Chapter 3 #2
When she’d made the decision to track down Leo, she’d expected rage when she showed up with a kid in tow and told him that she’d never terminated her pregnancy.
Insults, nasty words, screaming, she hadn't even been completely positive that things wouldn't turn violent, and had given Ariella strict instructions to lock herself in the car and call 911 if things got too bad.
Just because killing a living, breathing nine-year-old was very different than telling the fiancée you were dumping to abort, didn't mean she had been one hundred percent confident that Leo wouldn't follow through on what he’d told her to do a decade ago.
Turned out she needn’t have worried.
Leo seemed happy to meet Ariella. Even happy to see her again.
Which made absolutely no sense at all. Kate was so confused she could feel the beginnings of a headache pulse to life.
Taking care of a sick girl all on your own, balancing work and chores, and trying to do fun things with her little girl while she still could, didn't leave much time to take care of yourself.
Didn't leave any time to take care of yourself, and she was starting to feel the effects of the last three years.
Apparently, Leo noticed the slight stiffening of her body and the way she rubbed at her temples, trying to ease the pain a little without making it too obvious because she never wanted Ariella to worry about her.
Her daughter had more than enough on her plate without worrying that her mother was working herself into the ground to keep afloat, pay their bills, the growing pile of medical debt, and manage their day-to-day lives.
“How about we go inside so you can get off your feet. I'm sure you had a long drive,” Leo suggested.
“Oh, uh, we were going to rent a place in the nearest town. But I can give you the address once we find something, and you can come by and see Ariella any time you want,” she offered.
While she was terrified of Leo breaking her daughter’s heart the same way he’d broken hers, she wasn't going to deny her dying child a chance to get to know her father.
“Why spend money on rent when you can stay here for free?” Leo pushed, either unknowingly using a sensitive topic to get what he wanted, or guessing that she must be struggling raising a sick child alone.
It would help not to have to spend money she really didn't have on rent.
Her parents helped whenever they could, but they were retired now, and she had two sisters who also had kids, and they liked to spoil their other grandchildren as well.
Still, staying so close to Leo … she wasn't sure she could do it.
“We have more than enough space,” Leo continued as though sensing her hesitation. “You and Ariella can both have your own rooms. My friends all have partners, so you two won't be the only girls.”
In addition to her dislike of being around Leo, she was still afraid of him and his friends, but knowing there would be other women there helped. Unless the women were equally as terrifying as these men were. Would they be armed too? Who were these people?
“Please, Mommy?” Ariella asked, and Kate knew that they’d be staying. Disappointing her daughter wasn't an option.
“I guess,” she reluctantly agreed. This didn't feel like a good idea, but she felt ganged up on, and it really would help to be able to put the money that was supposed to go on rent toward medical bills instead.
“Great.” The smile Leo shot her was genuine, exactly what she remembered from her childhood. It was the smile of the man she’d first fallen in love with, and it was going to be hard reminding herself that man didn't exist. Maybe never had.
“Thank you, Mommy,” Ariella exclaimed, but from the slight flush to her daughter’s skin, she knew that she needed to get some food and water into her, then she’d need another rest.
Watching your child wither away and slowly die before your very eyes was a hell she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Wouldn't wish on Leo. Although, now he was going to have to witness it too. Unless his bone marrow was a match and it could save their daughter’s life.
“You're welcome, sweetie-pie. Now, how about we get inside so you can take your medicine and have something to eat,” she said, pasting on a smile, because she never wanted her daughter to guess how much she hated her daddy. Maybe if her daughter made it into adulthood, they’d have an honest discussion about what happened between her and Leo, but not now, not while she was still a kid, a sick kid.
“It’s a long walk up the driveway,” Leo said as he carried Ariella toward the car. “How about I drive you both up? The others will meet us there.”
The last thing Kate wanted was to be stuck in a car for any amount of time with her ex, even a couple of minutes, but the bright smile on Ariella’s face had her nodding her agreement.
That Leo hadn't exploded in anger finding out she’d been lying to him for the last decade was a blessing, that he was willing to help, even more so, but being forced to spend time around him was definitely a curse.
“In you go, Ari-Bear,” Leo said as he gently set their daughter down in the backseat and reached in to put her seatbelt on.
Watching him with their daughter only made her resentment grow.
This was the Leo she’d expected to be raising a child with.
This was a glimpse of the man she remembered, the man who had been a tender and thoughtful partner, who she had been so sure was going to be an amazing dad.
Why did he have to go and ruin everything?
Why couldn’t he have given their daughter this version of himself instead of abandoning them both?
After he closed the door, Leo reached behind her to open the passenger door.
There was a look on his face she couldn’t even begin to understand, but she knew she saw regret.
Which made no sense. If he felt bad about how things had gone down when she told him she was pregnant, he’d had a whole ten years to come and find her and apologize.
Their gazes met, clashed. Leo opened his mouth as though to say something, but then snapped it closed again.
There were so many questions she wanted to ask, and yet, at the same time, she was afraid of the answers.
Afraid to learn that Leo had never loved her, that their whole relationship had been a lie.
Maybe even afraid to learn that he wanted to step up and help take care of their sick child, stay in her life if the transplant worked, and Ariella got better.
One thing Kate was sure of was that she would never put her heart on the line again when it came to Leo.
Ever.
The pain he’d caused ran too deep, and there was no excuse he could give to soothe that pain. She was only there to find out if he could save her daughter’s life. After that, if he insisted on remaining part of it, then she’d deal with that when it happened.
Right now, getting him tested to see if he was a match was all that mattered.
When she went to climb into the car, Leo’s hand snapped out, closed around her bicep. His hold was gentle yet firm. And when she forced herself to meet his gaze, she found it swimming in pain, guilt, and regret.
Good.
At least he felt bad about what he’d done.
“Katie-Bear, I'm sorry,” he whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears, blurring the image of the man standing before her. How many nights had she lain awake over the last ten years, dreaming of him saying those exact words to her?
Too many to count.
But now that he’d said them, Kate found that it didn't change anything. Nothing could. He was still the same man who she had loved with every fiber of her being, who had thrown her away with such cruelty and demanded she end the life of their unborn child, and she could never not see him as such.
“It’s too late for apologies, Leo,” she whispered back as she tugged her arm free and climbed into the car.