I guess we are doing this now.
“Tell me how you feel, Liesel. The truth.”
“We don’t have to keep telling the truth to each other. That was before; things are different now. I can lie to you.”
“You won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
I can’t tell him how I feel because I don’t even know. But I can offer him a bit of truth that has been eating at me—another problem we have to solve.
“I don’t know how I feel or what you and I should do next. Date? Keep fucking? Become your mistress?”
He winces at the last one. “I would never ask you to be my mistress. Phoenix means nothing to me, not like Waylon meant to you.”
My eyes meet his gaze. “Waylon didn’t mean what you think he meant to me.”
He frowns. “I saw you mourn his death. You fell apart. You cried for the first time in years. You arranged to fake my best friend’s death to hurt me back. Don’t tell me that Waylon meant nothing to you.”
“Waylon was blackmailing me.”
He tilts his head, and his eyes plead for that to be true, revealing a hint of his true feelings. Langston wants me for himself. He doesn’t want me to have been taken by another man, even a dead man.
“He was blackmailing me—forcing me to play the part of his fiancée and eventually wife in order to find the whereabouts of my son. After Kai returned him to his adopted parents when I refused to see him, thinking he was better off with his adoptive parents, I changed my mind. I wanted to check up on him, but when I went to the adoptive parents’ address, they were gone. I searched, but I couldn’t find any sign of them.
“And then I met Waylon. He had the information I needed. Once we were properly married, he’d tell me what happened to my son.”
“You didn’t love Waylon?”
“No, I didn’t love him. I thought he was a horrible man, but he was the only person who could tell me what happened to my son.”
We hear the kids playing in the sand, then Phoenix’s voice telling them not to go near the water.
“It seems you and I were always destined to be with others. You made a good choice in Phoenix. She seems like a loyal person and loving mother. I’m happy for you. Last night was nice, but it’s time to go back to reality. You belong with Phoenix, and I belong—”
“We are fated to be together. That’s how I’ve always felt, and you’ve always fought it. I don’t know if we are still destined to be together, but I do know something that might change your mind.”
“Honestly, Langston, I don’t think I can be with any man right now. I need to focus on finding my son.” Besides, I already know my fate is to be alone.
“I can help in that department.”
“What do you mean?” my heart skips.
“I can help you find your son.”
I shake my head. “I’ve already had everyone’s help. No one could find him.”
“That’s because I didn’t want them to know. I didn’t want him found until I was ready to tell you.”
“Langston, do you know where my son is?”
“Yes.” He tilts his head toward his two kids playing in front of us. “He’s right in front of you.”