I never imagined that things would go the way they did with Sophia. Then again, I never imagined that Damon would just come waltzing back into my life like a hurricane trying to take down everything in his path. Honestly, I should have known better than to lie to Sophia. She’s a bright girl, and as much as I wish she didn’t take everything to heart… she always does.
Taking a seat at a nearby table, I watch Damon sit across from me with a mix of overwhelming confusion and concern laced within his eyes.
“You want to start from the beginning?” he asks, causing me to chuckle lightly as I shake my head.
“I guess… when Sophia was younger and asked me about you, I made up a story. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to tell her I had a one-night stand. Was that a good story to tell? No, but I was ashamed, and I never wanted her to feel like she wasn’t wanted.”
He’s looking at me, but not the way I thought he would. While his face is unreadable, his eyes give him
THREE MONTHS LATERI’d dreamed of how my life might one day be. How I’d gather the courage to become more than I am. More than I dreamed for my business, for my daughter. I just always envisioned that over time, I’d do it all by myself. Yet, three months ago, when Damon approached me at my company function—he changed my life for the better.Seventeen years… it took me seventeen years to realize that loving someone other than myself isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and so much more and though there are times that he’s completely arrogant, and I want to shake him… I wouldn’t change things for the world. I can feel his footsteps behind me before I hear him. The soft touch of his hand on my shoulder causes a smile to cross my lips as I gaze out across the city in front of me. Sophia hasn’t been exactly forthcoming with building a relationship with her father, but on nights like tonight w
I never imagined that things would go the way they did with Sophia. Then again, I never imagined that Damon would just come waltzing back into my life like a hurricane trying to take down everything in his path. Honestly, I should have known better than to lie to Sophia. She’s a bright girl, and as much as I wish she didn’t take everything to heart… she always does.Taking a seat at a nearby table, I watch Damon sit across from me with a mix of overwhelming confusion and concern laced within his eyes.“You want to start from the beginning?” he asks, causing me to chuckle lightly as I shake my head.“I guess… when Sophia was younger and asked me about you, I made up a story. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to tell her I had a one-night stand. Was that a good story to tell? No, but I was ashamed, and I never wanted her to feel like she wasn’t wanted.” He’s looking at me, but not the way I thought he would. While his face is unreadable, his eyes give him
"Mom?"A frail voice whispers behind us, and just as Hailey releases me, I feel the aching absence of our closeness. My eyes dart to the door, which had been closed mere moments ago, as the woman who spoke steps forward. Dressed in a blue sleeveless dress with a daring slit, her hair and eyes mirror my own. And in that moment, I realize with a crushing weight that I’m looking at my daughter. It’s nothing like one had imagined the revelation of a lost child."Who is this man?" Her eyes blaze with anger and accusation, piercing right through me. In that instant, my mind goes blank, and I become paralyzed. I yearn for a miraculous escape by simply sinking into the ground, fleeing this scene of humiliation that I never expected."Your father, Sophia," Hailey says, her voice trembling slightly as she keeps her hands firmly clasped behind her back, her gaze locked onto me as if daring me to explain.I feel the bitter sting of shame as my daughter’s disapproval
Just as I’m about to slap him for being a dick, I see it. Something of a grimace crosses his face. A shadow of doubt, perhaps? A speck of confusion laced within deep blue eyes that stares at me wider than they had only moments ago. I can’t really blame him for some of what transpired over my life. He didn’t know about our daughter, and even though I did look for him at one point in time, I didn’t pursue that idea any further since.“We have a child?” he finally mutters, shaking his head.“No, I have a daughter,” I correct. Perhaps it’s bitchy of me, but she is my daughter, even if he helped create her. She doesn’t know him and perhaps one day they can get to know each other, but right now… she doesn’t know him. And I don’t know if she could handle having this dropped on her right now while in her senior year of high school. It’s a lot for a kid her age to digest.His eyes narrow, laced with what looks like irritation and anger.“That’s not a choic
PRESENT DAY“I’m sorry… but I have to ask… do you also go by Damon?”Fuck, she recognizes me.I’m the master at playing games. It’s a skill I learned from her. This game started the minute she gave me a fake name and then left me in a hotel room after the best night of my life. A night that I haven’t been able to forget.But what is wrong with this woman and splashing drinks on people? She’s drawing attention to us fast. It doesn’t look good that the host of the party is throwing drinks on people. God, this is a blog-worthy story, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see myself on TV tomorrow or, worse still—on every social media platform I open.She notices people staring at us, curiosity and judgment plastered on their faces, so she grabs my hand and pulls me out into the hall. Her touch does something to me. It’s sensual, electrifying, and it took me seventeen years to feel it again. But her anger confuses me. S
SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO The room is hot. Everyone is in a frenzy, dancing to loud music, and all I can do is sit and watch people dance to the beat of their own tune while sipping my drink. As much as I want to leave, I don’t. Lisa would hunt me down and probably chop my head off if I did. Hell, it took everything she had to get me out here tonight. And she didn’t even explain what kind of party it was… but I quickly realized when we showed up, wondering why she put me in white, only to find out that it was a themed all-white party. As much as she has tried to encourage me to join her, I don’t. Instead, I watch her dance with a group of people I’ve never met while I hold up my position and dread every second of being here.I know my friend is a social butterfly, but I didn’t realize how much of a butterfly she really was until tonight. All these people are unfamiliar to me, but Lisa talks to them like she’s known them for ages