“You don’t have to go,” I say, a little breathless.
He kisses me again. “I really do.”
“Okay,” I say, no doubt sounding disappointed.
“Can I call you later?”
“Yeah, you can call me.” This time, I kiss him and let it linger for a minute before pulling away. “Bye, Liam. Thanks for today. She had a lot of fun. And you’re … a real natural with her.”
“Thanks. I hope so.” He pulls away and starts walking backward out the door. “Talk to you soon, Alie Grant.”
“Bye,” I say, smiling, “Liam Pitz.”
And when I go to bed, after talking to him for an hour on the phone, I go to sleep, thinking of him.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Liam
Going to the park with Alie and Sera this weekend was incredible. I didn’t see them yesterday, but Alie and I texted throughout the day. My anger toward Alie for not telling me about the baby is waning because I do want to have a relationship with my daughter, no matter what, but I also still want … Alie.
Aaron is an issue that needs to be addressed, but Alie told me yesterday that she would like to speak with him first. I will respect her wishes for now, but I really want to fucking know why he lied to us.
It’s all I thought about during my workout today, making it hard for me to focus on what I needed to do. So after forty minutes, I gave up and showered. I have an afternoon meeting anyway, so I might as well stop by and see Alie before they start.
I make my way up to her floor, first taking a turn, and stroll by the nursery, but I don’t go in. I look through the window and see Seraphina playing with a few other kids. She’s laughing and happy, and when I see her sharing her toys, pride swells in mychest. She doesn’t see me, and I don’t want to disrupt her, so I head toward Alie’s office.
It’s wild when I think about how much has changed in such a short time. Less than a month ago, I was living in New Orleans, living a lonely bachelor life, where my sole focus was football. And now, I’m living in New York City, and I’m a dad.
As I reach her office, I’m not even sure what I want to say or my reasons for coming up here. I just know that I needed to. I’m drawn to her even more now than I was the December I met her. It’s a pull, a connection that I can’t explain, and I think she feels the same way. So, it’s only fair to us and to Sera to see where this could go. We need time together as a family, but also just the two of us.
I knock on her door and lean in to see if I can hear her. The walls up here are glass, but they’re sandblasted, so I can’t really see inside to know if she’s in there.
“Come in,” she says, muffled.
I open the door and see her sitting at her desk. Her long, dark hair is draped over one shoulder. She’s wearing glasses, a loose white silk shirt, and from what I can see under the desk, a short black skirt. There’s a pair of black high heels with red bottoms lying next to her feet. She looks like a fantasy.
Shaking myself from my thoughts, I clear my throat. “Hey,” I say gruffly.
“Hey,” she answers, softer than professional, but also a bit guarded.
I lean against the doorframe, waiting to be invited in. “I wasn’t sure if I would see you today in the sponsorship meetings or not, so I thought I’d come say hello.”
“Uh, I’m buried in prep.” She gestures to the organized chaos on her desk. “Contracts, donor briefing, event logistics, reviewing press packets …”
“Things always this intense in the mornings for you?”
She smiles tightly. “Pretty much daily. Unlike others who get to work out and eat all day.”
“Are you suggesting that’s all I do?” I chuckle.
“I don’t know. Is it?” She cracks a smile.
“Hey, I resent the implication that I have nothing else to do with my days,” I tease.
“Then prove that you do.”
