Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 100113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“It’s been so long that I’d forgotten that name. I’d forgotten it was Heather’s family name.” Shy’s jaw hardens. “She mentioned once that it was her mother’s name, but she didn’t use it.”
He looks surprised by my discovery but only for a second before his emotions are sealed off once again.
“I don’t need a lesson in the family tree.” Shy sits forward now, his fist clenched in front of him on the table.
“Heather was secretive about her past, and I didn’t know she had a sister.” I sigh as I look out at the water and then back to him. “She must have told you awful things about me.” When he doesn’t respond, I nod. “Did she tell you I asked her to leave?”
“She told me you kicked her out.” He’s so angry at me, and it looks like he’s been holding on to this for a long time. “She told me all about how you left her with nothing and I had to live with my aunt while she went to work in the city.”
It’s a hard truth to swallow when you find out someone isn’t as perfect as you think they are, and right now, I don’t want to hurt Shy. After my talk with Anna, I looked up Shy, and when I saw him I knew exactly who he was.
He has Heather’s eyes, and once I realized that, then the last name clicked. Knowing how Heather was, I’m sure she wasn’t above manipulating her sister or her son to her advantage. Right now, I just want Shy to know the truth and for him to heal.
“When I met your mother it was a one-night stand, but when she told me she was pregnant I didn’t send her away.” Shy tries to interrupt, and I hold my hand up gently. “Please, let me finish.” After a moment he nods and then I continue. “I made sure she had the best care while she was pregnant and then after she gave birth I had a room made for her on the estate, along with staff and access to whatever she needed.”
“That’s a lie,” he says, but I keep going.
“She was given a car, an allowance, and a free place to stay.” I shake my head. “We knew immediately that a relationship between us would never work, but I wanted to do what we could to raise a child together. It only took a few days before she came to me and asked to leave.” Shy is silent now as he listens. “She said she didn’t want to have a baby and wasn’t ready to be a mother. I thought maybe it was postpartum depression, but she refused any medical care. When I pressed her, she said that she didn’t want the baby and if I didn't take it, she would give him up for adoption.”
“Why should I believe any of this bullshit?”
“The worst thing I ever did was let her go, not because I wanted her, but because it left Apollo without a mother. I should have tried harder to get her to stay for him, but she wouldn’t bend. All she said was she wanted a check and the title to her car.” I shake my head. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I gave it to her.”
“You’re lying.” His brows furrow, and he’s fighting to hear the truth.
“What do I stand to gain by lying?” My question causes him to pause. Reaching down to the briefcase on the floor beside me, I pull out a file with the documents inside. “You don’t know me, so I can’t expect you to take my word for it. I don’t know if I’d believe me if I was in your position, but it’s the truth.”
I place the file in front of him, and he hesitates for a moment before curiosity gets the better of him. Slowly he scans the document and then looks up at me through his lashes before he goes back and turns the page. For a long time there’s only silence between us as he flips the pages. Once he reads the last page, he snaps the file shut and leans back in his chair. His eyes are red at the edges as he looks out over the water.
Part of the reason I chose this table is because it’s private and because it’s peaceful. I knew that if Shy wanted to walk out of here, he could easily get up and leave without causing a scene. But if he wanted to stay, this would give him the space to do so without forcing conversation. He’s quiet for so long, but eventually he looks at me.
“Why would she lie to me?”
“I can’t answer that, but I can make assumptions.” I nod at the file lying between us. “My legal team reached out to her every year until Apollo was eighteen. Every year she refused to see him. I didn’t have any contact with her, and I asked that I not be informed on where she was or what she was doing. Just that my attorney would offer her the ability to be in his life if she changed her mind.” I pause as I wait for his eyes to meet mine. “She never did.”