Page 20 of Bittersweet

Harper’s mouth dropped open. “Whoa! She had the baby in prison? I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“Apparently, it is. And since I’m the father, I got the call to come get the baby.”

“Logan.” She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back harder.

“I didn’t know what I was doing. I was in complete shock that I was suddenly a dad, and so scared I wouldn’t know how to raise a baby on my own.” He took a breath and blew it out before continuing. “Most of all, I was terrified that if you found out about the baby, if you knew about my past, you would leave me.”

“I never would have done that.”

Logan groaned. “Harper, don’t tell me that now.”

“I would have been upset, of course, but we could have figured it out.”

“All I knew to do was run, like I’d been doing all my life. Everyone I ever cared about left me. I wanted to go before you had a chance to leave me too. So I did. I left you.” His voice caught. “I took the baby, and I found a place outside of Detroit, not too far from the prison and my foster parents, and I tried to do right by her.”

The room was silent for a several long beats.

“Did Naya get to see the baby?” This situation was foreign to Harper, and she had no idea what the laws were for this sort of thing.

“Yeah, I took Kayla to visit when she was a baby. But when she got a little older and started to talk and ask questions, Naya told me to stop coming. She didn’t want Kayla to remember her that way.”

“How long has it been since you saw her?”

“Almost two years.”

Harper’s eyebrows raised. “What will happen when she gets out? Will she have shared custody of Kayla?”

Logan tensed up at that question.

“What kind of rights does she have after being in prison?”

“I don’t know.” He suddenly let go of Harper’s hand and headed toward the kitchen. “I think I need a drink.”

Harper followed and watched him open the refrigerator, removing a bottled water from within. It was clear this subject was one that bothered him.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said.

He took a couple swigs of water and glanced over at her. “I don’t want to think about the answer to that question. It’s been just me and Kayla all this time, and I wish that didn’t have to change. But Naya has a year left, so I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Harper leaned back against the counter with a sigh.

His eyes met hers. “What are you thinking?”

So many thoughts were running through her mind. If he’d only been honest with her all those years ago rather than bolting without an explanation, things might be different right now.

“I wish you’d told me,” she said quietly.

He moved closer and set the bottle on the counter next to her.

She inhaled through her nose as he took her face in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Harper.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I’m so sorry. If I could go back and change anything, it would be that.”

Her hands closed around his forearms.

“I made a mistake. So many mistakes.” He leaned in until their foreheads touched. His mouth was close to hers now, his breath warm against her lips.

Harper had to get a grip on her emotions. Oh, how she wanted to give in to him right now, but it wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t change what had happened. He hadn’t trusted in her or their love enough to confide in her. She thought the love they had was strong enough to face anything, but it obviously hadn’t been for him if he thought she would abandon him as soon as things got hard. And it didn’t feel like they could come back from that.

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