There was so much hope in his voice that tears sprang to my eyes.
“Yes and no,” Levi replied.
Austin’s brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Why don’t we sit down?” My husband gestured toward the kitchen table.
Once seated, Levi turned to me, allowing me to take the lead.
Nausea churned in my gut, and my breathing grew so shallow that black spots danced in my vision.
I can’t do this.
“Hey.” The single word uttered in Levi’s soft voice breached my muted hearing. “Deep breaths, baby.” His hand found mine, and I gripped it like a lifeline.
That small act of comfort gave me courage, and I lifted my eyes to meet Austin’s. “There’s something you need to know.”
My son—I’d hardly allowed myself to think of him as such until now—frowned. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“I, um—” My windpipe closed up, not allowing me to continue.
Austin’s patience wore thin, and he snapped, “You what, Arizona? Spit it out.”
Fuck, my back was against a wall. There was no escaping the truth. Not anymore.
“I’m your biological mother,” I blurted.
Rearing back, Austin shook his head. “No, you’re not. Why would you even say that?”
Levi chimed in, “It’s true, bud.”
“Look, I don’t know what she told you, but my mother is Sarah Cleary. I’ve seen my birth certificate.”
I swallowed around the lump formed in my throat. “She adopted you as an infant. They issued a new birth certificate once it was made legal.”
He stood so suddenly that his chair clattered to the ground. “No! You’re lying!” His palms slammed down on the wooden surface with a sharp crack as anger took over. “You’ve always been jealous that I was closer to Mom. That’s why you won’t let me visit, so you can feel like you’re the favorite,” he accused. “I never thought you’d stoop this low to drive a wedge between us, though.”
“Austin, it’s the truth, I swear! You know that scar on my belly? It’s a C-section scar. From when you were born.”
A scoff was pulled from the back of his throat. “I don’t believe a damn thing that comes out of your mouth. And I’m not going to sit here and listen to any more of your lies!”
He was gone from the room before I could utter a single word of protest.
Then the front door slammed shut so hard it shook the whole house.
And I couldn’t hold back my sobs a moment longer.
Panic permeated every cell in my body as I paced the foyer. It was getting dark, and Austin hadn’t returned.
When he stormed out, Levi had wanted to chase after him, but I’d told him not to. We’d dumped a lot on Austin, and he needed a minute to blow off some steam. But I quickly realized my mistake when I went to check on his location and saw he’d turned it off.
We tried calling him, but he wouldn’t pick up—not even for Maisie—so Levi, Cole, and Crew hopped into their respective cars and had been driving around the city for hours looking for him while I waited at home on the off chance that he came back.
The front door opened, and a flicker of hope lit up inside my chest, but it was snuffed out quickly when Levi appeared. Alone.
My husband dragged a hand through his dark hair, shaking his head. “No sign of him.”
“We can’t stop looking.” I lunged for my keys. I’d find him myself.
