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Gracen clasps her hands in front of her and watches uardedly with the safety of a kitchen island between us It's the first tiht her here

I take a swig froht to tehter

"I want her to know I'm her father," I finally say to her

"And will you be a father to her?" Gracen asks primly

It's a fair question, but it pisses o when she was born if you'd have fucking told me about her," I retort

Gracen sighs as she stands from the stool "I can't do this with you, Marek You're the one who left me behind You're the one who said you didn't want the responsibility while you went on to your high-profile career"

"For fuck's sake, Gracen," I growl as I storm across the floor to the island and set my bottle down so hard on the counter foa freedo and had stars in my eyes But I never would have turned nant"

"Oh, really?" she snarls as she slams her hands down on the counter, just two feet across from me "And hoas I supposed to know that? Hoas I supposed to fathonant and alone? When the man I loved and trusted dumped me because his career was more important?"

"It doesn'tin ht to know I had a child You deprivedI did to you would ever justify that Nothing you could say could ever make up for that

Gracen deflates right before o flat Whatever I thought I knew about her selfishness in hiding Lilly from me, I suddenly realize that no matter how furious I a

She raises a shaky hand and pushes back a lock of hair behind her ear Her eyes focus on my beer bottle and her voice quavers with strain "U well I' to hit the bed and we can talk about it in the "

Guilt and concern gnaw at , Gracen Whatever it is you're thinking, don't be thinking that I want time with Lilly, and that means she stays here"

Her blue eyes are flat and uneives the barest of nods in acknowledgment and turns away I watch her walk up the back staircase to the second floor, shoulders hunched, legslike they're filled with lead

When she's out of sight, I pick up my beer and dump the rest of it down the drain I'm exhausted and suddenly can't wait to close my eyes and block out the world for at least a little bit

For tomorrow, I become a dad

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