“When?” I interrupt. “When did you try to tell me, Alie? Because I sure as shit don’t remember being told that I have a daughter!”
Her face falls, and she looks like she’s going to be sick. “I found out a month after our night together.”
I laugh, harshly. “And you couldn’t pick up a phone? What exactly stopped you?”
“Liam,” she starts.
“So … you just what? Decided for me?” I pace around the room. “You decided I didn’t get to know?”
Tears well in her eyes. “I don’t … I don’t understand what’s happening here.Youdecided you didn’t want her. You did, Liam. Not me.” She points at me.
“What the fuck are you talking about? How could I decide anything when I didn’t know?!” I raise my arms in frustration and anger.
“I didn’t have your number, so Aaron said he would take care of it and contact you. I told him to give you my number so we could talk. He said that his texts came back undelivered. Then he told me you’d changed your number, and when he finally got a hold of you and told you about the pregnancy, you said you wanted nothing to do with the baby or me.” She wipes the tears from her face. “He said you told him that football was your priority.”
My chest tightens, and rage consumes me.
“Aaron Muldoon told you I didn’t want my child? And you believed him?” I point to my chest. “You really think thatI’mthat kind of man?”
“Liam—” she starts, but I don’t let her finish.
“You erased me, Alie,” I say hoarsely.
“That’s not fair. He’s one of my oldest friends. My best friend. I believed him when he said you didn’t want anything to do with us.” She begins to cry again.
“Two years, Alie.” I’m so bitter, but it’s also hurting me to see her cry.
“And now?” I run my hands through my hair. “Fuck. Your family knows I’m the father?”
She shakes her head. “I never told them who the father was. Presley knows though.”
I laugh humorlessly. “Of course not. There’s no way a trade would’ve been made if they’d thought I didn’t want my own kid. And that explains why Presley’s been less than friendly with me.”
“Liam, I understand that you’re upset, but I am too. All this time, I believed you didn’t want to be involved in her life.” She sniffs. “Knowing you were coming here, as I made that decision with our team to bring you here—it was one of the hardest business decisions I’ve ever had to make. And I had no one to talk to about it!” She raises her hands. “Then when I saw you again?—”
“What? You decided to test me? Is this some kind of game to you?”
“I was confused. You didn’t say anything about it. I guess I was trying to figure out your angle.”
“My angle? I don’t play games with people, Alie.”
“We spent one night together! I hardly know you!”
“So then, why did you agree to go to dinner with me? If I’m some stranger?”
“Like I said, I was trying to figure you out.” She covers her face with her hands.
“And have you?” I pause. “Figured me out?”
She drops her hands and looks at me. “It’s my job to protect my daughter. I needed to understand why you wanted to see me—outside of work—after all this time.”
“Right.” I huff a laugh. “And you think you needed to protect her from me.”
“If I needed to, yes.” She stands taller.
“Unbelievable.” I shake my head.
We stand in silence as I try to wrap my head around this.
