Because if Connorismine, then Harper didn’t just break my heart.
She stole over ten years of my life I can’t ever get back. Ten years of being a deadbeat dad who didn’t give a rat’s ass about his son because I didn’t even know he existed.
And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive her for that.
CHAPTER FOUR
HARPER
The second we step out of the arena, the air feels too thin to breathe. Connor is chattering beside me, his voice bubbling with excitement, but I can barely hear a word he says.
My hands are shaking so hard I almost drop my car keys.
Harrison.
God,Harrison Meers.
He looked exactly the same and nothing like I remembered. Bigger, broader, older, sure, but still him. Still that same sharp jaw, same steady blue eyes that could melt me and undo me in the same breath.
That icy shade of blue has always been my favorite color.
And when he looked at Connor…
Yeah. I saw it.
That flicker of realization. The exact moment when the math clicked in his head.
He knows.
I know he knows.
“Mom, did you hear? He said I remind him of himself when he was my age!” Connor beams, swinging his stick around like he just scored the winning goal. “Do you think he really meant it?”
I swallow past the lump in my throat and force a smile. “Of course he did, bud. Harrison Meers doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean.”
At least that’s one true statement I can say to my son. Harrison was a lot of things in his younger years. Confident, brave, and even a little egotistical, but dishonest he was not. I always knew I could count on him to tell me the truth and always trusted that he meant every word he said.
Even if they were words I didn’t want to hear.
Connor grins wider, oblivious, pure joy radiating off him in a way that twists my insides into knots.
“Can I wear my jersey on Monday? I want him to see I have his number.”
“Sure thing.” I reach out to smooth his hair, mostly to keep my hand from trembling, and nod toward the parking lot. “Come on, champ. Let’s get you home.”
He skips ahead, humming some pop song under his breath, leaving me trailing behind, a mess of nostalgia and regret.
Every step I take feels heavier.
Cat’s out of the bag now.
He saw us.
He sawhim.
He knows.
And in that second, I could see every emotion flicker through Harrison’s eyes. Shock, confusion, maybe a bit of anger, and definitely gut-wrenching heartbreak.
