Chapter 20
BAILEY
When I stepped into the coffeehouse, oversized black sunglasses hid my swollen eyes. Shanna stood at the counter. The moment she saw me, her expression softened. She did not ask questions. Instead, she came around the counter and pulled me into a hug.
She simply held me there.
The kindness almost broke me. We barely knew each other, yet she offered comfort without judgment. She must have heard about me almost spending the night in jail.
She kept bringing desserts to my table. A muffin. A slice of cake. Then apple pie. She said I needed the energy, but she ended up eating most of them herself while listening to my story. I talked. She listened. The relief was overwhelming.
Since Sissy was busy taking my son to visit her parents, I decided not to burden her. For now, Shanna was enough. She reacted only with soft murmurs, wide eyes, and the occasional shake of her head. For the first time in days, I felt lighter.
“She is not a good friend,” Shanna said quietly after I finished telling her about Lynda. “Friends do not betray each other like that. Taking her best friend’s boyfriend is pure selfishness.”
“Well… Ashton and I were already broken up,” I replied weakly.
“Still,” she said. “Some lines should never be crossed. And she let everyone believe you were the villain.”
I nodded, staring into my coffee. “I thought I knew her.”
Before she could reply, Sissy suddenly stiffened beside me.
“Bailey.”
I turned. My father stood at our table. He looked tired. Smaller somehow.
“Do you want me to get rid of him?” Sissy whispered fiercely. “I can say we are closing early.”
I almost smiled. “It is okay. I can handle this.”
She squeezed my hand. “Just shout if you need me.”
When she left, my father sat across from me. For a moment, he did not look up. I studied him instead. The wrinkles. The gray hair. The familiar face that once felt like home.
“I am sorry for the other night,” I said finally. “I should not have scared your family.”
He looked up, startled. “No. I understand. Amelie admitted she confronted you. That was wrong.”
“She was protecting her family,” I replied coolly. “You can tell her I am not here to take you away. I know what a broken family feels like.”
He shook his head. “You are wrong. You are my family too. And there is no baby. She lied to hurt you. No one will ever replace you.”
I shrugged. I was too tired to argue.
“I never meant to betray your mother by planting those roses,” he continued, his voice trembling. “They were her favorite. I tended them myself. Every morning. Just to remember her.”
My eyes burned, but I refused to cry.
“I wish I had fought harder,” he whispered. “I wish I had stayed. Held her. Held you.”
“You cannot undo it,” I said quietly. “What is the point now?”
“You think I do not know that?” His voice broke. “Every day I think about my daughter.”
“Even after Mom died, you never came back,” I said. “Did you even know I had a son?”
“I did,” he admitted. “I saw you at the funeral. I wanted to reach out, but I was a coward.”
He looked at me, tears falling freely now.
“Please,” he said, his voice breaking. “Let us start over. Tell me what to do. I will do anything.”
He swallowed hard, desperation written all over his face.
“Even if you tell me to leave Amelie, I will do it if that is what it takes to have my daughter back again. I just want a chance to fix what I broke.”
My chest tightened. For a moment, the weight of his words almost pulled me under.
“I cannot,” I said softly. “Too much damage has been done. I do not hate you anymore, but I cannot let you hurt me again.”
He looked shattered.
“Be better for your family,” I continued. “Do not repeat the same mistakes. Goodbye, Dad.”
I stood and walked away.
This time, I did not look back.