Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 16
Londyn
I’d imagined this moment a million times over the past five years, but in my mind, it was just a fantasy. I never thought it would really happen, so I hadn’t really considered how I would handle it if Malcomb came back into the picture.
I was both angry and hurt that he’d listened to my father and turned me away without really talking to me, and the fact that he hadn’t answered my calls or read my letters only added fuel to the fire. But I wasn’t exactly innocent in all this. We’d each shared our own guilt, and fighting over who was more right or wrong wasn’t going to solve anything. I had to make a choice.
Hold onto the anger and hurt, or let it go and have the life I’d always wanted.
But it wasn’t just about me.
I had Dalton to consider, and that made choice a bit more complicated.
I had no way of knowing whether Malcomb would come back into our lives, so I’d always tried to be vague when he asked about his father. I had no idea what I was going to tell him now. Whatever I told him, it was going to be tough to make him understand. I realized Malcomb was having the same concern when he asked, “What have you told him about me?”
“Not a lot,” I whispered.
He stood and made his way back over to me as he whispered, “What’s not a lot?”
“I told him that you were away, and I hadn’t had a chance to tell you about him... I told him that he was a lot like you, handsome and funny, and that you two had the same smile. I told him that you had a kind heart and were a fierce protector. I told him a little about the club and that you rode—which he was very intrigued about. And I told him you would be here if you could.”
Malcomb nodded, and I could see the pain in his eyes as he whispered, “Thank you for not telling him anything bad about me. You had every right to.”
“I would never do that. It wouldn’t be fair to him or to you... I would’ve told him more, but I didn’t want to make any promises that I couldn’t keep.”
“I get it,” Malcomb said, his voice filled with regret. “I just hope that he can forgive me for not being here.”
“He will... He’ll just need a little time.”
Malcomb nodded, and we both fell into an uncomfortable silence as we made our way back into the living room. We sat down on the sofa, nervously glancing around the room. I could feel the tension in the air, and I knew exactly why it was there. We had so much that needed to be said, but I had no idea where to start.
After several moments, I finally said, “He was eight pounds six ounces and twenty-one inches long when he was born, and he was the sweetest baby I’ve ever seen. He hardly ever cried... He loved his swing and bouncy seat, but he seemed happiest when I was holding him—which was one of the reasons it was so hard to keep up with my classes. I felt guilty leaving him, and I felt guilty when I wasn’t in class. So, I dropped out and started school here.”
He didn’t respond.
He just sat there listening as I went on to say, “He was crawling at nine months and walking just before his first birthday. He’s crazy about playing ball and loves animals. I’ve even considered getting him a puppy, but I just couldn’t afford it, which is probably for the best.”
Again, he didn’t respond.
I got the impression that he wanted to hear anything I was willing to tell him about Dalton, so I continued, “He graduated from preschool a couple of weeks ago. His teachers adored him and hated to see him go. I wish you could’ve seen him in his little outfit. He looked so precious... Wait. I’ve got one on my phone.”
I grabbed my phone and pulled up the image, then showed it to Malcomb. He studied it for a moment, then nodded. “Good looking kid.”
“Yeah, he is.” I smiled and turned off my phone. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t go on and on like that.”
“No, no. I want to hear it. I want to hear everything.” I could hear the anguish in his voice as he said, “I want to know everything there is to know about you both.”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know... Mind if I ask you something first?”
“You can ask me anything.”
Nervous to hear his response, I swallowed and looked to the ground. “Was Dad the only reason you broke things off with me?”
“Yes and no.” He looked utterly defeated as he admitted, “There was a lot of truth to what your father said. You had a lot going for you, Londyn. You were way too good for the likes of me, and it wasn’t fair for me to hold you back.”