Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Tristan fucking Daltrey.
My father.
Wracking my brain, I couldn’t for the life of me remember meeting him. I could barely remember that show in St. Louis. Thousands had stopped me for autographs in the past several years, and they all blurred together. I rarely looked anyone in the eye, because that might prompt them to ask questions I didn’t have time to answer. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to my fans, but I only had so much time in a day and would never get from point A to B if I stopped to chat with everyone. So, I’d be cordial, sign what I needed to, and walk away. But boy, was I damn glad I’d taken the time to be friendlier than average to him, even if I hadn’t looked closely enough to see myself in his face. Even if I’d somehow noticed a resemblance, I’d have likely thought it a coincidence.
How I wished he’d given into that whim and yelled after me that day. Hearing the words “you’re my dad” would sure as hell have gotten my attention. But I could understand why he didn’t.
The fact that he’d started to come around and liked my music? A huge win. His opinion was everything.
Jacob Mahoney said I killed it.
Jacob fucking Mahoney.
My son.
CHAPTER 35
EMILY
“I can’t believe he was in love with Piper,” my friend Leah said. “I never thought they were that serious, but come to think of it, she was really torn up at the funeral.”
My friend had come over to visit, and we’d been talking through the revelations from Jacob’s lost journal. She, my mother, and I sat around the kitchen table, chatting over tea. I’d filled them in on what I’d learned, though I’d still not told Leah anything about what happened with Tristan and me. She only knew he was Jacob’s father and I’d gone on the tour because of that.
Tristan had come by yesterday to drop off the journal. He’d flagged certain passages and stayed with me while I read them. We talked about it some, but he’d been mentally spent after reading it over numerous times and said he needed to be alone for a bit. That was just as well, because I’d wanted to read the entire thing in private.
“How did Tristan take the realization that he’d met Jacob?” my mother asked. “That’s so beautiful, yet sad at the same time.”
“He has mixed feelings. It upsets him that he doesn’t remember it, that he didn’t somehow recognize himself in Jacob that day. But it also brings him some peace to know Jacob’s feelings about him changed after that encounter.”
Leah took a sip of her tea. “Are you okay after learning Jacob was serious about Piper?”
“I am. I’ve lived with a lot of guilt about breaking up with him. To know that he was falling in love with someone else brings me peace.”
“It doesn’t make you the least bit jealous, though?” Leah asked.
“Not at all. I prayed he’d meet someone else. It’s tragic that he didn’t have a chance to see where things went with her, but I feel better than if he’d never experienced love with someone other than me.”
“Okay.” She took a bite of a sugar cookie my mom had made. “I get that.”
“Speaking of love…” my mother interjected. “You do know that man is in love with you, right?”
Leah looked between my mother and me. “Who’s in love with her? Are we still talking about Jacob?”
“I haven’t explained the situation with Tristan to Leah, Mom,” I scolded.
My mother’s face reddened. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
Leah’s jaw dropped. “What’s going on with Tristan?”
Up until now, I’d thought the fewer people who knew what I’d done, the better. But Leah was one of my oldest friends, and I knew I could trust her. Plus, there was no way out for me now. So I explained the whole mess—from my lie of omission on the tour that allowed us to get closer, to the money he’d given my mother to hold for me.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe you kept this from me. I could never tell Stacia from work. She’d probably jump off a cliff.”
“Or burn her jar of hair?” I laughed.
Leah’s mouth was still hanging open. “I can’t believe he gave you a million dollars. What are you gonna do with it?”
“Nothing.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in my seat. “It’s gonna stay in the bank.”
“That’s crazy,” she said.
“I’m determined not to use it. I want to earn my own way.”
“Can I have it?” she teased. “Kidding.”
“When he came to talk to me about holding the money for you, he mentioned wishing he could take away all of your pain from the past,” my mother said. “I can tell you one thing: I’ve never had a man care about me the way he cares about you.”