He slipped his hands into his pockets and murmured, “Hey.”
I stepped aside. “Come in.”
He wiped his shoes on the mat. “Thank you.”
The comfort he’d once had when he stopped by to visit was nowhere to be found. This Taylor was cautious and wary.
“He’s not here,” I told him, assuming he’d meant to catch Tate before he left for work.
“I know. I waited for him to leave so I could talk to you alone. That’s what I can handle right now.”
“Okay.” I smiled sympathetically. “Can I make you a coffee? I have peppermint creamer. I know you like that.”
“That would be amazing.” He took a seat on the couch. “Thank you.”
“Be right back.”
As I went to the kitchen and prepared his coffee, I agonized over the situation. Tate wanted so badly for Taylor to reach out. And now he had, but specifically avoiding him.Agh. At least this was a small step in the right direction.
I returned to the living room and handed him a steaming cup of coffee. I’d added a little whipped cream, too.
“This is much needed. Thank you.” He took a sip, then set the cup on the coffee table. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get in touch.”
I sat on the opposite end of the couch. “Please. There’s no need for you to apologize. I’m just happy you’re here.”
“I needed some time before I was able to talk about it.”
I had to stop myself from launching into a monologue. There was much I wanted to say, but I tried to prioritize. “You know I never meant to hurt you, right? I had no idea he was your father when I met him, and from the moment I found out the truth at your wedding, I’d been trying to protect you and determine the best time to tell you. I’m so sorry you found out the way you did. I—”
“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, Blair.” He shook his head. “I wish I could just be happy for you. You deserve to enjoy your life without worrying about my reaction to anything.”
“Iamhappy. Truly. I’ve never enjoyed my life more. I know that might be hard to hear because it’s related to your father. But it’s the truth.”
He swallowed and looked around. “Where’s Nicholas?”
“He’s sleeping. You want me to wake him up?”
Taylor shook his head. “No, of course not.”
“Okay.” I rubbed my palms on my thighs. “How’s Juliana?”
“She’s good. She’s been dealing with my mental bullshit. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“I’m happy you found her.”
He nodded and looked at the floor.
“Your dad’s been beating himself up about hurting you,” I finally said. “I know you’re not ready to talk to him, but I need you to know that more than anything, he’s concerned for you. He hasn’t been the same since you found out.”
Taylor rubbed his temples. “I’ve been trying to figure outwhyI’m so hurt by this. I get that neither of you knew the other’s connection to me. I believe that you wouldn’t have knowingly hurt me. But I can’t wrap my head around him taking advantage of you.”
I shook my head. “I’m gonna be very blunt here… For most of our time together at the resort, he did everything he could to resist my advances. There was no ‘taking advantage’ of anyone. I explained that to you before, when neither of us realized who he was. The situation doesn’t change because the man I met and fell in love with turned out to be your father.”
He nodded and looked out the window for a moment, seeming to contemplate my words.
“Look, Taylor, I know I was young, and maybe somewhat naïve. But I’ve grown up a lot since then. I have the benefitof hindsight. And there’s still nothing I would change about the situation, aside from you being hurt. I love Tate even more now than I did then. And my dream is that someday you’ll accept that and be happy for us.”
He turned to me. “I want to get there. Even if I have issues with my dad, I at least oweyouthat acceptance. I promise I’ll try.” He shook his head. “I’m just not fully there yet.”
