“What?” he asks snootily, holding Zach’s gaze. If it weren’t for the situation, I would reprimand him for being rude, but I know now is not the time for that. Instead, I take a seat on the couch next to him, but still far away enough to give him his space.
“I want to tell you a story,” Zach begins, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of Hunter.
“Zach,” I try again, only to stop when his eyes slice to me.
“Let me talk then I’ll go.”
“Okay,” I agree, giving in when I see the deeply rooted pain in his eyes.
“I want to tell you a story about a boy who grew up with nothing. He lived with his mom and dad in a one-room apartment. Neither of his parents had jobs most of the time. He didn’t have a bed to sleep on, or food to eat on most days, and in the winter, he didn’t even have a coat to wear to school until he was old enough to work and buy one for himself. Do you understand that?” he asks, and Hunter nods. “Good,” he says quietly.
“That boy with nothing fell in love with a beautiful girl when he was sixteen.” He continues softly, “He knew that girl would be the love of his life from the moment he laid eyes on her. He knew he wanted to give her the world, but also knew that in order to do that, he would have to work very hard.”
Tears begin to blur my vision, while I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from letting them fall. I knew about Zach’s past, I knew how he grew up, and I knew how much he hated it.
“One day, that girl told him she was pregnant. At first, he was excited about the idea of becoming a father and starting a family with her. But then he realized he wouldn’t be able to take care of a baby or the girl he loved, not the way a man is supposed to take care of his family. Faced with that, and knowing how it felt to grow up with nothing, he and the girl made a decision to give their baby to a family who would make sure it always had everything it needed. It wasn’t easy for either of them, but that is how much they loved him.” He pauses, letting his words hang.
Breathing deep, I fight through the pain rocking through me. The pain of his story. The pain of our past. And the fact I know he’s totally full of shit.
“I know it was difficult for you to find out what you found out today, but I hope you’re grown up enough to understand your mom and I did what we thought was best, and it wasn’t something that was easy for either one of us to do.”
“I understand.” Hunter swallows, looking at me.
Zach reaches out, giving Hunter’s shoulder a rub. “I’ll leave you guys to talk now, but if you ever have any questions or just want to talk, I’m next door.”
“Okay.” Hunter nods, and I keep my eyes on him, avoiding looking at Zach.
“Shel.”
“Huh?” I prompt, grabbing Hunter’s hand.
“Can you walk me out?”
Giving Hunter a small smile, I run my hand down his cheek then get up and follow Zach to the door, my eyes to the ground and my mind in turmoil.
“Shel.”
“Please, just go.” I open the door, keeping my attention on my feet when I feel him approach. “Please.” I squeeze my eyes closed as his fingers lift my chin.
“Look at me, Shel.” I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak. “Please.” My lids slowly open without my permission, and when our gazes connect, my breath hitches painfully. “That wasn’t the end of my story or the end of my regrets. I hope one day you’ll let me tell you what happened after you.”
“I know what happened.” I lean in ever so slightly and drop my voice so Hunter can’t hear. “You proved what kind of man you were when you got a woman pregnant and married her. Don’t lie to yourself or to me, and please trust me when I say I know your story.” With that, I tug my chin from his grasp and step back. “Please leave.”
“This isn’t over,” he growls, dropping his face toward mine.
“It’s been over for fifteen years.” I lift my chin, keeping my eyes locked on his before letting out the breath I was holding when he turns and walks away. Closing the door, I lean against it for a moment, trying to figure out why it hurts so bad to watch him leave.
Chapter 3
Zach
“Are they okay, Dad?” Aubrey asks softly from the living room as soon as I open the front door, before I even have a chance to enter the house completely.
I knew my girl would be worried about Shel and her son. I also knew she’d be waiting for me to get back so she could see for herself that I was okay. I was pissed when I found them waiting outside the store near my truck¸ with Shel and Hunter long gone. Not that I didn’t appreciate Shel getting the kids out of the mix, but I wanted to make sure her and Hunter were okay.
Closing the door behind me, I walk into the living room, where she’s standing with her jacket and shoes still on. “They’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure? Hunter looked really upset,” she whispers, biting her bottom lip and looking toward the door.
“He was upset. He didn’t know about Samuel until now, and it was a lot for him to take in.” I’m still pissed way the fuck off at Tina for the shit she said in front of him and the kids. I knew when she saw Shel was moving in next door that it wouldn’t take long for her to bring up the past, but I had no fucking clue she would spew her venom in the middle of the grocery store with everyone present.
“Is… is Shelby okay?”