Chapter 5
Chapter five
Camryn
This meeting was like watching my plans burn to ash and float away on a cloud of disappointment in front of my eyes. I was hoping Barrett would be glad to get us out of his hair. That what my father said was true, and that Barrett wanted nothing to do with a kid.
My father.
If I wasn’t certain Samantha had done the right thing all those years ago by running away, I sure as hell am now.
But that begs the question of why he wanted Barrett out of the way.
Did he think he would’ve had an easier time controlling Samantha if Barrett was gone?
Was he worried that Barrett would take her and Sydney away while Samantha was pregnant?
It’s been years since I considered these questions.
I quietly slipped out of my parents’ lives bit by bit.
The path of least resistance, like I usually did things.
Sam left in the dead of night and became a ghost. I’m starting to realize why she made that choice.
Did part of her realize later that my father was lying about Barrett not knowing about her pregnancy?
Is that why she stayed away? And if so, why didn’t she reach out to him or try to find him?
Again, questions I’ll never have the answers to.
“So what now?” I ask Barrett.
“Uh…” Obviously, he hasn’t given any thought to what it means for both of us to stay here. “We should tell Sydney you’re both staying?”
His president chuckles behind him. “I’ll have a prospect set up a room for you in the clubhouse.” Ozzy stands and Freya follows suit.
“Thank you,” I tell Freya before she leaves the office. “I appreciate you giving it to me straight.”
“I know this probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, but I hope you know that when Ozzy says family means everything to this club, he isn’t just blowing smoke.
Sydney has inherited a bunch of new uncles and some pretty awesome aunts, too, if I do say so myself.
” Freya shoots me a warm smile, then turns to Ozzy.
“I believe you promised me a ride this morning,” she says.
“That I did, pretty girl,” he replies with a sweet grin for his woman, then turns to Barrett. “You good here?”
Barrett nods. “Yeah, brother. And thanks again, Freya, for coming this morning.”
“Of course. But please remember what I said. This fighting isn’t what’s best for Sydney.
I want this to work. Even if we have to work out some sort of arrangement, it needs to stay amicable.
Both of you are going to be the most important people in her life, and she needs to feel like she’s a priority, not this feud you two seem to have.
” Freya waves her hand between me and Barrett.
“I completely agree,” I say.
“Of course, I agree,” Barrett says, looking at me with accusation in his eyes, like this entire thing is my fault.
Freya sighs. “You two are getting there.”
“It’s the best we can hope for, pretty girl. Come on.” Ozzy takes her hand as he opens the office door and leads her out, which leaves Barrett and me alone in a room together.
“You really didn’t know? About Sam being pregnant?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I swear to God, I didn’t. Why didn’t she tell me?”
Blowing out a breath, I pull that night from the recesses of my memory.
“Our father insisted that you knew. He said you took the money and ran. I don’t think she was necessarily heartbroken over it, but she was certainly pissed about it.
He found out about it before she had a chance to tell you.
Our father was having us followed, and we figured one of the housekeepers found the pregnancy test and ran to our father with it.
He knew about you and Sam before she found out she was pregnant. ”
“I thought she’d ditched me. Two nights before I took off, we were supposed to meet up, and she never showed and never called or anything. Figured she was done with whatever we were.” He shrugs. “Didn’t take too much convincing from your dad to leave, to be honest.”
“I need to know Syd’s safe, Barrett,” I say, fully turning myself toward him. “That you don’t want her around just to stick it to me. I know we’ve never gotten along—”
“That was a long time ago.”
“It was two minutes ago,” I say, giving him a flat look.
“Sydney is the most important person in my life. I stayed in New York at a job that doesn’t pay much, in a crappy apartment, so I would be close to her.
I don’t know why my parents even want custody of her, and frankly, I don’t care.
I know it isn’t what’s best for her. I grew up in that house, and I’ll fight like hell so she won’t have to go back there.
But I need to know she’s going to be safe here. That she’s wanted here.”
“Ozzy and Freya made it clear to you that family is everything to us. Yes, she’s wanted here.”
My eyes bore into Barrett’s, assessing him. I can tell what he’s saying is true. It’s important to the club. But I’m still not convinced it’s going to be what’s best for her. I guess only time will tell.
I exhale a long breath. “I’ll tell her we’re staying then.”
Barrett nods and holds his arm toward the door. “I’ll make sure you have a room ready.”
I walk out and find the clubhouse empty, but hear laughter coming from the backyard.
Barrett nods his head to the patio slider. “They’re out back. I’ll talk to Danny about getting a room ready for you.”
He doesn’t say anything else before heading out the front door.
When I open the slider, Sydney is playing catch with a little boy.
“Throw it as hard as you can,” she tells him, and I see the look of concentration on his face as he winds up and chucks the ball at her. Not bad for a kid who looks to be around five or six. The ball goes wide, and Syd has to stretch to grab it.
“Wow, that’s great, Colby. Now this time, aim it right here.” She circles her hand around her midsection, then tosses the ball back to him.
To my right, Cece, Lucy, and Charlie are sitting at a table with two women I don’t know. Cece notices me first and waves me over.
“Camryn, this is Maizie, Colby’s mom.” She points to a woman with long dark hair and a welcoming smile on her face. “And this is Mia, Colby’s aunt.”
Mia stands and grabs a chair sitting off to the side, pulling it up to the table. “It’s so nice to meet you. We were here last night when Sydney came. I wanted to check on her before we went to my grandmother’s for brunch.”
“You’re missing out, sister. Cece’s cinnamon rolls were magical,” Lucy says, patting her pregnant belly. “My little spawn loved them.”
“All three of them,” Charlie says.
“Don’t judge me. I’m eating for two.”
“I would never dream of it. But maybe fit some fruit or veggies in your diet, too,” Cece says. “Something other than dough and sugar.”
“Ugh. You sound like Jude. If the baby wanted veggies, I’d eat them, but they don’t.”
I sit down next to Mia. “You don’t know the sex of the baby?” I ask, though it’s really none of my business.
“Nope. Last time we had an ultrasound, the baby was being stubborn and hiding from us,” Lucy says.
“Just like its mother,” Maizie teases.
“I’m pretty sure you mean its father,” Lucy shoots back.
“No.” Maizie shakes her head. “I had it right the first time.” She smiles sweetly at Lucy, and Lucy responds by raising her middle finger. “Love you, too,” Maizie says with a laugh.
“Sydney was telling us that she’s started high school.
I’m the librarian at Shine High,” Mia tells me.
“It can be rough starting at a new school, but she can come hang with me in the library if she needs a minute to breathe. The kids are pretty good there, but I think we can all agree high school can be a little daunting.” Mia bites her lip and shoots me an unsure look. “If you’re staying, that is.”
“Thank you,” I say, appreciating her generosity to a complete stranger. “It looks like we’ll be here for the foreseeable future. I need to let the school I’m at know and figure out what to do about my apartment and all my stuff. But it looks like we’ll be moving into the clubhouse in the meantime.”
“We aren’t going back to New York?” Sydney asks, walking up to the table with concern etched on her young face.
“Barrett and I talked about it, and we decided it would be best for us to stay here.”
“We or he decided?” Damn, this kid is too smart for her own good.
“I can’t take you, Syd. He made it clear that wasn’t an option,” I tell her honestly.
“Why the hell does he care? God, I shouldn’t have come here.” Sydney throws the mitt she was wearing on the table and storms into the clubhouse.
“Shit,” I whisper as I stand from my chair and follow her inside. I catch sight of her rounding the corner into the hallway. “Sydney,” I call as she storms into her room.
When I walk in, she’s lying on her back with her arm thrown over her face.
“Okay, you’ve never been one for storming away from me. What gives, kiddo?”
I sit on the bed next to her and remove her arm from her face. “Talk to me.”
She sighs, and I don’t miss the tears in the corner of her eyes. “I’m not sure about staying here. The other women are nice, don’t get me wrong, but he never wanted me. I don’t know why I came. It was stupid, and now we’re stuck here.”
I take a deep breath and exhale through my nose.
“You came because, for some reason, your mom told you to find him if anything happened to her.” Though we still have no idea why.
“And even though you shouldn’t have done it without me”—I quirk a brow and shoot her a meaningful look—”I understand why you did it. ”
Sydney sits up and scrubs a hand over her face. “But he doesn’t care that I’m here. He was so wasted when I got here yesterday. What if…what if he’s just like my mom? I was her burden, and now I’m his. I didn’t ask to be born, let alone to parents who don’t give a crap about me.”
A tear tracks down my niece’s cheek, and my heart shatters for her.