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I untangled myself from their arms. “What does that mean?” I looked between the two of them. “Who is this guy? Not that I care, but...” What if this man wasn’t lying? What if he really was my father, and I... “Never mind. Don’t say a word. I don’t care.”
“It’s okay to be curious.” Dad touched my arm, and the coolness of his skin seeped into my bones. “We would still be your dads if you met with him, talked with him, and had a relationship with him. Nothing would change that. We’re always going to love you, Andy.”
Pop nodded. “We’re always going to be your parents.”
“Who is it?” I heard myself asking again.
What if I regretted it? What if this guy was just as bad as my mother, or worse? He might just want the attention on himself.
Pop hooked an arm around Dad. “Go on, sweetheart, tell him.”
“It’s Atlas Connors,” Dad told me.
I felt the room shift. “Atlas... There’s no way.” Atlas Connors was a megastar. He had numerous gold records, Grammy awards, and even an Oscar. “He thinks he’s my father?”
“We can tell you more about it if you want.” Dad gestured toward the table. “Or we can just pretend this conversation never happened. We never promised him anything. Just that we would talk to you, and we all agreed that it would be your decision.”
I slid into the chair I had vacated moments ago. “I would like to know more, if that’s okay.”
What if Atlas could give me answers about my past? About who I was and more about my mother?
“It’s perfectly okay, baby,” Dad assured me. He reached over to link his fingers through Pop’s. “Should I start at the beginning?”
I nodded my head. “Please.”
And then Dad began to tell me everything.
Atlas met my mother when they were both eighteen. He was still playing in clubs with his band, Treasury Raven, when they began dating, and it was a rocky relationship. My mother was insanely jealous of other women, of the groupies, and the lifestyle Atlas lived. When Treasury Raven was signed, Atlas tried to convince my mother to marry him. That they could have a happily ever after, but she refused and broke up with him. She apparently broke up with Atlas a lot, and he figured she would reach out to him before he left, but she didn’t. And Atlas didn’t know that he had a son until he saw the pictures my mother posted online.
“He didn’t know, son, and Atlas really wants to meet you,” Pop said softly. “There’s no pressure. If you just want to talk on the phone with him, or if you don’t want to have anything to do with Atlas, that’s fine, too. He completely understands.”
Thoughts rushed through my head like a hurricane. “I...”
“It’s okay, kiddo. You don’t have to make a decision about any of this now,” Dad assured me. “Take the time to think about it.”
I chewed on my lip as I mulled it over. It made a lot of sense, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him yet. Maybe never. “Thank you,” I whispered. “And I’m sorry I thought you were trying to get rid of me.”
“It’s too late for that.” Dad giggled. “We love you, and you’re stuck with us.”
Pop grinned. “Forever.”
I rushed around the table to hug them again. “I’m happy to be stuck with you,” I told them. “No matter what, you’re my parents. You raised me.” I felt like I was going to start crying again. “And I love you.”
“We love you, too, baby. So much,” Dad murmured.
Chapter Forty-Five
Leo
My face hurt from all the smiling I had done today. Going out with Seth and Ezra was always an experience, one that I loved. They could shop like no one else, and I was exhausted by the time we all walked into the Olson house. The smile on my face disappeared the moment I saw the somber look my boyfriend was wearing. His eyes were red, and his cheeks were stained with tears. I shoved the bags I was carrying at Seth, then hurried over to him.
“What happened?” I cupped his jaw with my hand as Andy looked up at me from the chair.
Andy’s gaze went behind me to where I knew Ezra and Seth were still standing. “I’m fine,” he whispered, his hazel eyes moving to my face. “Did you have fun?”
“No, no, no,” I climbed into his lap and straddled him.
Andy gave me a weak smile. “You didn’t have fun?”
