Page 143 of The Lost and the Found

It was the second please that did it. If Logan wanted to hurt me, he could have done it by now. But he was keeping his distance.

Warily, I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms. “Explain.”

“Before Veena and I came to live with Mathew, Mathew was in the restaurant business with another man. His name is Richard Avery.”

He paused and took me in, as if that name was supposed to mean anything to me. “Okay?”

“You don’t recognize that name?”

“No, should I?”

“Michelle really kept you in the dark, didn’t she?”

“Mich… my mom? You knew my mom?”

I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about that, but I did know I was feeling light-headed right about now.

“Your mom and Richard were married.”

“Are you saying this Richard guy is my dad?” When I was little, I had been curious about my dad. What little girl wouldn’t be? But my mom didn’t like to talk about him much. I assumed it was because he abandoned us, and she was still hurt over that. I didn’t like to see my mom hurt, so I didn’t ask about him much. I didn’t even ask for his name, assuming my mom would tell me once I got a little older.

That was one of my biggest regrets, never asking her, and one of life’s greatest tragedies.

Sometimes parents just can’t watch their children grow up, no matter how much they wanted to.

Logan shook his head. “No, he isn’t your dad. But he thought he was, for your first eight years of life.”

I stood up straighter. “You’re lying.”

Logan shook his head, and even I could see the sadness in his eyes. “Baby, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. Because… because if you’re not lying, then you’re telling me, that my mom—” My voice cracked and I had to take a deep breath before I could continue. “My mom, she cheated on her husband, and… and…” I shook my head. “You’re lying.”

I tried to leave the room, but Logan was suddenly right there. He wrapped his strong arms around me and wouldn’t let up, no matter how hard I hit his chest with my fist.

“Let go of me!” I screamed at him. I didn’t want to hear any more.

“Shh, baby. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He cupped the back of my head with his hand and pulled me close and didn’t relax his hold on me until all the energy I had drained out of me, and I buried my face in his chest.

We fell to the floor, with me on his lap.

I didn’t cry.

But, God, I wanted to.

“It’s Mathew, isn’t it?” I asked, after what felt like an eternity of me in his arms. I didn’t need to see Logan’s face to know I guessed right. That would explain why he acted so strange with me. Why he looked like…

I shook my head.

That was impossible, wasn’t it?

Mathew didn’t love me.

But he had looked at me back at the restaurant like he did.

I didn’t know what to do with that information.

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