Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
When we are finally face-to-face, my father beams with pride. “Honey, this is Luca. A fellow Harvard graduate, he graduated first in his class, and we were lucky enough to get him.” He smiles at him, and my mouth stays dry. My heart beats so fast it sounds like the stampede scene in The Lion King, and my chest is heaving as though I just ran a marathon. “Luca, this is my daughter, Eliahn, and my grandson, Aiden.”
He looks at me, his eyes blinking. I’m watching his eyes and wondering if he knows that Aiden is his. I’m waiting for him to say something, fuck, anything at this point. Waiting for him to bolt. But he doesn’t. Instead, his eyes go even darker, and he looks like he is going to fucking explode. “Nice to meet you, Eliahn.” He puts out his hand to take mine. I reach out, not sure what is going on. Could it be he doesn’t remember me? I haven’t changed, and we weren’t drunk. Should I be offended? I think I’m offended, so I pull my hand back out of his reach.
“Pleasure,” I say, putting my hand around Aiden’s shoulder and bringing him closer to me, almost putting him behind me. His arm goes around my leg as he leans into my hip, not sure what to do.
“And this is your grandson?” Luca asks, squatting in front of Aiden.
“That is Aiden,” my father says, and then he must see someone because he looks at us. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to say hello to someone,” he says and walks away.
“So, Aiden, how old are you?” Luca asks him, and the pressure on my chest feels like someone is stomping on it.
“Six,” he says. Luca stands up and looks at me while Aiden asks me, “Can I go with Grandpa?”
I just nod my head, turning to watch him run to my father and my father taking him in his arms. I barely turn around, and I don’t notice that Luca is now closer than he was before, and his smell is still the same.
“He’s mine,” Luca says, but I don’t know if he’s asking me or stating it. “That’s our son?” I look at him and expect for it to be okay, but how fucking wrong am I. Nothing is okay. Seven years ago, he looked like a boy, but now the person in front of me is a man. A beautiful man, a man who still makes my breath catch and my stomach flutter. “Answer the question, Eli,” he says, looking at Aiden and then back at me again. “Am I his father?”
I look down and then look up at him, my breath hitching when I answer him. “He’s yours.”
“Oh my God,” he says quietly. Turning, he starts to walk away but then turns around and comes back. “Where is your phone?” he demands, putting out his hand.
I cross my arms over my chest. “You know my name now, Luca,” I tell him. “You also know where I live. Who my father is!” I hiss the last part.
“Well, unless you want me asking your father for your phone number …” he starts and comes closer, so close I can smell his cologne again. This time, I let my mind wander back to the little room on the cruise where I learned every single inch of his body. “… and explaining why I need to speak to you,” he says between clenched teeth, “I suggest you give me your phone number.”
“Fine,” I huff out and give him my number. I expect him to take me at my word, but he doesn’t. Instead, he reaches in his pocket and calls it. The voicemail picks up since it’s inside. He looks at me and then turns and walks away. When he finally walks out of my sight, I release a breath I’ve been holding. I look across the yard at my son, who stands beside my father laughing carefree, without any idea what the fuck just happened.
Chapter Three
Luca
My heart is beating uncontrollably as I walk to the valet and wait for him to come back with my car. I pace the driveway as people line up to give their ticket. I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I want to shake her and ask her why. “A kid,” I say to myself quietly, shaking my head. Getting into the car the minute it arrives, I pull out of the driveway and call Nick.
“Hey,” he answers on the second ring.
“Are you home?” I ask him.
“Yeah.”
“I’m on my way,” I say and disconnect, making my way over there. So many things are going through my head. So many questions that she has the answers to. I pull up to Nick’s little two-story home and run up the steps. Ringing the doorbell, I turn around and take in the neighborhood. I run my hand through my hair a couple of times, scratching my head at the same time. “I have a kid.” It’s almost like the more I say it, the more it’ll sink in. I put both of my hands on my head and let out a heavy sigh. “A kid.”