speak again. “Do I need to call the doctor back?”
I waved her worry away and shook my head.
“No. Not unless he can surgically remove the part of my brain that feels sadness.”
She studied me while rolling the meat into small balls.
“Why are you sad?”
I rested my elbows on the island until she shot me a look. She was very serious about table manners and that extended to the island, apparently.
“It was just a long day.”
“You had a long day?” Luc walked into the kitchen, already yanking at his tie to get it off. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” I sighed. “That’s not true. My dad happened.”
Maddox and Jace came in behind Luc and the three of them exchanged a look. Luc cleared his throat and motioned for me to follow them.
“Come talk to us.”
I slid off the stool and walked into his open arms to bury my face in his chest and groan.
“I like Bubbles’ suit today.”
