Chapter 171
Nova’s POV
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I could see how excited Leo was to see Mom and Dad looking all lovey dovey at each other. He’d always said he wanted them to get back together, and this seemed to be a step in the right direction toward that, for him.
I didn’t like it.
I was warming up to Dad, sure, but that didn’t mean I was ready for him to be my full–time Dad. I’d been so close to fully accepting him, but then he tried to keep me from my Mom. My mom said I should try to forgive him, and that he even tried to bring our family back together.
But, from how I saw things, our family never would have been in danger of being separated to begin with if Dad hadn’t started everything! Now, not only was I supposed to accept him as my Dad, but a full–time one at that?
I didn’t have any faith that he would treat my mom right. After all she’s gone through, and now breaking up with Uncle Ivan, she deserved better than to have her heart broken again! And Dad had already proven that he was good at breaking her heart!
So while Leo smiled, all teeth and excitement, I glowered.
I didn’t hate him. He’d been buying me things, including the Mr. Bear I slept with now, but that didn’t mean he was fully forgiven! And yeah, he’d gone out of his way to spend more time with me, which was nice, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to be with my mom!
My biggest fear…
What if he just ended up hurting us again?
“Maybe we can help them get together,” Leo said. “They seem like they only need a little bit of a push and then –”
“No,” I said.
“But?”
“No,” I said again. “I don’t want that to happen.”
“But we could be a family.” Leo looked at me with his doe eyes and I almost broke. It would be so nice to see Leo every day and not just two weeks a month. We could even start going to the same school, and maybe make some other friends.
But I wasn’t ready…
Not yet.
“Give me time,” I said. “I want to talk to Dad about some things. Then… maybe.”
10:37 Mon, Feb 9
Chapter 171
ZD
“Okay,” Leo said, but his disappointment was clear. He didn’t want me to have to think about it at all, but at least he seemed willing to wait while I did so.
I waited until later, after Mom and Dad separated to do different things. Mom and Leo were in the living room, while Dad stepped away to read a book out in the gardens. I followed him there.
He had just sat down, yet before he opened the book, he turned and looked at me. “Everything okay, Nova?” He set the book aside, and I felt more comfortable going to him, knowing he was going to put me above the thing he had wanted to do. Maybe he would take my concerns seriously.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” I said.
“You can talk to me about anything,” he told me.
“Even Mom?” I asked, disbelieving.
He blinked with surprise, but then said, “Yes, even your mom.”
I didn’t give him even a minute to recover from that question before I hit him with another. “Do you like her?”
“Of course, I do,” he said.
“Yeah, but do you like like her.”
He paused a minute this time. “Oh, I think I understand. Your mother and I have a sort of history, Nova. It makes things messy, and there are hurt feelings there that I am trying to make up for. But I am very fond of your mother. She’s the bravest, strongest woman I know. She’s withstood so much and still is such a great person and a great mother. It’s like she doesn’t carry any bitterness to a world that tried so hard to hurt her. Or toward me, when I… made mistakes.”
His face added sadness and he clearly felt bad for the past.
“What if that happens again?” I asked.
“It wouldn’t,” he said. His gaze found mind and held it firmly. “I will never make those mistakes again, Nova. Even if your mother doesn’t want to be with me, I will support and respect her, while loving you and Leo for the rest of my life. I made mistakes but I am smarter now. I won’t fall for the lies I’m told ever again, especially in regards to her. I will only ever believe her and you two children above anyone else. You are my family. You are my life now. I will never hurt you.”
I didn’t want to believe him, and yet…
He seemed like he meant it.
“You are sure?” I asked.
He reached out and took both of my hands in his. His own were so big and strong. Good, Dad hands.
“I’m so sure, I’d stake my life on it,” he said.
10:38 Mon, Feb 9
Chapter 171
The words soothed me and I started to think… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he became my full–time Daddy and married my Mom.
Claire’s POV
“Claire,” George asked me, interrupting my time with Leo. I excused myself a moment, to step into the hallway with him. “Forgive my asking, but I’ve noticed that you and Ivan are more distant than you were when you came to ask for my blessing.”
I blanched a little, realizing that the King might not have known what happened between Ivan and myself. Surely I would have thought Ivan would tell him. That he hadn’t made me somewhat nervous, but I could pick up the slack here. If Ivan wouldn’t share for whatever the reason, I certainly could.
“Ivan and I decided to call off our engagement,” I said.
“Ah,” George said, nodding. “I thought it might come to that.”
“I’m sorry that it came to that,” I said.
“No. I had thought it might. I didn’t think he was ready to move on. No matter. I will spread the word. Quietly. There’s no reason for this to cause any drama.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and wandered off. Standing in the hallway alone know, I could see Gideon and Nova talking in the garden. Whatever they were discussing must have been serious, as they both seemed to be very earnest. Toward the end, Gideon squeezed Nova’s hands and Nova started to smile.
A warm fire burned within me, and a stray thought entered my mind…
I was so glad that I was no longer with Ivan. Now, I could feel kind with Gideon and carry no guilt.
The thought sat with me comfortably for only a moment before I startled and realized just what I had been thinking.
I condemned myself. The last thing I needed in the whole world right now was allowing anything romantic to happen between me and Gideon. That would only leave me to be hurt again!
Scoffing at myself, I forced myself to walk away and push away those feelings.
Later, everyone was gathered in one of the larger sitting rooms when a messenger from the hospital appeared with a letter for the King.
He accepted it, opened it, and read it carefully. Then, he announced, a growing smile on his lips.
“Claire, you are indeed my daughter.”
