Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
In answer, Maia drew Liza into a hug and the young woman blushed and laughed.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“It’s a yes.” Maia released her and stepped back into me. I placed my hand on her hip as she waved at Liza. “Keep things going for me today. See you tomorrow.”
As the doors closed and the lift descended, Maia rested her head on my arm. “As you might have guessed from that conversation, Becky was the one who found my mum and urged Craig Bennet to reach out to her and encouraged him to publish the story about my dad. She did it from her work computer, so when Liza told Christina, Christina and Hilary had the tech department log into Becky’s emails. Becky just got fired for sabotaging the campaign. And now I’m emotionally exhausted.”
Bloody hell. Silver lining was that Maia didn’t have to put up with that rat anymore. “I know, babe. I’m right here, though.”
“I know.” She turned to press a kiss to my bare arm before looking up at me, gaze bright with worry. “And I’m going to need you when I face my family.”
The truth was I couldn’t imagine her dad or aunt being mad at Maia about this, but I was ready to protect her from anything, even them. “I’m not going anywhere, Maia soon-to-be McMillan. Not ever again.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
MAIA
Even knowing Baird was right beside me on the couch, his hand tight in mine, I felt ready to crumble. I loved my dad so much, and his opinion could make or break me right now.
He sat across from me with a pale-faced Grace and I had done my best not to turn into a sobbing mess as I apologized for putting them in this position, that they’d woken up to my dad’s private history plastered across a national tabloid.
Grace had hugged me at the door, but she was upset because Lockie’s school had called to tell her Lockie had been in a fight with someone about the article. Already.
I didn’t want them to feel like they had to comfort me when they were the ones whose lives were blasted all over that paper, so I was trying to hold together the painful sobs that filled my chest.
The very idea of hurting the people I loved most broke me because I never wanted to hurt them the way my mother had hurt me.
Dad rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together as he studied me with the violet eyes I was grateful he gave to me. His were always a little harder because of what life had carved out of him, which meant when they softened with love, it was the greatest feeling in the world.
“Did … were you worried about this happening when I told you about the campaign?” My voice shook. “Because I feel so selfish for not considering it more.”
Dad shifted a little in his seat and Grace reached over to squeeze his knee in support. “Maia, I won’t lie and say it didn’t cross my mind. But I will never ask my family to make decisions about their lives because of the choices I made in mine. I went to prison. No one else. It’s not on you that this is something from my past that people can dig up to hurt you. That’s on me.”
My heart lurched. “Dad, no.”
“Aye, Maia. It is. You’re sitting here, looking like I’m going to stop loving you, and that kills me.” His voice was rough. “Because me and your mum did that to you.”
I sobbed. “No, you didn’t. You never did.” It wasn’t Dad’s fault that Mum never told him I existed. As soon as he found out about me, he’d been there for me every day for the past fifteen years.
Baird hugged me into his side.
“I am so sorry that you’ve carried the burden of responsibility on your shoulders for your mum. For me. The choice for Maryanne to get clean had nothing to do with you. It should have. You should have been the reason, but it wasn’t your job to make it happen. I won’t be another parent in your life who puts their choices on your shoulders. I protect you. Not the other way around. Lockie was always going to find out the truth, and he left this house this morning proud of his old man for protecting an aunt he adores. That’s what the fight was about at school, and I would be a hypocrite for punishing him for protecting his family when I’ve done the same.”
Gratitude toward my dad made it hard to speak, but I choked out, “It was still selfish of me not to consider it more.”
Dad abruptly pushed to his feet, coming around the coffee table to sit on my other side. He cupped my face, drawing my head down to kiss my forehead. I squeezed my eyes closed, more bloody tears spilling free. I felt like I’d cried a decade’s worth of tears in the last few months. As though something blocked inside of me had been released.