Page 81 of Best Kept Secret
He looked at her with surprise. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but I’m still sorry. She seems like a nice person.”
“She is.”
“Why didn’t you tell her sooner?”
He’d asked himself that a million times, and he didn’t have a good answer. “I didn’t want her to think less of me, which is ironic since she probably hates my guts right now.”
Sonia gave him a sympathetic smile. “I doubt that. I observed you together before you saw me.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, she looked at you the way I… Anyway, I could tell how much she cares about you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“I saw that too.”
“I screwed up,” he said, stating the obvious. “Not just with Kelsey, but with you, with Annie, with everyone.”
She placed her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “That’s not true. Annie loves you.”
“Only because she doesn’t know I lied about her.”
“She’ll never find out from me,” she said solemnly.
He glanced down at her hand, knowing it was there out of their shared love of Annie and that was all. Still, it was nice to know that not everyone hated him.
“I’m looking for a house,” he blurted out.
Her eyebrows rose. “You are?”
“Um-hmm. I want a place of my own, somewhere you’ll feel comfortable leaving Annie.”
She gazed at him with an unreadable expression.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I’m ready to make a move.”
“Will you stay nearby?”
“Of course. I want to be close to Annie, and my family too.” Not to mention Kelsey should she decide to speak to him again.
“Have you already started looking?”
“Not yet, but I plan on contacting a real estate agent next week.”
She nodded, but she looked apprehensive.
“I’m not trying to take Annie away from you, Sonia. You’re her mother and probably the single most important person in her life, but—”
“You want her in your life too. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure of that at first, but I believe you now.”
“You’re probably the only one.”
“She’ll come around, Hudson.”
He didn’t have to ask whom she was referring to. “I’m not so sure. She once made a comment that she could never be with someone she didn’t trust.”
