“Studying, I completed my undergraduate in three years. I worked myself hard so I could progress to law school quicker. There was time for nothing else.”
Will bows his head, running his finger along the rim of the small cup.
“What?” I ask, curious to his silence.
“Nothing.”
“C’mon, Will. It’s not nothing. You’ve got something to say.”
“You remind me a lot of Charlie, that’s all.”
I smile, relaxing my shoulders. “That’s not a bad thing? I admire my mother. She is my idol. Do you have one? Someone you’ve idolized?”
His gaze remains fixed. “I did, before.”
“Oh, who?”
A small huff escapes him, only for my exhausted brain to register. I lower my eyes toward the plate in front of me to raise them a moment later.
“I know deep down inside, he is proud of you,” I say softly. “You’ve come a long way, and my dad is a tough man to break. The truth is, we both broke him. He had no choice but to forgive me but hate me for saying this. For you, it’ll be a long time to heal.”
“I don’t want his forgiveness,” Will is quick to argue. “Lex isn’t a saint in all this either.”
“No, he isn’t. But he is my father, and I love him despite all his flaws.”
There is no chance we will agree on this, so I quickly change the subject to something less controversial.
We eat the meals served, finish our coffee, then take a walk back home. It’s another beautiful day in the Hamptons with perfect blue skies and not a single cloud seen.
“So, are you going on this yacht Ava planned?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” he drags, rolling his eyes. “My dad is relentless when it’s his birthday. It’s all about him.”
“As long as he is not driving the yacht, I think it’ll be a good day.”
My phone begins to buzz inside my purse, but I choose to ignore it. A few minutes later, it does again. Anyone calling me this early on a Sunday morning has got to be a prank call.
We reach the house, but Will stops me before we enter.
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he begins with, keeping his hands in his pockets while staring at the floor. “The pregnancy thing was a lot to process, but regardless, it was selfish of me to have acted that way last night. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to go through that alone.”
I place my hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Will. We all make mistakes. None of us are perfect.”
With a reassuring smile, our gaze locks into a long stare. I’d seen so many sides to Will since the moment I saw him inside Nikki’s office, but nothing will change the fact that behind it all is the man who once owned my heart.
It is a heart so desperate to remember what it is like to kiss his lips and radiate in his warmth. I find myself inching closer until the door opens abruptly and forces me to take a step back.
“Ava?”
“I tried calling you?” she growls beneath her breath.
“Why? It’s so early.”
She yanks me through the doorway and in front of the hazel eyes which belong to the man I’m supposed to marry.
Austin Carter.
15