Page 68 of Second Chance Daddy

“Yeah, but you’re always out working.” Her brows hit the roof.

“Someone’s got to pay the bills,” I mutter under my breath.

“What’s that?” Tina’s ears perk up.

Exactly my point. I hold back a smile and shake my head. “What about Aria? Can’t leave her alone. She’s three.”

Tina rolls her eyes like I just asked if the Earth was flat. “The housekeeper adores her. You know that woman treats Aria like she hung the damn moon.”

“I don’t like leaving her,” I press, pulse still jittery from the helicopter.

Tina softens for a second, one hand finding my shoulder, squeezing with that quiet “I got you” energy she keeps hidden for very special occasions. “Babe, we’re not going off-grid. We’re grabbing coffee, maybe cake if you behave, and we’ll be back before that kid’s done building her crayon empire.”

I hesitate, chewing the inside of my cheek.

“Cass,” her voice dips, “grab your keys. You need to get out of this damn house before you chew your nails down to stubs. Besides, you’re no good to her being all jittery like that. If your anxiety rubs off on the kid, you’ll be footing Aria’s therapy bills for years.”

At that, I laugh. Then I cave, because Tina Romano’s a hurricane, and standing in her way only gets you flattened.

“Okay. One hour.”

“Eeeeep!” she squeals and pulls me into a bear hug. “Atta girl! Let’s go disrupt the peace!”

We hittown like a flashback to simpler days—coffee shops, salty gossip, window shopping. But my chest’s still too tight.

Tina, being Tina, obviously notices. I swear the woman can read my mind since the moment we became fast friends.

She pulls me over to sit by the boardwalk, sipping overpriced lattes.

“Girl, I need a break,” she moans, slipping off her heels.

“Who told you to wear those?” I ask, staring at the eight-inch death trap glued to her shoes.

“Can’t go around wearing those, can I?” she dishes right back, glaring at my sneakers like they personally offended her.

“Wait until you become a mother. I swear it changes how you dress.”

“Uh-huh,” she says flippantly, then leans on one elbow to get closer to me. “You gonna tell me why you’re floating in the Twilight Zone?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Liar.”

I stare at the ocean, guilt gnawing at me like termites under my ribs. “I’m fine.”

She scoffs, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “Look, babe, I love you, but you couldn’t fakefineto save your damn life. This about Gino?”

I hear his name, and cue the panic attack.

“That piece of shit’s been rotting in karma’s waiting room for years. Not your fault, you got a bad apple, Cass.”

“Yeah?” My voice cracks down the middle. “Well… what if the bad apple’s poisoned us for life? What if I ruined Aria’s life?”

Of course, I don’t tell her the truth. Because of my lie, Gino’s forever going to be a part of Aria’s life. And that might have been my biggest mistake.

“Whoa, whoa—don’t do that.” She leans in, jabbing her straw toward me like a warning. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

“I found the wrong guy,” I whisper, throat raw. “Picked the wrong damn name to love. And now she’s stuck with this complicated, screwed-up story for a family. How’s that fair to her, T?”