Page 75 of Unsure in Love

“I don’t understand.”

My lips twisted wryly. “Well, I can’t tell Damian I’m terrified of putting my trust in him. My sisters don’t know I’m pregnant, and they certainly don’t know I’ve been searching for you and that I’ve… found you.”

His eyes widened.

“It’s not that I want to confide in the man who was never there for me. I just felt like I’d burst at the seams if I didn’t get everything out.”

“Well, sometimes it’s better to talk to a stranger.”

I gave him a side glance because I swore I heard regret in his voice. “Will you ever tell your new family about your old one?”

“You’re not my old—” He sighed when I gave him a raised eyebrow stare. “I… it’s…”

“Yeah, there’s no point in disrupting your spanking brand-new life, I suppose.” There was a sliver of bitterness behind my words, but I didn’t care. I had every right to be hurt.

Henry blew out a long sigh that resonated with weariness. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “It might result in chaos, but I’d love to see you again. I’d love to see all my girls.”

A little shocked—and very terrified—I turned to him. Shit. If he wanted to stay in contact, that would mean I had limited time to break the news to my sisters. I couldn’t have Henry reach out or show up out of the blue without warning them. He frowned when he saw my expression.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want to? Was I too presumptuous to think you wanted to see me again?”

Snarky Cass surfaced and replied, “One, yes, you were. Two, I’m not sure if Lucy, Tessa, April, or Ruby want anything to do with you.”

His expression remained impassive, but he had expressive eyes… like Ruby, so he couldn’t hide his hurt. It amazed and confused me that he might be hurt, considering he was the one who disappeared without a word. The emotional trauma we suffered was insurmountable.

“I’d have to tell them about you first,” I added with a tad more sympathy. “We can exchange phone numbers. Damian gave you his contact information, but I’m leaving New York soon.”

“Oh.” Henry’s eyebrows knotted. “I assumed you were based here now, since…” His gaze dropped to my stomach.

I said nothing because explaining the intricacies of my relationship with Damian to my estranged father wasn’t on my agenda.

He cleared his throat. “I’d love it if we could stay in contact.”

I only nodded because I wasn’t sure if I loved the idea. What if I let my guard down, got close to him, and he vanished from my life again? Besides, how exactly would a relationship between us work if he had his family in New Jersey? Massaging my forehead to ward off an imminent tension headache, I decided not to think too hard about my future with my father.

“I guess, I should get going. This was good. Seeing you…”

I gazed at Henry with disappointment. I found him, we talked, yet I still didn’t feel any better. His reasoning for abandoning us was unsatisfactory—to put it nicely. And my relationship phobia was still very much present.

Beyond frustrated, I stifled a sigh. “Yeah.”

Henry seemed dissatisfied with my lackluster response. What on Earth did he expect? A big hug, a megawatt smile, and a: “I love you, Dad! Thanks for making me empty my bank account searching for you only to be severely disappointed.” I snorted inwardly, and tears stung the back of my eyes.

That awkward silence permeated the air again. Just to put us both out of our misery, I said, “So, I’ll give you my number and we’ll talk.”

With that, I forced out a smile that was almost painful.

29

DAMIAN

Cass’s silence was torture. I knew she was sorting through a barrage of emotions. She’d been out of it since her talk with Henry, and I didn’t know how to reach her. I’d be in an emotional fog too if I faced my mother who disappeared when I was just a baby. I wish Cass would talk to me so I could at least attempt to help her.

Holding back a worried sigh, I parked in my usual spot in my building’s underground parking lot. Maybe the last thing Cass needed was to hear my two cents about a family matter that had nothing to do with me.

I walked around to her side and opened the door, offering a hand. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, which were still red and looked a little vacant. What I’d give to get inside her head or have her tell me what Henry said to her. I didn’t know the man, but I despised him for causing his daughter so much pain.

I kept my mouth shut as we walked to the elevator that led up to my penthouse. When we stepped in, Cass pulled her hand from mine. Staring at my now empty hand with my jaw clenched, I braced myself against the sting of hurt and disappointment.

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