over it,” he sneered. “You always were such a whiny brat. Your mother coddled you. I knew she was going to ruin you.”
“Yep, I’m ruined,” I said with a smile and held my arms out wide.
“You think you’re hot shit.”
“I know I’m hot shit. It’s too bad you can’t see it. You should be really proud of me. That’s all I wanted back then. I wanted you to look at me and be proud. I wanted you to tell your friends about all my successes.”
“What the hell have you ever done that was worthy of me being proud?” he asked as he got up from the chair. “You think because you’ve made a little money you’re something special?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I made twice as much as you did when I was your age,” he said with a great deal of satisfaction.
“And you lost it,” I shot back. “Your business acumen leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why it was so easy to buy you out.”
He snarled at me and walked to the door. I hoped he would leave, but I wasn’t so lucky. He always had to get in the last word. “I thought you were a sniveling brat back then. I couldn’t stand to look at you. You were always crying about something. I told her I never wanted kids. Your mother though, she insisted. She got herself pregnant and thought it would change my mind.”
“It’s physically impossible for her to have gotten herself pregnant,” I said. “You were there. Your little swimmers created me, and as much as I hate to say it, I have inherited too many of your genes to deny you are my father. I wish to god Mom would have cheated on you. I wish I could have any other man as a father.”
He jerked open the door. “You are not my son. I’ve never thought of you as my son. I’ve never even liked you.”
“Good, because you’re not my father. You have no reason to call me. You walked out thirty years ago. Keep walking. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.”
“Fuck you,” he shouted.
“Already did that,” I said with a laugh.
I was still laughing when Saige stepped into the doorway. The laughter died on my lips.
“That was interesting,” she said. “Was that daddy dearest?”
“In the flesh.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “No father should ever talk to his son like that.”
“I guess it’s a good thing. I’m officially disowned. That’s the best news I’ve had all day.”
She stayed in the doorway. “Do you have five minutes?”
I nodded. “I do. Come in.”
She walked inside and closed the door behind her. “Thanks.”
“Would you like to sit?”
“Yes, please.”
She was obviously nervous. I was a little nervous myself. “What brings you by?” I asked casually.
“I think you know. We have to talk.”
“Yes, we do,” I said.
“I want to start by apologizing. I made a mess of things. It was never my intention to screw this up. I thought I was protecting Jace. I realize now that I might have made a decision that wasn’t mine to make. I never intentionally meant to hurt you.”
“Why wouldn’t you give me a chance?” I asked.
“When you told me you didn’t want a family, I took it to heart. You sounded very serious about it. I had just found out I was pregnant when you told me that. I realized I had no claim to you. You were on your way to the top and I didn’t want to get in your way. I did change my mind at one point. I was going to text you and let you know. Then I saw you were getting married.”
“Were you pissed at me?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t pissed at you. I was hurt. I’ll admit it. I got it in my head that you really didn’t want a kid. I thought I was saving you. I didn’t want you to be burdened with any of it. You dumped me and I thought it would look like I was trying to trap you.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that.”
“Nash, you made it clear you were focused on getting rich. I was okay with that, but I didn’t want my child to be tossed to the side or treated like a yo-yo.”
I blew out a breath. “You’re probably right. I would have ended up ruining him like my father ruined me.”
“You’re not ruined. I don’t know your father, but the thirty seconds I heard him, I know you are nothing