Groveling. Something I've never had to do before. Usually, my last name and money have gotten me everything I want.
Except her.
“Two seconds,” she calls, and I stumble back another step, nearly tumbling off the porch.
When the door opens, my breath catches.
Green eyes.
The same ones I got lost in that night. The same ones that have been haunting my dreams ever since.
I get it now. Why my parents never wanted me to see her again.
She’severythingwithout even trying. Effortless. The kind of beautiful that makes you forget how to breathe until she looks away.
She swallows hard, and for a moment, we just stand there, taking each other in.
“Mama, who is it?” a small voice pipes up. Tiny fingers clutch at Tiffany’s leggings, and then a face appears.
The little girl peers up at me with wide, curious eyes, and my chest feels like it’s caving in. She's the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. Big green eyes, like her mother. Thick, blonde hair… like mine when I was a kid.
I scratch the back of my head and awkwardly thrust the flowers in Tiff's direction.
“Hey…it's Tiff, right?”
Tiff's cheeks flush, my clumsy words breaking her from our trance.
Then—
Bang!
The door slams in my face, so close I can smell the wood.
Well, that was predictable. Did I seriously think she’d run into my arms after everything?
“Hey, it’s Tiff, right?” I mock myself as I stand on the porch of a man I loathe. Why am I so mediocre? Why do I think my half-assed charm will ever convince the mother of my child to let me see our daughter?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I try again.
No answer.
I press my palm to the door, debating another knock. Odds are, if Zach’s home, I’ll get my ass handed to me in about five seconds. Since I can’t hear him stomping around, I figure she’s in there alone, probably peeking through the curtains, waiting for me to leave because she’s terrified of what I’ll do.
My stomach bottoms out at the thought.Me.She’s afraid of me, and it’s my own fault.
I guess it's time for Plan B.
Pulling an envelope from my pocket, I tape it to the door, making sure it won’t move. Then I turn and head back to my hotel with a heavy heart—one weighed down by the mess I made and the person I used to be.
It’s fair to say I've failed at most things I've attempted in life. I paid people to write my assignments, couldn't get off the bench at JV, cheated on my girlfriend for sport, and only got into Southern Collegiate because of my last name.
But that's who I used to be. It’s time I took some accountability. It’s time I got to know who my true family is.
This time, I’m going to make it work. I have to, because they deserve better, and so do I.
Chapter 2