Page 37 of Miss Trust

Tory

The steak was delicious enough that even the mention of my ex couldn’t turn me off my food. But it was close. Meanwhile, Chance didn’t heed my warning tone and went on with the questions.

“He doesn’t know she’s here?”

There was a large part of me tempted to tell him it was none of his business, but instead I found myself saying, “No.”

“Is he in her life at all?”

“No.”

“This is none of my business, but—”

“You can stop with ‘it’s none of your business.’”

“Is he aware she has leukemia?”

My temper snapped. “Yes. Against my instincts, since he left me at nine months pregnant and hasn’t been around since. But I did call him when she first got her diagnosis. And you know what he told me? He said I should’ve had the abortion like he’d wanted me to.”

Hearing my own words made me wince, and I quickly peeked over to where Penelope remained sleeping. I’d jump out of this fourth-story window before I’d ever let her know her father hadn’t wanted her. Of course, it was only a matter of time before she was old enough to start asking questions.

“I’m sorry.”

It was the first time I’d seen sympathy in Chance Maxwell’s eyes, and I wasn’t having it. “Don’t. Don’t you dare feel sorry for me.”

“Jesus. Give me a break. I’m warring between an intense hatred against a man I’ve never met and showing some empathy toward you. I chose the latter because, contrary to everyone’s belief, I’m not a cold-hearted bastard all the time.”

He’d brought us clothes and the best dinner I’d ever tasted, and here I was jumping down his throat. “I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “No, I am for bringing it up. Can I ask one last question, then I’ll drop it?”

“Just ask it. You asking permission is weirding me out.” It was quite uncharacteristic, but then again, so was this situation.

“Does he at least pay child support?”

“No, and I don’t want a penny from him.” Last I’d heard he was bumming off his cousin in Long Beach, so the prospect of him having any extra money to give us was improbable. “He’s out of her life, and she’s better off.”

“What if he decides he wants back in?”

I refused to entertain the idea. “He won’t.”

Chance dabbed his lips with a napkin, his manners so refined it made me question whether I’d demonstrated any at all.

“Thanks again for dinner.”

He chuckled. “I never thought I’d miss your smart mouth, but turns out I kind of did.”

I smiled. “Need someone to push your buttons every day?”

“Evidently, I do. Here.” He handed over a box. “It’s an iPad for Penny. There are a lot of free apps, and you can download movies or whatever you’d like. I figured she could use some entertainment.”

My internal panic started to grow at the extravagant gift. Then he went and tipped it over the edge to full-on anxiety.

“And this is a keycard for my condo above the club. It gives you access to the elevator and entrance. I’m not in my condo between five p.m. and two a.m. Feel free to use the shower, take a nap, or have a meal sent up. Anything you need.”

“Why?” I didn’t understand why a man as busy as Chance would take the time to do these things. “So you can tell your brother how you’re taking good care of me?”

Instantly, I realized I’d made an error in judgment from the way his face clouded over.