“I’m Adam’s father,” he murmured. He dropped into a nearby chair, trying to wrap his brain around the paper in his hand.
“There you are,” July said. “The food is on the table—”
She stopped. “What’s wrong?”#p#分页标题#e#
“You tell me.” He flung the certificate on the table. “You read this and tell me what’s going on.”
The room closed in around July. Murky gray replaced the light. She reached over and snatched up the paper. The moment her gaze landed on the raised seal, she knew. She opened her mouth to explain but nothing came out. She’d seen hurt and anger and pain in David’s eyes Friday night. She saw all those emotions again now. Only this time she was the cause.
“You knew he was my son all along, didn’t you? Yet you lied to my face. And all these weeks you continued to lie. Why?”
July stood frozen. Her lack of response seemed to fuel his anger.
“And what about the DNA test? Was that another lie? What were you going to do, leave town without having it done?” His voice grew louder. “Were you going to take my son away and never let me know he was mine?”
July took a step back. First one. Then two. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
“You’re not sorry at all, are you? Just like Celeste. You played me for a fool. The funny thing is I loved you. Heck, I even wanted to marry you.”
For a second his expression crumpled and all she could see was the pain.
Reach out to him, she told herself. Tell him you’re sorry.
“Why did you—?” He stopped himself. “I have to leave. Tell Mary Karen that I, oh hell, tell her whatever you want. You’re good at making things up.”
Without another word he spun on his heel.
“David,” she finally managed to croak out. “Don’t go.”
But it was too late. He was already gone.
Chapter Eighteen
“He hates me,” July said to A.J, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t wake Adam, asleep in his crib. She’d been surprised when he’d answered his phone on the first ring. She was tempted to say it was divine providence but after today, she didn’t believe in providence, divine or otherwise.
“Did you explain?”
July swallowed hard. She would not cry. She would.not.cry. “He didn’t give me the chance.”
“He didn’t give you the chance? Or you didn’t take the chance?”
July had called A.J. hoping he’d make her feel better. Instead she was feeling worse by the second. “I froze up,” she admitted. “But it didn’t matter. He’d already made up his mind that I was in the wrong.”
“I hate to tell you, babe, but news flash—you were in the wrong.”
“I know,” July said with a heavy sigh. “And I’ve already been tried, convicted and found guilty. There’s nothing more for me to do.”
“Ever hear of throwing yourself on the mercy of the court?”
“I don’t deserve mercy.” Her heart twisted, remembering the hurt she’d seen in David’s eyes before the anger flared.
“Everyone deserves mercy,” A.J. said softly. “You have to try, July. If not for your sake, do it for Adam.”
“What if David won’t forgive me?”
“Life will go on. But at least you two won’t be apart because of words left unsaid.”
July realized he was right. She had to at least try.
“I love you, A.J.”
There was a long silence.
“I love ya too, babe.”
The last person David wanted to see at his door the next morning was his sister. He groaned aloud. “What do you want?”
Mary Karen’s eyes narrowed. “Rude much?”#p#分页标题#e#
“I’m sorry. Please, come in.” David raked a hand through his hair and stepped aside to let her enter. He hadn’t slept at all last night. He didn’t just feel exhausted, he felt angry and edgy and not very hospitable. He hated not having answers. And right now all he had were questions.
Last night the incident with July had been too fresh and his emotions too raw for him to objectively analyze the situation. But even in the light of day, he still didn’t understand. Why had she done it? Why hadn’t she simply told him Adam was his son? Why wouldn’t she explain?
Mary Karen brushed past him and stopped in the foyer. Her gaze searched his face. “You look like hell.”
He twisted his lips in a semblance of a smile. There was an odd comfort in knowing he looked as crappy as he felt. “Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment,” Mary Karen said with a wry smile.