Page 126 of Losing Faith

“I’m an addict, Jackson. If I was sentenced every time I fucked up, I’d rot for life. Everyone deserves a second chance and I’ll die on that hill.”

“Okay, but—”

“However,” I cut him off. “I’m not saying you need to get back with her. Isabelle should a hundred and ten percent get to knowsomethinggood about her mom if she asks. She is a very curious kid, and her mom was mentally vulnerable when she cheated. Yes, it was wrong, but coming from someone who was abused because they had mentally unfit parents, people do unspeakable things when they’re sad and mentally checked out. Does that mean I’m forgiving my bio parents? Fuck, no, they had a hundred chances with me, but she didn’t fuck up big enough to lose her kid forever. She hurt you, JJ, not Isa.”

He doesn’t reply as my words sink in. “Yeah, okay,” he mumbles, as he nods to himself, walking to the dining room.

I follow close behind him before he sinks into a seat at the table.

“Was that a ‘yeah okay whatever bitch’ or a ‘you’re right, but my feelings are hurt’ yeah okay?” I ask gently and he forces a smile.

“The latter.”

I nod in return as I sit beside him.

“I think it just hurts more because she moved on.” He keeps his voice low, but I sit up in my seat.

“What?”

His eyes meet mine.

“Way to keep the best for last. The hell do you mean she moved on? Youfollowed upon her?”

“Of course I did.”

My jaw drops. “Do you have pictures?”

He shakes his head as he pulls out his phone. “You’re too invested and not sympathetic enough.”

“Sorry,” I mumble. “You poor thing. Show me the bitch who broke your heart and left you with a kid you didn’t even know about.” I roll my eyes, but smile when I notice him smiling again.

He takes a second to scroll, and when he turns the phone to me, my jaw drops again. “Holy shit.” I take the phone as I stare at what could be Isabelle’stwin.

A beautiful woman smiles at the camera; she has olive skin and midnight dark hair. She’s not what surprises me, it’s thekidin her arms that can be Isabelle’s carbon copy. The main difference is the eyes. Where Belle has gray eyes like her dad, this little girl has blue ones and she has pin-straight hair compared to Belle’s curls.

“Holy. Shit,” I mumble again. “Either Belle looks like her mom with your hair and eyes or her mom has averyspecific type.”

He swipes again and it’s a wedding picture of a handsome blond man with blue eyes. He doesn’t really resemble Jackson besides the complexion and hair color.

“How long ago was this?”

“They got married a year after she left. This is who she cheated with.”

“No. Fucking. Way.”

“Yeah.” He takes the phone as he sinks into his seat. “I looked for her for Belle’s first birthday and I found out she was pregnant. She said it wastoo hardto be in Belle’s life because she felt guilty for leaving, but that she’s happier. Good for her though, right?”

He doesn’t sound sarcastic or bitter at all. He actually sounds genuine. Like he’s forcing himself to be happy for her and his mom really did raise a good man.

“Well forget what I said. She got her second chance when you called her. Maybe she is a bitch.”

Jackson shakes his head as he tucks his phone in his pocket. “Don’t call her that.”

And there goes my heart plummeting again. Of course, he defends her.

“My mom says that now that Belle is older and asking for her, I should reach out to her.”

I feel myself go still. “Are you?”

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