Instead I was a shell, empty now that my misguided vengeance plan had disintegrated.
Richard blinked and seemed to come back to himself. “I tried to find you both. For years. And while I knew about Meg’s childhood, it wasn’t until after she left that I realized she’d never even told me the name of the town she was raised in. Another selfish mistake on my part. I should have asked. I should have begged for every single piece of information she was willing to give me.”
His words mirrored my own feelings of regret toward Stella, and I untangled our hands so I could wrap my arm around her shoulders, just to remind myself that she was still here, and, unlike Richard, I’d been granted a second chance.
“What...” his voice broke, and he coughed to clear it. “What happened? After she left?”
Funny, after all the years I’d spent wanting to ruin this man, now that I had my chance, I couldn’t do it. With everything he’d confessed, I realized the truthwouldruin him, learning that Mom had turned him into a villain with the hope it would keep us apart. It was the only cruel thing she had ever done, and it must have gutted her.
Why, Mom?I wondered again and again, knowing I would never get an answer.
Instead, for the first time in memory, I chose kindness. “You weren’t why she left. Or at least, not the whole reason. Mostly, she wanted me to have a normal childhood, because she thought growing up with wealth might negatively impact my development. She returned home and continued to waitress until she got sick, raising me as best she could.”
Richard rubbed a hand over his face. “Did she ever get married? Have more children?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t think she ever really got over you.”
He swore and stood, his hands on his hips as he took a few steps away, trying to compose himself. “I’m sorry,” he said after a minute. “You should know, I never got over her, either. It’s why I don’t really date. Why I stayed in this brownstone all these years. I kept hoping that maybe one day I would find you both and make everything right, or at least get the chance to meet you and apologize to your mother.”
“She would have taken you back,” I said, knowing it was the truth. Guessing it was the reason she’d forced herself to stay away.
Richard returned to his seat. “How are you? How was your childhood? What was your favorite subject in school? I want to know everything.” He shook his head. “Sorry. I’m not trying to overwhelm you. It’s just that I’ve been looking for you for so long, and this is all very surreal. Let’s start with an easy question. How long have you known I’m your father?”
“Since the beginning,” I told him. “But I didn’t think you wanted to meet me.”
“Well, I think I’ve cleared that up, at least.”
I nodded, my heart in my throat. Yes, he’d certainly done that.
He glanced from me to Stella. “Wait. How do you two know each other?”
I opened my mouth to fabricate some answer, but Stella beat me to it.
“He came into my tattoo parlor one night and convinced me to bring him to a few parties. And no, at the time, I didn’t know he was your son. I just found out last night.”
Richard frowned. “So you twoaren’ttogether?”
Stella and I spoke at the same time. “It’s complicated.”
He lifted his hands. “Understood. Sorry for prying. I’m just trying to wrap my head around all of this.”
“I’m sorry for the deception,” I said, realizing I meant it.
“How long have you lived in the city?” Richard asked.
“Four years,” I told him.
We spent the next two hours together, answering each other’s questions. I didn’t outright lie, but I did skirt the truth about my childhood and how hard Mom’s life had been after she left him. Unfortunately, Richard wasn’t an idiot, and though he didn’t come right out and say it, I could tell he knew there was more to the story than I was letting on.
I struggled to process the conversation. It was too unexpected, too unreal. All my life, I’d hated this man, and here he was, leaned forward in his seat, laser-focused on me, actively listening, wanting to know everything he could and seeming like he was more than ready to accept whatever role in my life I was willing to offer. It made me feel like an even bigger bastard. Because I didn’t deserve his acceptance or faith.
Up until yesterday, I’d been hell-bent on destroying him.
“Can I visit Meg sometime?” he asked. “I’d like to pay my respects and say goodbye.”
“Yes, absolutely,” I told him, because it was clear that Stella wasn’t the only person I needed to make amends with.
“Would you... like to come?” He grimaced. “Sorry, if this is awkward.”
