Reconcile by Nicole Dykes
“You did what?”I turn to look at Vivienne’s shocked expression just before her husband puts in his two cents.
“I told you not to do anything stupid.”
“How exactly is that stupid?” I stare at Asher.
“You threatened her. You gave her an ultimatum. On behalf of mothers and women in general everywhere, I want to punch you in the face,” Viv says so calmly I’d have thought she was kidding, but I don’t think she is.
I study her for a moment. I thought they’d be on my side. “She lied to me about having my kid. You’re a mom, Viv. How the hell can you condone that?”
“Because I’m a mom.” She stares at me like I’m a monster, and I don’t fucking like it. Baz hollers for her inside, and she turns to Asher. “Handle him.”
She leaves me alone with Asher, who’s grinning as he shakes his head at me. “You’re one dumb motherfucker. I mean, I thought I was. But damn, Sawyer.”
“What?” I’m getting pissed. I thought I was being generous. Offering to get Piper out of that place and not merely get my daughter out of there.
“You cannot threaten the mother of your child.”
“The mother of my child who didn’t tell me I had a goddamn child.”
“Still, man.” He shakes his head at me. “You can’t do that. She’s been the only parent your kid has known. She’s protected her. You can’t scare her into doing what you want.”
“You should see the place she has my kid in.”
“Is it dirty? Rundown? Unsafe?”
I think about the small apartment building. Yeah, it seems fairly taken care of, but I still don’t like it. “It’s not fit for . . .”
“What?” He smirks. “A Ross?”
Goddamn him.
“I want better for her, Asher. I want to make up for not being there for six years.”
Viv comes back out and takes a seat next to me. She must have heard my last sentence. “Is this really about your daughter?”
I don’t miss a beat. “Yes.”
She studies me intensely and then sighs, “I thought you didn’t want to be a dad?”
“That was before I knew I already was one.”
She gnaws on her bottom lip, like she’s conflicted. “I hate what you did, but I think it came from a good place.”
Asher scoffs and then laughs, “Piper is going to cut off your balls, man.”
I flip him off and settle back into my chair. “No, she’s not. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll let me help. It seems like she’s been doing it alone for a long time. She should welcome it.”
“From the guy who broke her heart?” Viv asks, still extremely annoyed with me.
I shake my head, living in denial. “We were kids. We had no idea what the hell we were doing. It was a hookup.”
“Yeah.” Ash stands and places a hand on my shoulder. “You keep telling yourself that.”
“We were kids. I can’t help that she felt more than I did.”
Vivienne looks sick as she stands up to join her husband, placing a hand over her tiny baby bump. “You’re better than this, Sawyer.”
Her words sting. She knows how to hit me where it hurts. But truthfully, the time I spent with her opened my eyes to a lot about myself.
No, it didn’t make me a saint. I’m still an asshole. But I knew I didn’t want to be like my family. And maybe having feelings wasn’t all that bad.
I fell for Baz and truly wanted to want that kind of life. The kind Viv now has with my best friend. Piper was more than likely right about the eighteen-year-old me.
If she’d have told me about being pregnant, I’m sure I’d have done something appalling, but she still should have told me.
“I want to be a good dad.”
Viv looks at me full of pity. “I know. Maybe you should start by not threatening her mother.”
I want to be pissed, but it’s impossible to be mad at Viv. And I think back to the past, to a time when eighteen-year-old Piper was falling for me.
When I wouldn’t let myself believe it. When I thought I knew what was best.
When I was a total and complete liar. To her, but mostly to myself.
