Chapter 42 Nova #2
The principal, clearly a pro, barely missed a beat as she continued her speech, but I was sure I saw her lips twitch with suppressed laughter.
Meanwhile, Scarlette, unbothered by her aunt’s theatrics, had already taken her spot and was beaming proudly, completely in her element.
Luna leaned closer, snapping a photo of me on her phone. “This one’s a keeper. I’ll tag you.”
I shot her a glare. “Tag me, and I’m disowning you.”
She grinned wider. “Okay, fine, but I’m sending it to Oll.”
“I hate you so much,” I grumbled as she nudged me.
The program began seamlessly, the preschoolers and kindergartners stepping into their spots with an excited energy that filled the room. Scarlette stood next to Mrs. Astor, helping her and moving her hands to the songs.
I wanted to record everything for Ollie. He would love watching this. He should be here; he’d have loved every second of it. Every moment felt like one I didn’t want to forget.
When the program was over, Mrs. Astor moved Scarlette so she was standing over with another classmate.
She stepped forward, her warm voice filling the room. “Before we bring out the first graders, we’re going to take a big group photo with our preschoolers and kindergartners,” she said. “If any families want to get a good shot, I’ll step out of the way.”
“Nova.” Luna nudged me, but I ignored her, standing up with the other parents and pulling out my phone to get a better view.
“Nova,” Luna repeated more insistently.
“That little girl sitting next to Scarlette—doesn’t she look so much like her?” I asked, pointing toward the stage.
The two girls shared similar features, especially their hair, with identical curl patterns framing their small faces. But what truly caught my attention were their eyes—strikingly similar shades of blue. Blue eyes weren’t exactly rare, but there was something uncanny about—
“Nova,” Luna said sharply, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“What?” I snapped, finally looking down at her.
Luna grabbed my hand and tugged me back into my seat. With most of the parents standing, gaps in the rows made it easier to see the people a few rows ahead. That’s when I spotted her.
A petite blonde with curly hair stood a few rows in front of us. Even from this angle, there was no mistaking who it was.
“Am I seeing things, or is that Auburn Hart?” Luna whispered, her voice dropping to a stunned hush.
My breath caught in my throat. My ex-mother-in-law.
The person next to her was there like a familiar wall of muscle—Ledger. His hand rested casually on the back of the seat in front of him.
My stomach turned.
What were they doing here?
“Luna,” I spoke slowly. “Where is Dirks living?”
She blinked, caught off guard. “He’s in the city. I swear it.”
“And you’re sure?”
She nodded quickly. “Yes.”
“Have you heard anything about Austin?”
Luna’s face shifted, guarded now. “I made Dirks promise not to tell me anything about him. I didn’t want to know.”
I looked back at Auburn, as panic bubbled. My hands were trembling so badly I couldn’t even unlock my phone, let alone send Ollie a text.
If Ledger was close with Auburn . . . and Auburn was tied to Austin . . . then maybe—no. God. Was he nearby? Was this just a coincidence or something more?
I needed Ollie. Oh my god, I needed him so badly.
“Now that I think of it,” Luna said, her voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts, “Dirks did say he knew where my house was because he comes up here often.”
My head snapped toward her. “You didn’t think to mention that?”
She blinked. “How was I supposed to connect the dots? He said he liked this farmer’s market better. I swear I didn’t tell him you were living here.”
“Oh, so driving almost an hour outside the city didn’t strike you as the slightest bit suspicious?” I hissed, my voice barely under control.
“No,” Luna snapped, clearly flustered. “I thought it was for Ledger. I don’t remember the neighborhood names—fuck. I tried to keep him separate from my life with you. I never told him anything about you moving here. I’ve kept it a secret this whole time, even though—”
“Shut up,” I bit out.
I’d moved here for her. Trusted her to help keep Scarlette safe. I was furious, overwhelmed, scared out of my damn mind.
Luna opened her mouth to respond, but the principal’s voice crackled over the microphone, announcing that parents could now collect their children.
I reached for Luna’s hand and yanked her up so fast she nearly stumbled. “I can’t deal with this right now. I need to get Scarlette and get the fuck out of here.”
As we pushed through the crowd, Luna’s voice came again, hesitant, but laced with curiosity. “Wouldn’t Auburn’s baby and Scarlette be the same age? That would make sense . . .”
I whipped around to glare at her, my voice low and venomous. “I am going to fucking kill you.”
The words tumbled out before I could stop them, my rage boiling over. Logically, I knew it wasn’t Luna’s fault, but this—this was my worst nightmare.
And then I saw him.
“No,” I whispered, the word getting lodged in my throat.
There, standing in front of my daughter, was him.
Her biological father.
“Oh my god,” I breathed, my entire body trembling as I clutched Luna’s arm.
The world around me seemed to fade, the chatter of the parents, the shuffling of feet—it all disappeared.
Everything inside me was shaking. My knees felt weak, my chest felt hollow, and my vision blurred with the sheer weight of what was happening.
This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be happening.
But it was.
He stood there, taller than I remembered, but thinner. His curly blonde hair was shorter, a little unruly, but still unmistakable. His face had aged, faint lines etched around his eyes and mouth, and yet, when he turned toward Scarlette, the resemblance was undeniable.
Her eyes. The way her curls bounced as she tilted her head to look up at him—it was so fucking obvious they were related that my stomach churned.
I wanted to vomit. I turned to Luna, my breath coming in shallow gasps. She must have seen the panic on my face because she grabbed my hand, squeezing it firmly.
“We have to get her and go home,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling around us.
I nodded quickly, swallowing down the bile rising in my throat. “Don’t scare her,” I managed, my voice low and strained. “Be happy and let’s go.”
“Process later,” Luna said, her tone leaving no room for debate.
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and started toward him, every step feeling heavier than the last. My heart pounded in my chest as I forced a smile, praying to whatever higher power existed that he was sober—that this wouldn’t turn into something even worse.
Luna stepped in to grab her first, but the moment he turned around, he whispered, “Nova?”
Ledger, Auburn’s husband, turned around next and then Auburn followed. “Nova?” Ledger asked.
“Mum. I was the conductor.” Scarlette laughed and grabbed my legs.
I looked down at Scarlette and swallowed. I had to keep it together. I would ignore them. I’d grab Scarlette, and maybe they’d seen the stories. The baby was Ollie’s.
Fuck, because she was Ollie’s in every way that mattered.
He was going to die when he found out. This was everything he feared, everything we’d worked so hard to avoid, unraveling while he was thousands of miles away in England.
What if he didn’t want to come anymore? What if this—this—was too much? My mind raced, spiraling through every worst-case scenario. How would I even begin to explain this to him? How could I possibly make him understand what I couldn’t even process myself?
The air felt thick, heavy, suffocating. My hands were trembling, and my knees wobbled like they might give out at any moment.
“Stop,” I whispered to myself, clenching my fists, trying to ground myself. I blinked hard, forcing the tears threatening to spill to retreat. I couldn’t spiral.
I sucked in a shaky breath as I tried to steady myself.
“I’m so proud of you, baby. You did so well.” It was all I was able to get out.
“Weird seeing you here, Hart.” Luna grabbed Scarlette’s hand and then looped her free one in mine and gestured at the door. “Merry Christmas.”
She pulled the two of us out of the school, and I grabbed Scarlette as we practically ran to the car.
“Why did we come so fucking late?” I grumbled.
“Language, Mum.” Scarlette reprimanded me, and I put her down because I was worried I’d fall on the ice.
“Sorry, baby. My fault.”
“He looks okay,” Luna whispered as the three of us sprinted toward the car.
Okay meant sober . . . but for how long? Then the thought of whether or not that made me an asshole fluttered through my head. I looked down at Scarlette, who was complaining that her feet hurt because we walked too far.
“Don’t let this sink you.”
I nodded furiously, trying to process her words. “I need to get home.”
“Are you okay, Mum?”
I shook my head. “I’m okay, but I think I’m getting a little sick.”
“Wait,” a deep voice shouted from behind us.
My eyes darted to Luna’s as I begged her to help me.
We kept walking until someone came up from behind me, grabbed my elbow, and spun me around, forcing me to face him.
“No,” I spat, stepping in front of Luna.
I needed to shield Scarlette from this. He didn’t get to do this this way. This wasn’t his right. It was his choice to get fucked up the way he did. I had to keep reminding myself; otherwise I’d feel like I was the worst person around.
“You don’t get to do this right now.”
He stared at me, his blue eyes piercing. It was like seeing a ghost in real life.
“I need answers, Nova. I deserve them,” he said softly, understanding my request not to make this a big scene in front of Scarlette.
I hesitated. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what Ollie would want me to do, but this was her biological father, and standing in front of me, he looked okay. I deserved to tell him what happened—to hear him out.
“Fine. I’ll meet you tomorrow morning at nine. Downtown Winnetka. That little coffee shop on Oak Street—The Village Grind. Without her.”
His shoulders sagged, and he let out a heavy breath. “Okay,” he whispered. “Okay. Thank you.”
I mustered all the courage that I could to turn back around and walk away when his voice interrupted me again.
“Tell me one thing, Nova.”
He didn’t need to ask the question. I already knew where this was going. My eyes went wide, and I whispered, “Yours.”