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“As much as you may want to deny it. You don’t see me as the monster you once did. Knowing the pain I’ve caused you… I… you’re amazing to sit here and care for not just me, but my mother and my child. You’re only reminding me of all the reasons why I love you,” he says.
I lift the tray, looking away from him. That’s the other thing that threatens to break me down. He doesn’t go a day without telling me he loves me.
We both stay in the east wing of the house. However, when I asked for space, he took a room across the hall from mine. Every night when I go to my room for bed, he walks me to my door and tells me he loves me before planting a lingering kiss on my forehead.
I keep telling myself I can’t trust his words, but they bring a sense of peace to the disarray of feelings I have for him. Like now, when I don’t know whether to be annoyed with him for his assumption or to cling to his words of praise.
“I’ll check back in on you after I feed Chloe and put her down for the night,” I say.
* * *
Gregor
I don’t say another word. I watch as she leaves the room, allowing the anger I feel inside to simmer. It’s not anger toward her. It’s anger for the time we’re still losing.
I’m frustrated with Cee, not angry. I see her walls slowly crumbling, but then she throws daggers at me to keep me at bay. I want to have hope, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get around her self-preservation.
“God help me,” I huff through my sore throat.
I still can’t believe both my mother and I have fallen ill. I think the stomach bug has passed. That soup was the first thing I’ve kept down in two days.
My phone rings, drawing me from my thoughts. My brows furrow when I see it’s a number I don’t know. With all the shit going on back home, my lips tighten in anticipation of more bullshit.
“Hello,” I say tightly into the phone.
“H-hello. This is Emma. Addison’s friend.”
My jaw starts to tic. My stomach sinks. Addison’s name still sparks such anger inside of me. I also want to know why this woman ran off the day her friend died in the hospital.
“Yes, I remember you,” I say, my voice coming out hoarse. “You have somehow managed to stay off my team’s radar. My men have been looking for you.”
“I…I…” She pauses and huffs. “I thought I was going to return home. I was going to, but something has kept me here. I’ve been with an acquaintance of Addison’s. That’s probably why you couldn’t find me.”
“Um, I see. Why are you calling now? How can I help you?”
“I think… I… I want to help you. Or at least… I think you should know something. It’s about Chloe,” she says.
I sit up in my bed. A chill runs through me. I toss the cover back and throw my weak legs over the edge. When I go to stand, my body protests. It’s not ready to leave this bed.
“You have the address to the house?” I ask in frustration.
“Yes,” she says in a soft whisper.
“Be here tomorrow morning. You can tell me what you have to say then,” I snap and hang up without another word.
I glare at the wall. I’ve known from the beginning Addison was playing some type of game. My jaw works as I think of all the things this Emma may tell me.
My mind turns to Cee. I think she would be just as devastated as I would be to find out my daughter indeed isn’t mine. My teeth grind at the thought of putting her through all this unnecessary pain.
I stop. My head hammers as I think of my daughter. She has no one else. If I’m not her father, I’m still the only one she has. I don’t think I would be able to walk away from the little angel I’ve only ever known as mine.
“What the fuck did you do, Addison?” I breathe out.
