Page 125 of Losing Faith

He looks frustrated now, but I’m too nosy to back down. This man is the definition of patient and understanding, but the mention of his daughter’s mom sets him off. This is probably a bright red flag, but I’m too invested. I need to know what happened. Call it what you want.

He studies me, like he’s thinking whether or not he wants to tell me. “How come when I ask about you, I get brushed off with a joke, but you want to know about this?”

I shrug. “Brush me off with a joke. If I laugh, you get a pass.”

He doesn’t even attempt. “Tell me what made you upset the night you came here before your Paris trip and I’ll tell you about her mom.”

I open my mouth to make a joke, but I’m assaulted with memories of that night. I feel myself break into a sweat at the thought of her, but before I can be sucked into my thoughts, I force a smile.

“We couldn’t start small? Maybe how I became an addict or small talk like my emotionally absent dad? We can tie it to how I call you daddy because I have daddy issues. You know, that’s why I like it when you tell me what to do.Hugeturn-on.” I give him a once over.

A smile grows on his face and it’s clear as day that he’s fighting off a laugh. “So many options,” he teases.

“So many traumatic experiences,” I add. “I don’t think you have enough stories about her mom to acquire all of this information about me.”

A snort escapes him now. “I’ll have to give you a sentence for every traumatic story.”

“This doesn’t feel fair,” I point out when I realize he actually wants to know all this stuff about me.

“Sorry, my dad didn’t neglect me.”

I break into a laugh so hard that my stomach hurts.

“Made you laugh,” he points out with a chuckle. “I don’t have to share.”

“Yes, you do,” I retort, turning more serious. “I’m nosy. Like incredibly nosy and I don’t know what boundaries are. I will find her on social media so just tell me.”

He shakes his head with a smile and I’m glad he thinks I’m joking.

“When Belle was a baby she got meningitis.”

I feel my brows raise but hold my questions in for the end.

“It was really bad.” He takes a minute before continuing and I can see the fear in his eyes. “We didn’t think she was going to make it, and rightfully so, we were both really stressed. I was distant with her, I won’t deny that, but when she went home to shower and get me a change of clothes, she came back to the hospital with a hickey on her neck.”

My jaw drops and he nods at my reaction.

“It got really ugly and I caused a big show at the hospital. Again, I won’t deny that. I was wrong for talking to her the way I did, especially around other sick kids and worried parents.” A guilty look covers his face now. “I got escorted off of the property.”

He looks back over at me as he continues. “She said she was sad and her friend just happened to be there.” He rolls his eyes now. “But then Belle got worse, and it wastoo hardfor her. The doctor told us she might not make it, and if she did, she might lose her hearing. She told me she didn’t want to raise a sick baby alone and that we needed to work out our problems, but I told her there was no chance I was taking her back, whether our daughter made it or not. I made it clear I was sticking around for my baby, but she left. It was like Belle knew I needed her because she skyrocketed, and now she’s perfect.”

A smile touches my lips. “How long were you two together?”

“Three years before she got pregnant.”

“Damn,” I reply, disappointed now. “Did you love her?”

I don’t miss the amount of seconds that pass as he hesitates. “She gave me my kid. Of course, I loved her.”

My heart plummets.

“But I felloutof love with her a long time ago.”

I nod in response, but my chest is still trying to recover.

His words about what he told me his mom said play in my head before I speak up again. “I think she might deserve a second chance.”

Jackson’s brows furrow and I quickly explain before he loses it on me.

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