Page 104 of Seven Summers Ago
“What?”
He crosses his arms. “Choose me. Choose us.”
“I am choosing you. And us… Just let me figure this out.”
Sadness overtakes his expression, and he readjusts his hat on his head. “I can’t do this again with you. I won’t watch you leave again. I’m done.”
“Beck, wait,” I call out, grasping his flannel, before he can hurry down the narrow metal steps. I glance over my shoulder at the dock again, and it’s now I see the small figure in the backset of West’s car. Charlie. I suck in a breath.
Beck looks and sees her too. “What the hell is she doing with him?” he grits out between clenched teeth.
My head swims. “I…I don’t know. She was with Stella.” I tug my phone from my back pocket but I still don’t have cell service.
He jogs down the steps, and I hurry after him. He spins around, expression stoney. “She’s my daughter. Not his. He’s got no legal rights to her.”
“I know.” I nod, my mind distracted while I try to process how Charlie ended up with West.
“Take care of this. Or I will.”
Tears burn my eyes. I watch him turn and walk away, my heart shattering in my chest. Once he’s out of eyeshot, I rush to Dottie’s car and hop in. I rummage in my purse for lip gloss and perfume. Peering at my reflection in the visor mirror, I comb my fingers through my windswept hair.
Nothing is going to make me look presentable enough to break a man’s heart, but here goes nothing. I drive off the ferry and onto the dock, pulling into an open spot in the lot next to where West is leaning against the side of a black sedan.
Just as I slide out of the driver’s seat, Beck’s Chevy passes by and he doesn’t make eye contact with me. It’s probably best.
West flashes me a smile, but it’s guarded. “There’s my girl,” he greets me as I round the front of the car.
“Weston, what are you doing here?”
When he reaches me, he leans in for a kiss, but I turn my cheek to him. There’s a moment of trepidation before he follows through with it.
West straightens, and I notice now the purplish hue and swollen skin underneath his eyes. I’ve never seen him look so tired or ragged. He sets his hand on my shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. “I missed you. And Charlotte.”
I force a tight smile. “You didn’t even call first.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Mission accomplished.
“You should’ve called,” I say flatly, peering at Charlie through the window. “And how’d you know where to find me?”
He points at Charlie in the backseat where she’s distracted by something playing on a screen mounted into the headrest. “Charlie told me.”
“And how’d you find Charlie?”
“I had to do some digging.” His gaze shifts to the ground.
Anger sears my skin. I’m not upset with Stella. I’m very aware of how convincing West can be.
“Was that him? Charlotte’s father?” He nudges his chin in the direction of the road.
“Yeah, that was Beck.”
He purses his lips. “And he…went to the island to spread Dottie’s ashes with you?”
He’s fishing for information and I don’t blame him. Seeing Beck and me together couldn’t have been easy.
“Actually, no. I went alone. Beck was on the island fishing with his dad, and I ran into him.” This is only a partial lie.
