Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
When he fell on his knees, with his head bowed, still sobbing, I pushed the door open and met him at his side, dropping on my knees as well and wrapping both arms around him.
I pulled him toward me, wanting to comfort him, to show him that I was there—that he had support and would make it through this hard time. He didn’t resist me. His face fell into my chest, and I held him close as his tears dampened my shirt.
This was such a quiet, painful cry. I could feel all his hurt coursing through his body, all the agony, all the pent-up frustrations swirling through him and escaping through his tears.
My eyes welled with tears too. I blinked them away, doing my best to stay strong for him. I glanced at Aleesa, who was still sound asleep, and then lowered my gaze.
The object Javier was holding was a picture frame. And inside the frame was an image of him giving the camera a tired yet proud smile while holding in his arms a swaddled baby in a pink cap.
The photo was taken right here in this very room.
This time around, I couldn’t hold back.
I let my tears fall and hugged him tighter.
Thirty-Six
Javier
“I can’t believe I am here.” I groaned, dragging a palm over my face as I sat in the waiting area of the law firm office.
Cat sighed beside me, folding her arms.
It had hurt to see Rafael’s name spelled out as Aleesa’s biological father on that paper. To have that truth shoved in my face like that was painful, especially when all these years, I’d thought I had done one thing right. That one thing being Aleesa. The light of my life. A gift for every single one of my days. I thought I had truly helped create her, down to the DNA.
This truth changed nothing for me, though.
I was still her father, and I was not giving her up.
“This is so fucked up,” Cat muttered. “I can’t believe Eloise wouldn’t at least mention that he might be the dad.”
“Because she knew it would devastate me.” Eloise was a lot of things, but she was not cruel. She made mistakes—we all did—but she did love me and only ever wanted the best for me . . . whether she was in the picture or not.
I looked into my sister’s eyes as she stared into mine. “I don’t give a damn what the results are. She is still my daughter, and she is still your niece. That will never change.”
“I know, I know. I’m just . . . I’m fucking worried. What if he manages to get visitation rights or something? What if you have no choice but to share her with that dipshit?”
“I am hoping it does not come to that.”
“Mr. Valdez?” The secretary stepped around a corner. “Mrs. Whitfield is ready to see you now.”
I stood, rubbing the palms of my hands over my jeans to get rid of the dampness. I looked at my sister again, and she looked right back at me, nodding to encourage me, but it was impossible not to see the apprehension in her eyes.
We walked through the hallway until we reached a spacious office with a view of the Atlanta skyline. A massive desk was on one side of the room, with a cushioned leather chair behind it.
Standing next to the desk was the family attorney I’d reached out to—Christine Whitfield, a tall, thin woman with blond hair pulled into a sleek bun and porcelain-white skin. Her lipstick was apple red, and she had electric-blue eyes that were a bit intimidating.
She was the best in Atlanta when it came to custody battles. She was also expensive as hell, but I wasn’t putting a price on this matter. I’d give up every fucking penny if it meant Aleesa stayed with me.
“Mr. Valdez.” Christine met up to me, stretching an arm and offering me a hand. “So lovely to meet you. Thank you for coming in.”
“Thank you for agreeing to squeeze me in to your schedule. And please, call me Javier.”
She smiled. “Javier it is.” Her eyes turned to Catalina. “And this is . . . ?”
“Catalina, Javier’s sister.” My sister took Christine’s hand and shook it.
“Lovely to meet you, Catalina. Please have a seat, both of you.”
We sat in the chairs on the opposite side of Christine’s desk while Christine plopped down in the large leather seat and cleared her throat. “Can I get either of you anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Same,” Cat replied.
“Very well. So, let’s just jump straight into this. You mentioned a bit of your situation to me over the phone, but I want to understand the whole story. Your name is on Aleesa’s birth certificate, correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And I can safely assume you were there during her birth?”