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His face twisted with pain, but I didn’t think it was physical discomfort And when he spoke, it was choked “I cheated”

“Stop lying, Daddy,” I snapped at hi like that to Mom Never”

He shook his head “But I did Look, I’ that happened Most of that is only your mom’s and my business But the truth is, I fucked up, and it cost el”

“Why are you tellingso I never would have known about his and Mom’a relationship if he hadn’t told me

“Because I want you to see that even when a man loves a woman as desperately as I love your ave it a firm squeeze “Braxton told me what happened All of it”

“Daddy—”

He held up the other hand, the one with the IV in the back of it “I’ Honestly, I’m not I understand why you’re upset I do Don’t think I’ht noant to kick his ass for hurting you”

“Then what are you saying?” I muttered

“What I’ is…” He paused and shook his head “Over the last few years, I’ve watched that boy And beforelasting After a while, I stopped worrying soso far away from us because I knew Braxton would move heaven and earth to keep you safe and happy He loves you And don’t you lie and say you don’t love him just as much”

“I wasn’t going to lie Yes, I love him I don’t want to, but I do” Which hy my heart hurt so much

“You have to know that he isn’t going to marry this Darcy chick,” he chided “You know him better than that He loves you too much to even look at another person, least of all marry someone else”

“I know,” I whispered, because I did know It wasn’t so ht Braxton would actuallyfrom me That he broke his promise

“Then why—”

“Why are you on his side?” I cried “He’s the one who broke my heart Not the other way around Braxton lied to me He kept all of this to himself after he promised ouldn’t have secrets from each other”

“Because I’ve been in his shoes” His voice rose as he spoke “I lost the woret it until h that hell, Nevaeh He rets it”