Chapter Nineteen
LIAM
L ily’s my daughter. I’d asked Mav, and part of me had already known. But hearing it like that, hearing them confirm it—it still felt like a goddamn sledgehammer to the chest.
The truth wasn’t unexpected—not really. That quiet, nagging thought had been buried in my subconscious from the second I saw her.
The familiarity in her green eyes. The way Eileen had watched me, like she was waiting for me to see it, to put the pieces together.
I had. I just hadn’t wanted to believe it.
Hadn’t let myself. Because accepting it meant facing the reality that Skye had kept something that massive from me—had made the choice, alone, to raise our daughter without me.
My hands fisted at my sides, my breathing uneven. She’s mine. Lily is mine. And I never had a fucking clue.
A crushing weight settled over me, pressing down on my chest like a full-body tackle I hadn’t braced for.
My legs moved before I’d even made the conscious decision.
I rushed down the stairs and past the kitchen, where Kylian and Ares were still talking to Coach.
One look, and they both straightened, quickly saying goodbye and hurrying after me.
Footsteps pounded behind me, and I quickened my pace, slipping through the front door and outside. The door never shut behind me—either it was Skye or the guys. I hoped it was the guys. With the way I felt, I was afraid I would say something to her that I couldn’t take back.
A small hand locked onto my bicep and tugged. I fought the urge to yank my arm free and forced myself to turn and face Skye. Kylian and Ares stood on the front steps, the door closed behind them, wearing wary expressions as they gave us space.
Red rimmed Skye’s eyes as she stood before me, her face unnaturally pale, and tears lined her cheeks. With no coat, she shivered from the cold December air, and I cursed, whipping off my letterman jacket and draping it over her.
“Don’t even start.” I crowded her, my fists clenching at my sides in pure frustration. “You knew all this time that Lily’s my daughter, and you didn’t tell me?”
Skye’s trembling hand shot out as if to hold back the storm. It wasn’t just that she’d kept Lily from me. It was what that meant—Skye didn’t think I would step up. Maybe back then, she was right to worry, but not now. Not anymore. I just… I needed time to process.
I ignored the shocked “What the fuck?” that came from my friends and shook my head, taking a step back to stop her from getting closer.
I clenched my jaw tight, my breath ragged as the weight of it all pressed down on me.
She knew. She fucking knew. “You didn’t just ghost me,” I said, my voice rough.
“You made a choice. You knew you were pregnant, and you decided to keep it from me. Two years, Skye. Two fucking years.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Skye glanced behind her, pupils blown wide. “Liam, please. Keep your voice down. My uncle might hear you.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” Two years of first steps, first words, first everything. I’d missed it all. Because of her. Because of me.
“Go inside, Skye,” Kylian said. “You guys can talk somewhere else when Liam’s had time to calm down.”
“But…” Skye trembled, her gaze locked on me.
I averted my eyes. I couldn’t even look at her right now.
I had a daughter, and I’d missed two years of her life.
Just… fuck. I ran my hands through my hair, gripping the strands tight.
No—hurt barreled through me—I wouldn’t let her get off that easy.
I swung my gaze back to her, locking on like a heat-seeking missile.
“How could you do that—not tell me? I’ve missed out on so much of her life—she doesn’t even fucking know I’m her dad. ”
“I-I…” She faltered, her lips trembling before she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “You didn’t want this, Liam. You made it clear that football came first. We weren’t serious—your words. And I thought—I thought keeping you out of it was the best thing for Lily. For both of us.”
“Bullshit.” She knew better than that. “You’re the one who ghosted me.”
“Because you didn’t want more!” Her voice rose with each word.
“Hey, guys.” Kylian moved toward us, a glance behind him at the house. “This isn’t the place or time for this discussion.”
“Besides,” Skye said as if Kylian never interrupted. “You’re a shoo-in to be drafted to the NFL, and you told me nothing would get in the way of that—including a future with me.”
“That’s not what I meant. It didn’t go down that way, and you know it.” Anger rolled around in me at her snort. “You never told me, and I had a fucking right to know!”
Kylian and Ares moved fast then.
Ares clamped a hand on my arm, his grip firm but calm. “Not here, man. Take a breath.”
Kylian shifted between me and Skye, his eyes sharp. “You won’t fix this yelling on Coach’s lawn. Let’s go.”
Each took one of my arms and pulled me back. Ares opened the rear door to Kylian’s SUV. It took both of them to shove me inside.
I wasn’t having any of it, so I rolled down my window as soon as Kylian started the SUV. “How could you do this?”
“What would’ve happened if I hadn’t, Liam? Football’s always been your everything. You’d have seen us as a distraction. Lily and I—we weren’t. I wasn’t stupid. I heard Cassidy and Jennifer brag about you and warn me off too.”
“No one has a right to speak for me. And who the fuck are they?”
“Your jersey-chasing posse.”
Tears filled her eyes, but I felt nothing except anger for once.
“You would have left us.”
“You don’t know that,” I growled. I wanted to be furious at her, to make her feel the weight of what she’d stolen from me.
But some small, ugly part of me whispered that she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Back then, would I have stepped up? Would I have chosen her and Lily over the dream I’d been chasing my whole life?
Especially after that dressing down from our freshman-year coach?
“It was easier this way. Besides, would you have wanted a family if you possibly had to forgo your dreams with football? I guarantee that your coach, and probably my uncle when he took over the position, would have lost their shit. You might not have gotten the opportunities you did if they’d known. ”
I hesitated. Not because I wanted to know or be a part of Lily’s life any less, but because she wasn’t wrong. I would have been riding the bench.
“I have my answer.” She whirled around and ran into the house.
I had a sinking feeling about my intangible family’s life.
“You need to breathe, man,” Ares muttered as he got in the vehicle. “This isn’t just about being pissed. It’s about what you do next.”
As Kylian’s SUV pulled out of the driveway, I stared at the house, its dark windows giving nothing away.
A sliver of clarity returned. It wasn’t over.
She could run, but I wasn’t letting her shut me out—not again.
As we drove away, my thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning.
I’d missed all of Lily’s beginnings. I couldn’t change the past, but I sure as hell wouldn’t miss any more.
The SUV ride was silent except for the hum of the tires on the pavement. My mind raced with everything I’d just heard. By the time we got back to the condo, my chest felt like it was ready to explode.
It was quiet when we walked in, the kind of stillness that didn’t match the storm raging inside me. I paced like a caged animal.
“Liam, chill, man.” Ares leaned against the kitchen counter. “You’re not going to solve anything by wearing a hole in the floor.”
Before I could snap back, Aurora and Brielle walked in, each carrying mugs of coffee.
Aurora handed one to Kylian before perching on the arm of the couch, her blue eyes zeroing in on me. “You look ready to explode,” she said softly. “Want to talk about it?”
I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. “Talk? What’s there to talk about? Skye lied to me. She kept my daughter from me for two years.”
Aurora’s mouth dropped open before she quickly closed it. “You’re Lily’s dad?”
Brielle raised an eyebrow. “And why do you think she did that?”
“Because she didn’t think I’d step up.” The bitterness in my voice surprising even me. “She thought I’d choose football over them.”
Aurora tilted her head as she gnawed on her lower lip, worry darkening her eyes. “Would she have been wrong?”
Her words hit like a slap, and I stopped pacing. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“She was nineteen, Liam,” Ares said gently. “Nineteen, pregnant, and scared. From what we’ve heard about your disagreement freshman year, she had every reason to think you’d prioritize your career. And let’s be honest—you probably would have.”
I opened my mouth to argue but couldn’t find the words.
Would I have stepped up back then? The ugly truth was, I didn’t know.
Maybe Skye had been right to think I would see them as a distraction—just like my freshman coach, and my dad, would have said.
But that wasn’t who I was anymore, and I would prove it—to her, to Lily, and to myself.
“But that doesn’t make what she did right,” Aurora added, her voice firm. “You had a right to know. She should have trusted you with the truth.”
Brielle nodded. “You have every right to be upset, but don’t let that anger cloud what matters. Lily. She’s what’s important now.”
Their words sank in, heavy but necessary. I dropped onto the couch, burying my head in my hands. “How do I make up for not being there?” Mav had been right. I’d bailed back then, but that didn’t mean I had to keep running. I refused to let Skye shut me out.
Aurora leaned forward, her voice soft. “You start by showing Skye you’re here to stay. She’s scared, Liam. Scared of what you’ll do, scared of what this means for your future. Prove her wrong.”
Brielle smiled, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. “And show Lily that her dad is someone she can count on, no matter what.”
I nodded slowly, their words echoing in my head. They were right. It wasn’t just about me and Skye anymore. It was about Lily. I couldn’t change the past, but I could damn well make sure she knew who I was moving forward.