Page 89 of Claiming What's Mine

“Betty—”

Cutting in, I said, “Blue, call me Blue.”

Giving me a side eye, my mother leaned in her chair and smirked. “Really? We're back to Blue again?” Nodding, I smiled down into my drink. “That boy really does do something to you. You haven't let me call you Blue since before you had Bliss.”

“Well, I never really liked Betty anyway, it makes me sound old.”

“You know your grandmother's name is Betty.” Arching a brow, my mother was grinning.

“Yeah,” I said, flashing her wide eyes. “And she's old.”

My mother shook her head as she looked back out the window at Bliss playing in the yard. “Go talk to your father, it'll make you both feel better.”

“Alright, alright.” Pushing back from the table, I saw Bliss trying to climb up the ladder of the old silo that was sitting in my parents yard. Opening the screen door, I yelled, “Bliss, don't even think about it! Get down!”

Bliss hung her head with a pout on her lips as she gave me a quick nod. “Fine!” she yelled back as she jumped off.

Turning to go into the house from the porch, I joked with my mom. “She's all yours.”

Walking through the sun room, my mother's little dog ran through my legs, trying to bite my ankles. “Get out of here, Scout.” Giving him a little shove with my foot, he sat back and looked up at me with his tongue hanging out. “How's Dad? Is he up?”

He didn't answer back, simply licking his lips and tilting his head.

“Thanks, good talk.”

Standing in the kitchen, I heard the rocks outside in my parents driveway snap and crackle as tires rolled over them. Scout jumped to his feet, letting out a couple low barks as he looked at the front door.

“Who's here? Who is it Scout?” Moving to the window, I pulled back the curtain. “What the. . .”

Jayden was getting out of his car, his eyes scanning the front of the house. I watched him run his fingers through his hair, his expression so serious it sent chills down my spine.

How did he find me here?

What the hell is he doing here?

Tearing the front door open, I stormed outside, arms out wide. “Jayden, what are you doing here?” Grabbing his arm, I attempted to pull him back in the direction of his car. “You need to go, you shouldn't be here.”

Jayden stopped short, yanking his arm from my hand. “We need to talk, Blue, but first I need to talk to your father.”

“You can't, he's not feeling well.”

Throwing his arms in the air, he pointed a finger at the house. “I'm going in there, Blue, I don't care if he's not feeling well. That man took something from me I'll never get back. He needs to know what he's done.” His voice was high, determined, filled with emotions I didn't know he was capable of. “I lost more than just you that day, Blue, I lost a daughter too.”

Relaxing my arms, I wanted so badly to just pull him away and tell him whatever he had to say wouldn't matter.

My father was my father, he would always be stuck in his ways. A man of the lord, a son to hope and happiness and doing the right thing. My father thought he was doing the right thing by me and Bliss, he'd never apologize for that.

But none of that shit mattered, not who he was, not what he did, because ten years held changes that none of us saw coming.

My father's changed, but not for the better.

“It won't make a difference. My father isn't the same man you remember, Jay.” Wrapping my arms around my shoulders, I tried to make him understand. “He's very sick, I really don't want to upset him.”

Jay stared at me for a second, tilting his head into his shoulder. “Blue, he stole my daughter from me, I deserve a chance to speak my mind. I never had the opportunity to tell him how much I loved you, how much I would have loved Bliss, how I would do anything for you. Let me tell him now.”

“Blue,” my mother called out from the front door as she held it open, blocking the small dog with her foot. “Let Jayden come in, your father said it's fine.”

“Mom, I—”

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