If Chloe thought the scrapbook might endear her to me, might earn her a get-out-of-jail-free card, she was sorely mistaken. All it did was highlight the fact she’d made no effort to contact me when she clearly could have. When I’d left home. When I was a grown-up. When my father didn’t hold my life in his hands. The knowledge sat sour and unforgiving in my heart.
I didn’t need to ask the question. By the look on her face, Chloe already knew.
“You have no idea how many times I wanted to pick up the phone or write that letter,” she said, eyes brimming. “But by the time your father died, you had a life, a good life. One without me in it. I was so proud of you, and the last thing I wanted was to step in and screw that up. I knew you probably hated me?—”
“I didn’t?—”
“Were angry with me, then,” she amended uneasily. “Very, very angry. Because that’s what I’d be in your place. And rightly so. I wasn’t sure that reconnecting with me was going to help that. Was I wrong?”
I couldn’t argue and so I said nothing.
She sighed. “I thought so. I didn’t want to mess up the life you’d built or the love you’d found.”
“Oryourlife,” I said bluntly, my voice rising. “Don’t pretend you held back out of concern just for me. I was away from Dad’sclutches for twenty years before he died and another ten after. And you still didn’t call.”
She paled at my anger. “I know. ButIwasn’t away from his clutches until he died. He got sober, did you know that?”
I blinked, shocked. “No.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “It didn’t improve his personality, let’s put it that way. He was obviously keeping tabs on you, as well as me. He sent photos of you and Davis, of the house you lived in, and even a couple of Brendon—” She stopped and quickly looked away.
“Davis?” The very idea made me sick. “And who the hell is Brendon?”
Chloe ignored the question. “I didn’t know if contacting you would bring your father back into your life, and that was the last thing I wanted. Then, after Travis died, I told myself I’d left things too long. That you were fine without me. It was the coward’s way out, I know. By then I was just scared you’d turn me away. But when Davis died and you were nearly killed and all that stuff in Australia happened, I suppose the scales were ripped from my eyes. I had one last chance to do the right thing. That’s why I wrote the letter.”
I was stumbling over how in the hell to process everything I’d heard, let alone respond to it, when the approaching rattle of cups in the hallway saved me. Seconds later, Mads entered the room carrying a tray laden with drinks and food. I’d never been so damned happy to see him.
Balancing the tray in his hands, Mads’ gaze bounced between Chloe and me as he tried to ascertain what he’d missed and how close I was to losing my shit. The concern on his face deepened. He put the tray on the table and turned to me, deliberately putting his back to Chloe, letting her know who he was there for, whose back he had, where his loyalty lay. It meant everything.
“Are you okay?” His penetrating green eyes stripped me raw.
I shrugged, not wanting to lie.
He looked like he wanted to haul me out the door and take me home. Instead, he said, “You know I love you.”
It was exactly what I needed and the knot in my chest relaxed enough for me to nod and say it back. Mads smiled that quirky smile he reserved just for me, and the world righted on its axis. He turned back to the tray and set about serving the drinks. It was then I noticed the cupcakes. Pineapple and coconut, straight out of my childhood. Memories tumbled and my breath caught in my chest.
“They were your favourite once, if I remember right?” Chloe said softly. “I kept the recipe.”
My gaze jerked up and I snapped, “That was a long time ago.”
Chloe blinked but said nothing. She reached for her tea, taking the cup in both hands as she brought it to her lips. But her grip was unsteady and tea sloshed over the edge onto the napkin she’d settled on her lap. She sighed and carefully returned it to the saucer.
I told myself not to be such an asshole and conceded, “I do still like the flavours, as it happens. I’m a sucker for a pina colada.”
Her smile was soft and grateful. “That’s good to know.”
I slid the exercise book toward Mads and he raised a brow. “Take a look.” I glanced Chloe’s way. “If that’s okay?”
When she agreed, Mads opened the book and his surprised gaze shot to mine for a second before he began flicking through the pages. I left him to it and took another sip of my coffee.
“Can I ask how Travis reacted when you came out?” Chloe’s hands fidgeted in her lap, her fingers constantly playing with the material of her dress. “I’ve worried about that a lot over the years.”
“I’d left by then,” I said, seeing the shock register in her eyes. “When I turned sixteen and could legally leave home, I moved inwith Greg and his family. That’s when I came out. He’d guessed what was going on at home and offered me a bed if ever I needed it.”
Chloe’s mouth hung open. “You... you left home?”
I nodded. “Best thing I ever did.”
