Page 24

A loud banging on the door effectively halts our argument.

“Open up, it’s me.” Willow’s distressed voice sounds through the closed hotel door.

Her unusual tone has us both rushing to the door.

She hurls herself into Nate’s arms as soon as the door swings wide. Her face is stained with mascara streaks.

“What happened?” I ask while Nate hugs her tightly. Too concerned with Willow’s well-being, I don’t notice she isn’t alone until Nola slowly shuts the door behind him.

“She—she called me in hysterics, asking if I could bring her up to you,” Nola says, concern etched on his face as well.

Nate wraps his arm around Willow and walks over to the bed to sit beside her.

“Will, talk to me. What’s going on?” Nate asks and holds her hands in his.

“I’ll leave you guys alone. If you need me, call me, okay?” Nola says as he takes a hesitant step toward the door.

And I wonder if I should do the same as my gut churns with thoughts of what could have Willow so upset right now.

“Do you want privacy? I can leave you two to talk,” I ask them, and Willow’s sad blue eyes meet mine.

“No, stay. You're going to want to hear this, too,” Willow says, reaching for my hand. I hear the soft click of the hotel door close, and the anxious energy radiating off Willow fills the air.

“Fuck, Will, you're scaring the shit out of me. What's going on? Are you pregnant or something?”

“God, no. Nothing like that…but it does involve children.”

“You’re worrying me being so damn cryptic right now.” Nate’s unease rises to a new level.

“There’s so much that happened. I'm trying to figure out how to say it…”

I reach for her hand and squeeze it lightly. “Why don’t you start at the beginning? Maybe that will help you get your thoughts straight.”

She takes a deep breath, and her eyes linger on mine like she’s seeing something in them for the first time. A strange sensation washes over me as she begins talking.

“Okay, well, I was talking to Mom this week. I know nothing good comes out of interacting with that woman; however, I haven’t seen her in months, even though she’s been making an effort to see me. So I reached out to her, asking if we could get breakfast and then head to the game together to watch you. Well, while I was there at her house, she wanted to give me a tour of her new place. She even showed me a room that was supposedly mine. She asked if I wanted to stay there, that she missed me and wanted me to move back in with her. I told her I wasn't ready for that yet…” She shifts ever-so-slightly, angling her body toward Nate, her hands laced together in her lap. “That I was still hurt by her actions and what she did to Dad and our family. I saw the switch flip inside of her, her mean streak rearing its ugly head. I braced myself for whatever venom she was gonna spew after I turned her down. But I was not prepared for what she actually said…” Willow takes a shaky breath, and I hold mine.

“She said she didn't understand why I wouldn't want to be with my actual parent.” Willow pauses, looking between Nate and me expectantly. Before either of us can form a thought, she continues, “I’m pretty sure time froze in that moment…” Tears begin dripping down her face again. “And when I asked her what she meant, she flat out said… She—” It breaks my heart to watch her struggle so badly with what she is trying to tell us. “She said that Daddy wasn’t my father.” Willow’s eyes lock with mine, and her next words don’t just stop time, they tilt my whole world upside down. “And when I demanded answers, she told me that your dad was my biological father.”

The air is sucked out of my lungs like a vacuum. All three of our gazes bounce between each other’s.

“Wait, what?” I say, trying to comprehend fully what she just said. “You’re my sister?”

Willow curls her lips and starts to cry again, and I wrap my arms around her, letting my own tears fall. Not only for her, but for me…and the loving family I once thought I had. But slowly, that fairy tale has been stripped down piece by piece.

A sister.

Willow is my sister.

“I'm so sorry, Will. I'm sorry I wasn’t there for you. I'm speechless as it is right now. I can’t imagine hearing those words from that woman’s mouth,” Nate says, his tone full of anguish.

“You wouldn’t have been able to prevent it… I feel like she was holding on to that ammunition, just waiting for the right moment to unload it,” she sniffles, then dabs her eyes with a tissue I hand her.

“That fucking bitch. How dare she unleash that on you. Of course, she would use that knowledge as a weapon and not sit you down and have a civilized talk like a parent should. I’ve known for quite some time I no longer wanted that woman in my life. But after today, after what she did to you… I couldn’t care less if I ever see her again,” Nate roars his frustration.

“I can’t believe this… I mean, I can, knowing their history, but still, I was only three years old. What a piece of shit,” I say the last bit more to myself than to them. All this time…I’ve had a sister. My father had to have known…and he never said a word. How could he do this to my mom? To me? To Willow? Not to mention, poor Mr. Outlaw. He loves his children more than any man I’ve ever met. His heart must be breaking…or did he already know the truth?

“I'm sorry to unload this on you both like this, but I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t show up to your game after hearing that; I knew that if you saw my face, you’d immediately know something was off. I’m sorry I lied, I may not have been physically sick but I felt like I was after I left her house. My head hasn’t been right since,” Willow confesses with another sniffle.

Nate pulls her into his chest again. “Shhh, don’t apologize, I get it. I was so fucking worried about you when I didn’t see you in the stands, and Dad sent some elusive texts today that had me on edge. Speaking of, have you talked to him? What’s he saying about all this? Do we even know it’s true?”

Her head bows slightly. “Yeah, I called him as soon as I left Mom's. I was so distraught, I didn't know who I should talk to. I didn't want to unleash on him, but deep down, I had a feeling he already knew. Still, when I told him, he got really quiet. I drove straight home to talk to him, and he was waiting on the porch for me when I got there. He was quiet for several minutes before he started crying as he hugged me. He let me know how much he loves me and that it doesn't matter who my biological father is; he will always be my dad, and he will always be there for me, no matter what. He wants us all to talk about it, but he didn’t want to ruin your game weekend. I didn’t tell him I was coming here. I just needed to see you both.”

I have a half-sister, and she’s Nate’s half-sister as well.

Leaning across the gap between the two beds, I wrap my arms around Willow. Her body shakes as all the revelations from the day seep in. “We’ll figure this all out. I promise, okay? I love you,” I whisper into her hair as she hugs me back.

My mind reels with so many emotions; I’m unsure what to do with myself. But I know one thing that must be done, and it’s something I’ve been putting off for way too long.

I stand abruptly, and Nate’s attention flies to me. “I-I'm going to leave you two to talk for a bit. I need to go do something…”

He eyes me for a moment, and then his attention is back on Willow, where it should be. I'm thankful for the distraction, since I know he would want to be by my side for where I'm going. But I need to face this on my own.

The crunching of the gravel driveway announces my arrival. I’ve been trying my best to string cohesive thoughts together during the forty-five-minute drive over here. I'm halfway up the front steps when the screen door opens, and my father steps outside.

Now, I’m not a violent person by any means, but seeing his face right now makes me want to throw my best right hook at him. He eyes me for a moment, and I wonder if he can see the anger radiating from every pore in my body. “Baby, you’ve finally come to visit me,” he says, stepping outside and letting the porch door swing close behind him.

“Don’t you dare baby me. Not right now.”

“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks, concern etching his face, but I can also see he’s bracing for whatever wrath I'm about to unleash. How could he not? I haven’t spoken a word to him in months, and I just show up out of the blue.

“When were you going to tell me? Huh? Or did you want to try to bury that secret, along with your long list of fuckery you’ve done to our family over the years?” I poke my finger into his chest, pressing harder with every word. Tears prick my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

“You watch your tone with me, young lady,” he demands, taking a step back from me. “And keep your voice down.” Making sure Angela isn’t within range to hear me, he peeks inside the house.

I stare at him for a few moments, leaving the window open for him to air out any of his grievances, but he stays silent. Fuck this.

“How long? How long did you know Willow was my sister?” I explode, my arms crossing over my chest. The position gives me the shield I need to have this conversation.

He startles at my revelation; guess he didn’t think that secret would get out. “Baby, I?—”

I hold up my hand, stopping the excuses I know he was trying to come up with. “Was it weird watching Nate and I fall in love, knowing you were fucking his mom all along?”

“Berkley Jay Black, you do not speak to me like that. I will not stand for such disrespect.”

I scoff at his attempt to scold me. “You lost my respect the moment I realized what kind of man you truly are.”

He stiffens, turns, and looks inside the house once again. It's funny how he’d rather have this conversation outside than in the privacy of his own home. I guess he’d like Angela to remain in the dark about his past. But how could she? Their current relationship was built on their indiscretions.

“So, Angela doesn’t know?”

He shakes his head.

“About what, exactly? That you cheated on your wife for God knows how long? That you have another child who no one was made aware of? Or that you’re still probably fucking around with Nate’s mom to this day?”

His hands go up to placate me. “Please, let me explain. But not here…not right now.” He looks so defeated that if I weren’t so pissed, I would possibly feel bad about the way I'm speaking to him.

But the rage inside of me doesn’t give a fuck who hears me. Why should I protect him? All my pain over the last few years is a direct result of his behavior… I don’t owe him anything.

“I hope Angela realizes soon enough what kind of man you are… Actually, scratch that, she’s just like you. So, I’m sure you two are perfect for one another.”

He doesn’t talk, but he doesn’t go back inside either. Allowing me to speak my peace, so I leave him with one last thing.

“I don’t think I could ever forgive you for putting Mom through all of that. Not to mention, the pain you’ve put me through. And most importantly, I’ll never forgive you for keeping my sister away from me. I’m done.”

Without another word, I storm off his front porch, finally allowing my tears to fall freely as I mourn the loss of our relationship, because I know it’ll never be the same again.

I speed away and drive the short distance to the marina. A place that has always brought me peace, somewhere I can sit and be in my feelings. I take out my phone to text Nate and let him know where I am, because I’m sure he’s worried.

But of course, my phone is dead.

After plugging it in, I lean my head back onto the headrest and replay the events that have just transpired, and allow myself to break. It’s cathartic in a way. Knowing what just happened was needed in order for me to move on in my life. But that doesn’t mean my heart doesn’t ache with every breath. It hurts for the little girl who looked up to her father with rose-colored glasses, blinded by her adoration for the man she loved. It hurts for the wife who knowingly stayed in a marriage to try and save her family, or what was left of it. But most of all, it aches for the woman who will have to go through life never being able to trust her father’s words again.

My phone finally powers on and a slew of text notifications fill my screen. Before I read any of them, I snap a picture of the view with the gorgeous sunset sky and send it to Nate.

Me

[Picture message]

Me

Miss this place.

Nate

One Hour Earlier

Me

Where’d you run off to, BB?

My mind is all over the place, even after Willow’s cries have calmed down. I’ve never seen her so distraught. Not even when Dad and Mom told us they were getting a divorce. It kills me she had to bear that news on her own. I wish I could’ve been there to help shield the blow of my mother’s venom.

“I'm okay now, I promise,” Willow says after I hand her a bottle of water and a snack.

Me

Just let me know you’re okay?

I was so distracted by Willow that I didn’t protest when Berkley left, but I didn’t think she was going to leave, leave. Where could she have gone? I assumed she just needed air, but the fact that she’s not responding has me worried. I know this news must’ve hit her hard, especially after just recently learning about more of her father’s discretions.

Willow stands and walks to the bathroom while I pace around. My chest aches when I think of my dad and what must be going through his mind. My father is the best man I know. He’s always the first to show up and the last to leave. I can’t begin to imagine how he feels.

Willow exits the bathroom and goes back to sit on the bed. Eying her cautiously for a moment, I take out my phone and check to see if Berkley has responded to me.

“Has she texted back yet?” Willow asks, and I shake my head in response as I reread the unanswered messages.

Me

Baby… Whatever it is, we can face it together.

My last notification is colored green, which means she has no service, her phone is dead, or maybe she’s hurt. I refuse to acknowledge the small dip in my stomach at the idea of the latter, so my mind races with where she could have possibly run off to. It takes less than a minute before I realize where she’s gone, and within seconds, I'm packing up my bags.

“Wha—what are you doing?” Willow questions.

“I need to go talk to Coach for a second. Let him know I had a family emergency, and I won’t be taking the bus back… Can you go to the girls’ room down the hall, room 455, and get Berkley’s bag for me?”

“Uh, sure, but where are we going?” Willow asks again.

“Berkley went to her father’s, I'm sure of it.”

“Alright, I’ll get her stuff.”

“Perfect, I'll meet you back here in five minutes,” I say, handing her the spare keycard so she can get back in.

Opening the hotel door, I startle at the sight of Nola sitting in the hallway. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.

“Is she okay?” he asks as he stands.

“Yeah, she’ll be okay. Thanks for bringing her up here for me. I appreciate it, man,” I say, slapping his hand and bringing him in for a quick hug.

Willow steps out of the room a moment later and stops short at the sight of the two of us. Her red swollen eyes go wide. “Oh uh, hi,” she says to Nola. “I never said thank you earlier…”

“Listen, I’ll be right back… I need to go tell Coach I have family shit going on and will need to drive back separate from the team.”

Nola looks at me, assessing my mental state, then his gaze flicks to Willow. “Hey, man, let me drive you guys. I don’t think either of you should be driving right now.”

“You sure? I would hate to put you out like that.” Even though I’d hate to admit it, he’s right.

“Of course, brother. Would you mind telling Coach I'm going with you?”

“Sure thing. Thanks again, for everything,” I nod in appreciation and then head to the elevators, my chest swelling with gratitude.

After receiving Berkley’s text, we bypassed her father’s house and headed straight to the water. Pulling up to the marina, we spot her car and pull up next to it. A nervous energy picks up when I notice her driver’s seat is empty. Where are you, BB?

I get out of the car in record time, not even bothering to tell them where I’m going. Making my way down the beach, my heart stops when I spot her wild ponytail blowing in the wind. I jog the short distance and plop down on the sand beside her.

Not even bothering to look my way, she leans her head onto my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her.

“You okay, baby?” I ask, breaking the silence while I rub her shoulder gently.

She nods slowly but continues to stare out at the waves lapping at the shore.

“Did you see him?”

Berkley lets out a long sigh.

“Yeah, didn’t deny anything either,” she scoffs. “Didn’t even go inside to talk. I wound up unleashing everything on him on his front porch.”

“Did you not want to go inside the house?” I ask, because I find it odd that he would want anyone to hear what Berkley was claiming.

She shakes her head. “Angela was inside… My guess was, he didn’t want her to find out what a piece of garbage he truly is.” Berkley sits up and turns slightly to face me. My thumb brushes along her cheek, trying to wipe away the streaks of mascara.

“He was surprised when I mentioned Willow. Almost shocked that I even knew that piece of information.”

“I wish you would have told me where you were going. You didn’t have to do that alone,” I say, cupping her cheek. Her beautiful eyes drink me in, and I get lost in them. She’s the most precious thing in the world to me, and I hate that she had to face him on her own. I would give anything to take on the hurt he’s caused her, to relieve some of the pain in her heart.

“I needed to do it. I’ve had so much pent up inside of me, I had to face him alone. It felt good, letting it all out.” A sad smile graces her gorgeous face as she leans into my hand.

A cold gust of wind hits us, and Berkley shivers. “Come on, let’s go to my dad’s. I called him on my way here, so he knows we’re coming.”

When we approach the parking lot, Berkley peeks at Willow’s Jeep, spotting Willow and Nola inside. She turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

“He insisted on driving. Said I wasn’t in the right mindset to drive.”

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Berkley huffs, and I chuckle.

“I'm not sure what that is.” I jut my chin toward the white Jeep. “Or why Willow had his number, but I'm thankful he was there for her. He was really worried.”

“I'm glad he was there…he’s a good guy with a big heart,” she says, and her fingers lace with mine.

“Yeah, a heart that better stay far away from my baby sister unless he’s serious…”

She nudges me in the shoulder. “ Our baby sister.”

“Fuck, that sounds so weird.” I push out a breath, and she smiles softly, nodding in agreement.