Piper remained in her seat, watching the whole scene unfold with thoughtful eyes. Eyes that were exact replicas of my own.
“Aston.” I repeated my name, offering her my hand.
She stood and slipped her small hand in mine, holding my gaze. “Piper.”
“Nice to meet you.” I tried to say more, but I couldn’t find the words. I had to actually force myself to let go of her hand.
This girl was my daughter. She was beautiful, the image of her mother, except for having my eyes. She stole my breath away.
“You’re so pretty,” Mara half whispered to Piper, interrupting the moment. “Do you play princess?”
Piper looked down at Mara and smiled. “I used to, but not anymore. Now I have a lot of homework and school stuff, and I play soccer.”
“See, Daddy? She has homework and still goes for ice cream after school. He said we couldn’t come if we had homework, and Little A ... my brother ... his name is also Aston, but it’s too confusing with my dad. Anyway, he wants to go to the arcade, and we can’t because Daddy has work,” Mara rambled, ratting me out.
Piper laughed, and all of a sudden, the air didn’t feel as heavy.
“Well, my brother,” Piper said, pointing at Tyler, “has karate near here, and we usually don’t go for ice cream. But my mom had a rough day.”
The minute the words were out, I snapped my head toward Bexley. Another swift shake of her head forced me to school my expression, which I’m certain wasn’t a happy one.
“Well, ice cream fixes everything. What flavor did you get?” Trying to lighten the mood, I turned to Tyler first.
“Chocolate and caramel swirl. Two scoops in a sugar cone.”
“Mango sorbet,” Piper said.
“That’s what Daddy always gets,” Mara said, and I was pretty sure Bexley turned a little green. “It’s his favorite.”
“Mine too,” Piper said with a big smile.
I laid my hand on Mara’s head. “You know what, baby, let’s go order. If not, we’ll never get to dinner.”
“Yay! Come on, Daddy.”
She grabbed my hand, and if it weren’t for that, I might have never walked away. I had so many questions. My palm itched to run to touch Piper’s face, her hair, to know that our blood was the same.
Not now, I told myself. I’d waited this long, so a little longer would be okay.
While Mara ordered a sugar cone with bubblegum ice cream, I couldn’t worry about her having too much sugar. I was too busy tapping out a text to Bexley.
ASTON: Text me as soon as you’re free and tell me what happened.
She didn’t reply.
Little Aston ordered a waffle cone with two scoops of chocolate peanut butter, and I decided an hour at the arcade was in order. Mostly so I could clear my head.
Bexley
Back then
Seth was a nice enough guy. Sweet when he wanted to be, and fun (sort of). He’d put himself through college because his parents insisted. With no resentment, he worked hard, chipping away at his college loans and making a living. We weren’t from the same side of the tracks, but a whole heck of a lot closer than Aston and me. We were a better fit.
Except when it came to Mike and Milly. From the first time I introduced them, Seth decided they couldn’t get along. “He’s too rich for my blood,” Seth would say about Mike.
As I’d sucked down drink number three at Milly’s engagement party, I admitted to myself that Seth had never wanted to come. He’d said yes, but then he caught a cold. Here I was solo, Aston staring me down from across the room, and I needed a human shield. Like a magic potion, his eyes drew me into his bed every time I saw them. I couldn’t go there tonight. Wouldn’t go there.
I liked Seth all right. He was nice enough, and he liked me for me.
