Chapter 16
Cody
“So, what exactly do you want to know, Jared?” I ask my father-in-law.
Earlier, he had pulled me away from the kitchen where I was helping Sarah, my mother-in-law.
“You’ve been trying so hard for a while, and you’ve gotten my wife on your side,” Jared says, his posture perfectly rigid. “All she talks about is Cody this, Cody that. So I want to know, what do you want to do with my daughter? Do you even know why she left?”
He looks at me with a flat expression, taking a slow sip of water from the glass sitting beside him.
I take in a breath, letting the tension clear from my lungs. “I want to give her what she wants,” I say, the realization settling into my bones as I speak the words aloud. “I want her to know I love her. I want to love her loudly. I want her to be happy. I want to serve her.”
I pause, a faint smile touching my lips before a brief chuckle escapes me. “I want to see her smile each time I do what she likes. I want her to know that I will be there for her. I want to hear her speak. I want her back, Jared.”
Jared studies my face for a long second, then gives a single nod. He signals for me to stand. When I rise, he steps forward and pulls me into a brief hug, patting my back.
“I heard you speaking with my wife,” he murmurs as we break apart. “You mentioned you followed her back to her place?”
Panic spikes in my chest. I want to deny it, but I know I cannot lie to him. “Yes,” I admit.
I brace myself, expecting him to shout, but he lets out a sudden laugh instead, his palm slamming against my shoulder in approval. “Good. Good, good, good.” He offers another quick smile. “I would have done the exact same thing.”
He gestures back to the chair. “Now sit. I’m going to ask you another question.”
I take a seat, my fingers curling against my knees.
“When you traveled that day,” Jared begins, his eyes locking onto mine. “When you went to see your first love... what did you guys do there?”
My heart begins to hammer. My palms instantly turn slick and sweaty. But looking at the man across from me, I swallow the dry lump in my throat and begin to tell him the truth of exactly what transpired.
***
Before I left the house, Jared had told me to ask him whatever I needed to know.
He admitted he was willing to betray his daughter’s current trust if it meant she would eventually be happy.
Because of his help, I have everything I need: the address of the apartment, the name of the kids' new school, and the clinic where she goes for her prenatal sessions.
That is why I am standing beside my car right now, watching the sidewalk.
Rain walks toward the school gates with our children.
She throws her head back, a burst of laughter escaping her as she shifts her weight.
She walks directly beside Mario, who handles her bag with an easy familiarity.
My daughter, Rose, rests comfortably atop his shoulder, listening as he whispers something that causes her to giggle.
I swallow hard, my teeth grinding together until my jaw aches. A wave of irritation courses through my veins, forcing me to shut my eyes against the sight. I turn on my heel, my hand reaching for the car door to retreat, but the promise I made to her father echoes in my mind.
I want to love her loudly.
I pull the car door open, but instead of climbing inside, I reach into the seat and grab the fresh bouquet of flowers.
I turn back toward the sidewalk, my focus tracking her movement.
As I step onto the path, I notice the slim heels on her feet, and a flash of concern crosses my mind. Isn't that hurting her?
The short distance has never felt this long. Step by step, I close the gap until I am standing only a few feet away from her.
Suddenly, her head turns. Our eyes meet in the bright daylight. I watch the exact fraction of a second the shock registers across her features, freezing her in her tracks.
“Hi, Rain.”