Chapter 81
Maya's POV:
Amy was mid-bite, cereal spoon halfway to her mouth, when the pounding started.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
"Maya! Open the door!"
Amy's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "It's Uncle Adam. Why does he sound so mad?"
I set down the mug carefully. "Go let him in, sweetheart."
"Okay." She slid off her chair and trotted to the door.
I stayed seated, staring at my toast.
The door swung open, and I heard Amy's bright voice. "Uncle Adam! Good morning—"
The rest of her sentence cut off in a squeak.
Adam had swept her up into his arms, holding her so tight I heard her little "oof" from the kitchen. When I finally looked up, I saw him, burying his face in her blonde curls.
His shoulders were shaking.
Amy patted his cheek, confused. "Uncle Adam? Are you okay?"
He pulled back just enough to look at her, his gray-green eyes glassy. For a moment, he couldn't speak. Then his jaw tightened, and he set her down gently, his hand lingering on her head.
"You," he said, his voice rough. "You and your mom are a pair of little liars."
Amy's face went pink. She shot me a guilty look.
Busted.
Adam straightened and slammed the door shut behind him.
"I'll deal with you later," he told her.
Before I could process what was happening, he crossed the room in three strides, grabbed my wrist, and hauled me toward the bedroom.
"Adam—"
Amy darted after us. "Wait, where are you—"
The bedroom door shut in her face. The lock clicked.
---
I stood in the middle of my own bedroom, arms crossed, while Adam leaned back against the door like he was blocking an escape route.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" His voice was quiet. Dangerously quiet.
I pointed at the nightstand. "It was in here. I didn't hear it."
He took a long, slow breath through his nose. "Fine. We'll skip that." His gaze pinned me in place. "Let's talk about Amy instead."
I looked down at my feet.
"Maya." His voice sharpened. "Look at me."
I lifted my chin, met his eyes. "What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me the truth." He pushed off the door, closing the space between us. "Is Amy mine?"
My throat was so tight I could barely breathe. "What do you think?"
"I asked you a question."
I forced the word out. "Yes."
The air left his lungs in a rush.
His hands were shaking as he reached for mine.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I tried to pull my hand back. He held on tighter.
"How was I supposed to tell you?"
You could've found me anytime you wanted, Adam. You had the resources. The connections. All you had to do was look. But I had to search. And you made damn sure I couldn't reach you.
His face twisted. He dropped his head. "I'm sorry. Jesus Christ, Maya, I'm so fucking sorry."
I wanted to touch him. My hand hovered, trembling, an inch from his face.
Then I pulled it back.
"You don't have to apologize," I whispered. "Amy was my choice. I chose to have her."
"Don't." He grabbed my hand and pressed it to his cheek, holding it there. His skin was warm. His eyes were full of something that looked like grief. "Don't let me off the hook. You should hate me. I should've come back sooner. I was a coward."
My chest ached. I looked away, blinking hard. "I wasn't miserable, Adam. I had Amy. She gave me something to live for."
It's after I saw you again that everything fell apart.
My throat burned. I pulled my hand away and pressed it to my eyes. "Look. I won't stop you from seeing her. I want you to love her. I want her to be happy."
I dropped my hand, met his gaze. "But she stays with me. Don't try to take her from me."
Adam shot to his feet, his expression stunned. "What the hell are you talking about? We have a daughter together, and you're still not going to—"
"I'll work out a custody schedule," I said quickly. "We can split holidays. And if you want to help with expenses—"
"Maya."
I flinched.
"What are you saying right now?"
"I'm saying what you already know." I forced myself to keep my voice level. "We're not getting back together. But that doesn't mean you can't be her father."
"Not getting—" He stared at me like I'd just told him the earth was flat. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you anymore."
His jaw dropped.
For a second, he just stood there. Then his face hardened, and before I could back away, he had me by the shoulders, spinning me around and pushing me against the wall.
I gasped as my back hit the cold surface.
He crowded in close, his hands braced on either side of my head, caging me in. "What do I have to do? Tell me what you want. Tell me how to fix this."
I stared up at him, my pulse racing. "There's nothing to fix. We're done."
"Bullshit."
"Adam—"
"You don't get to make all the decisions, Maya." His eyes were blazing. "Five years ago, you walked away. You had my baby and didn't tell me. And now you're trying to shut me out again?" He leaned closer. "No. I'm not letting you."
"You don't have a choice."
"Watch me." His voice turned hard. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not giving up. I'll follow you everywhere. I'll make your life hell until you admit you still want me."
My breath hitched. "You can't just—"
"I can. And I will." His gaze dropped to my mouth. "You think I'm going to walk away again? Not a chance. This time, you're stuck with me."
"Adam—"
He kissed me.
Hard.
I froze, then shoved at his chest, but he didn't budge. His hand slid up to cup the back of my head, angling me exactly where he wanted.
When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
"Say one more thing I don't want to hear," he growled, "and I'll shut you up all over again."
---
By the time I stumbled out of the bedroom an hour later, my mouth was throbbing.
Amy glanced up from the couch. "Mama, what happened to your mouth?"
I touched my lips gingerly. "I bumped into the dresser."
Her eyes went wide. "You have to be more careful!"
"I know, baby."
A low chuckle came from the kitchen.
Mrs. Sterling was sitting at my dining table, a cup of tea in her hands and a knowing smile on her face.