life.
The front door opened. Sullivan’s dad remained rooted in the doorway, his eyes bloodshot and his hair long and ragged. “Sullivan’s gone,” she heard herself saying. At Kurtis’ silence, she yelled, “He’s gone. Did you hear me? He left me because of you. He’s gone!”
Kurtis simply blinked.
Anger boiled inside her. She clenched her fists at her side. “Now you have nothing to say? You were so cruel to him, but now that he’s gone, you’re silent? How fucking dare you? Your wife would be ashamed of what you’ve become.”
“It’s good he’s gone,” Kurtis growled. “Don’t ever come back here.” He began to close the door.
That barely in-check rage burst wide open, and before Clara could stop herself, her clenched fist tightened, and using all her strength, she punched him, hearing a loud crack. Her knuckles crunched, and she screamed against the pain blasting through her fingers. Blood poured from Kurtis’ nose as she screamed at him, “I will never forgive you.”
Her cries faded from her ears as Sullivan asked, “You punched him?”
She blinked, realizing she’d told him everything without filters, and noted the tightness around his eyes. “I did, and I broke a couple fingers too.”
She held up her hand and showed him the two fingers. He examined them, running his thumb across the crooked parts before his gaze met hers again. “What happened after that?”
With a sigh, she tucked her hand between her cheek and the pillow. “I guess your neighbors saw, or had been watching, probably because they worried about me, and they ran over and pulled me away then called the cops.”
“Did the cops do anything?”
She shook her head. “They had to take me to the station for a report, but of course, they never pressed charges. For one, your dad didn’t want me charged, and Hayes’ father was totally on my side.”
Sullivan watched her for a long moment. His expression revealing nothing. He eventually asked, “What made you go to see him in the first place?’
“Honestly, there were a million reasons. I was so angry and hurt that you were gone, and at the time, I wanted him to know that. To know that it was all his fault you were gone. That your mother would have been so ashamed of him. That I was ashamed of him.” She hesitated, trying to put into words what had been an emotional mess at the time. “I wanted him to feel accountable, I guess, but things changed after that day.”
“Why?”
Warmth filled her chest, and she smiled, hoping Sullivan saw all of her happiness. “Because I found out I was pregnant with Mason. It’s weird, you know, but the timing of all of it was crazy. The day before I found out, I booked a plane ticket to come out to see you. I thought if you could just see me, then we could make it work.”
His brows rose. “You came out to Boston?”
“No, I never made it, because the night before my flight, Amelia convinced me to take a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. Everything changed in an instant.” She paused, holding his gaze, knowing what she was about to say would hurt. “Because someone mattered more than you.”
“Mason,” he said gently.
She nodded. “Mason. So, I decided to call you once more to let you know about the pregnancy.”
“But a woman answered.”
“She sure did,” she agreed, her heart lodged into her throat. “That’s when I knew I needed to accept that you were never coming back for me. I decided then to let you go and let you live out your dream in Boston. You deserved that happiness, and I had Mason.” A thousand emotions flashed over his face as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. One minute ticked by then another. She couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
A beat passed then he turned his head, the side of his mouth curving slightly. “I’m thinking that I’m annoyed.”
“Annoyed?”
He chuckled, shaking his head slowly, then gathered her in his arms until he hovered above her. “Yes, Slugger, annoyed that you punched my bastard father in the face and I didn’t get the chance to see it.” She laughed, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head before making direct eye contact again. “I’m sorry, Clara. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry for being a coward and not taking your calls seven years ago. I’m sorry for the anger you endured after I left