No, stay. It’ll fill up soon. Are you okay?
Yeah. I’m good.
Lies. By the way, she turned around to shoot me a look, she knew that. Slowly, she looked back down at her phone.
MARI
Come to dinner tomorrow night. Parker is out of town.
Fucking Parker.
I couldn’t really hate the guy. He loved Mari like I should have, gave her everything she wanted, and created a safe world for my kids to grow up in. I should have given the fucker a medal, but I hated that he could have that life so easily, with nothing weighing him down. I hated that he was the perfect father I could never be.
He also fucking hated me with a passion. I couldn’t blame him, I’d feel the same way given the situation if it were reversed.
Maybe.
Please? Bane has been talking about you a lot. Maybe just come down and say hi after the match.
I left her on read. I didn't want to commit to that and leave him broken if I got a call to go in, which was highly likely given the shit going on with Reaper’s son.
Settling in, I watched Bane as he kicked the ball around, yelling out to his teammates with game plays. Fuck he was smart, athletic, passionate.
I was so damn proud of both of them, but I wasn’t the dad they needed.
I just had to remind myself of that when I got up in my fucking feels about missing out on them. Maybe one day they’ll forgive me, and I can have a relationship with them.
One day.
Tavi
The looming sign over the car garage could use a touch up, the fading sign looked like it could belong in a ghost town. Honestly, it probably would have been better than where I currently was. I knew Manny was okay with me leaving, but if Hardy found out…
Both me and Van would be locked up in our house. I needed to find a way out. Coming to a car garage was the only way I could get away with Van. He loved cars, so taking him with me to get him out of the house was the best bet.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew I was being watched, but they couldn’t watch me 24/7, and that was what I was counting on. Stay boring, like I’m obeying, and he’ll slip.
They all do.
“Daddy!”
My eyes widened when I heard Van cry out in surprise. Fuck…Hardy wouldn’t come here? I had chosen a Shackled Sons business on purpose, so he’d leave me the fuck alone for a day. There’s no way.
Then again, Van had never called Hardy “Daddy”, and I had done that on purpose. He didn’t deserve the title. He was a glorified sperm donor, as far as I was concerned. I took off to where I’d heard his voice, only to seehimkneeling in front of my son.
Oh god.
I didn’t know he worked here.
“Uh, baby, no, that’s not your daddy,” I said, laughing it off with the only man I’d fantasised about for years. “I’m so sorry.”
“Kid doesn’t know his dad?” he asked, his voice gruff, and annoyed. He had looked at Van with such affection, and he looked up at me with disdain. Did he recognise me?
“Not for lack of trying,” I lied. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d come in here. He loves cars.”
He looked down at my son again, and I felt my ovaries clench. Did that actually happen? Do our ovariesclenchwhen your crush looks at your son with affection?
“What’s your name, kid?” he asked, a soft smile playing on his lips.
