Page 127 of Pucking Rebound
“And you’re the double of your mother,” he states matter-of-factly.
“That’s unfortunate.” Looking in the mirror to discover someone you hate looking back at you is unsettling—a reminder of the woman who never fought to keep custody of me. How she did what she did, I’ll never understand.
To be honest, I am so over her now; I don’t want anything to do with her.
And I can understand why Wade and her don’t talk either.
She’s an embarrassment.
Miranda Collins: the devil in Jimmy Choo shoes.
“I’m surprised Wade can’t see the similarities between you and your mother.”
“Miranda,” I state. She doesn’t deserve the coveted title of mother. “And I’m surprised he hasn’t figured out you wear colored contact lenses to hide your blue eyes that look just like his,” I counter, feeling snarky. “You went to great lengths to disguise who you are, Marcus.”
Kali told me Marcus has been wearing colored lenses since Wade was drafted to the Eagles to hide his identity.
“I’m not proud of any of it, Lola.”
“You shouldn’t be,” I reply deadpan. “None of you should be. I don’t blame you or my father or Miranda. I blame all of you. What you did to us was––inconceivable.”
“Your coffee, sir.” Declan places Marcus’s mug of steaming coffee on the table. “I’ve locked up and I’ll be in the training room if you need anything else.”
“Thank you, Declan,” I express my gratitude as he leaves us alone.
“This was the first coffee shop your father and I opened together,” Marcus says, scanning the space.
“I know.” In four weeks, we are tearing it apart. “It’s about to have an extensive remodel.”
“I know you’ll do a great job.” He sighs, turning his attention back to me. “I’m sorry, Lola. About everything. I was young and selfish. Stupid.” Marcus takes a tentative sip of his drink.
“It’s done now. And we have to move forward.”
“You were clever to apply for a position with the Eagles, Lola. I admire you for seeking the truth.”
“That’s been my goal since dad told me.”
Marcus, my father, and Miranda may have torn us apart, but I’m determined to fix the damage and bring us back together. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m trying to stay hopeful.
Marcus stares into his coffee cup as if remembering what happened all of those years ago. “You were just two years old, and Wade was four when your dad discovered our affair,” he starts. “He overheard Miranda and me talking about how Wade was mine and how he hadn’t worked that out yet. He was so angry. The things he said to me, I’ll never forget.” He shakes his head as if unable to deal with the memories. “He kicked Miranda and Wade out, and made the decision that he didn’t want to see them again.”
“Something, which he told me he regretted doing every single day of his life,” I inform him. “It was so cruel. I wish you had talked him out of it.”
“He wouldn’t listen to me. Everything was done through a lawyer. I had to agree to walk away from our businesses we invested in together. He got custody of you, while Miranda got custody of Wade. We all signed a non-disclosure agreement to ensure none of us ever spoke about it again, and that was it.”
I lift my mug of coffee to my lips and take a sip. “It all sounds so clinical.”
“It was.”
“It was selfish,” I add.
“I agree.”
While it’s difficult for me to accept what he and Miranda did, his previous life choices don’t define who he is now. It was more than twenty years ago. So much time has passed. It’s time to move forward and not look back.
We all make mistakes. Believing a guy who told me he loved me within a week of us dating and agreeing to marry him is a prime example.
My misjudgment is something I've regretted every day since.
