Chapter 25
“You don’t have to leave, you know. You can stay for a while.”
“Yeah, I know. I just think it would be better if I left you two alone
to figure out what you’re going to do about this. Plus I have a few phone
calls I need to make.”
“Ok. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“Alright.” Violet wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him
in for a tight hug. “Call me when you get home, alright?”
“I will. I love you, Vi.”
“Love you too.” Violet waved one last time as he walked down the
hallway, and she shut the door before going back into the living room. “So.”
“So.” They both said, unable to think of anything else to say. They
just found out he was the father of that beautiful little girl, what was there
really to say?
“Do you want to go kiss your daughter goodnight?”
Looking up at Violet, his breath caught in his throat. His daughter. She was
his little girl, and nothing was going to take her from him again. “I
would love to kiss our daughter goodnight.” He followed Violet back to
the bedroom Blaire was staying in. She opened the door and he walked passed
her. Kneeling next to the tiny girl’s bed, he slowly let his fingers comb
through her dark curls. “Goodnight baby girl.” He said quietly,
leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her little forehead. Standing up, he
left the bedroom with Violet.
They sat down on the couch in the living room once again in silence, both trying
to think of what to say. “So, uh…” Violet cleared her throat
before trying to speak again. “We should tell her tomorrow, I guess.”
“Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”
Looking into his blue eyes, Violet told him, “Don’t get to upset
if she doesn’t have a big reaction. She’s not even two yet so she
might not understand. She does know what a daddy is, but she also knows she
doesn’t have one.”
“Don’t worry, Vi. I know now that I’m going to be in her life
for the rest of mine. And I will be there as long as it takes for her to understand
who I really am in her life.” Looking over at the man who had stolen her
heart so long ago, Violet really saw everything he had been through over the
years. He had worry lines and bags under his eyes to indicate he hadn’t
been sleeping all that well. He looked as though he were at least ten years
older than what he really was and that scared her. Was he going through all
of this because of her? Because she had faked her death to get away from Ben
once again? Or was it all from her re-entering his life and dropping a big bombshell
on him that he has a daughter that he missed the first year and three months
of her life? Everything welled up inside her stomach in a tight knot and Violet
didn’t know what to do exactly. Did she cry, did she apologize and beg
for his forgiveness? What could she do to rectify her actions?
“Are you ok, Vi?”
“Huh?”
The man chuckled at her startled expression and repeated, “Are you alright?
You looked so deep in though, like you’re about to explode or something.”
He looked so worried about her, but he shouldn’t be. The only things he
needs to worry about are himself and his daughter. He shouldn’t worry
about the woman who had broken his heart and strayed away from him for so long.
He deserved better than her. He deserved someone who would always be there for
him no matter what. Someone who didn’t hide things from him like she always
had. She was a bad person. And knowing that she quite possibly could never be
with this amazing man again tore her heart out. She literally felt an ache in
her chest where the love she had held for him and love he had shown her had
once been. Now it was full of black nothingness….a feeling of want and
need. And those feelings of want and need and complete desperation showed Violet
something. She was in love with this man.
She was STILL in love with this man. Had she ever really stopped?
“Violet?” The worry. It was still there, but it was so much stronger
than before. He had moved from the arm chair over to the couch so he was closer
to her. His hand had somehow found it’s way to her back and he was rubbing
small circles just like he always had to calm her down. But this time, it had
the opposite effect on her. She couldn’t calm down. So she busts right
down into tears. She let her head fall to her knees as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Everything she had been holding in from the day she was sent to Georgia was
now coming out…full force and through tears.
“Hey, hey Violet, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” His voice
was so soft, so worried, so…soothing. And yet somehow, it was still sexy
as hell like it had always been. She didn’t deserve him being so nice
to her. And that made her cry even harder.
“I am so sorry.” She choked out through her tears and sobs.
“For what? You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I have everything to be sorry for! I’m sorry for making you think
I was dead, I’m sorry for not coming home when Ben was found dead, I’m
sorry I never called you to let you know what was going on, I’m sorry
I never contacted you in anyway to tell you I was pregnant, and I am so sorry
I kept your daughter away from you for so long. I am just….I’m so
sorry for everything.”
Violet wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into him. She held on for
dear life, she never wanted to let go. And he held her just as tight, allowing
her to cry into his neck for as long as she needed, whispering soothing words
to her. “Shh, it’s alright. We’re all together now, and I’m
not going anywhere.”
“I don’t deserve you.” Violet whispered into his neck.
“What?” He couldn’t really hear her. Through her sobs and
her talking into his neck, he couldn’t make out what she had just said
to him.
Pulling away, Violet’s tear filled eyes stared right into his beautiful
blue ones. “I don’t deserve you. I love you so much, JC. And I don’t
deserve to.”
She hugged onto him again, and he couldn’t believe what she had just told
him. She loves him. Still. After all this time, she had never stopped. But why
shouldn’t she deserve to? She had his beautiful baby girl. She was everything
he ever wanted and he would want her until the day he died, if even then. When
they were told she was dead, part of his heart was torn to pieces. He never
thought he could be whole again. But here she was, expressing her love to him,
something he had never thought possible anymore. And he was never happier.
“I love you too, Violet. Until the day I die.”