Hard to Find

Chapter Twenty - Nobody Knows

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c h a p t e r t w e n t y

{Nobody Knows}

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Skylar's POV

"Skylar..." He walks toward me, but I put my hand out to stop him.

"Are you going to answer me?"

Frozen in place, he stares with a startled look and his mouth slightly ajar. I know I'm fuming on the outside, but on the inside I'm purely shocked. Noah isn't real. Unless Jayden miraculously comes up with an award-winning excuse or calls him right now. Otherwise he has been lying to my face for a ridiculous amount of time.

"Promise me you won't freak out."

I lower my eyes in disbelief. "It's too late for that! I drove seven hours with you to find Noah's child, and Noah doesn't even exist!" I feel my knees weaken, I grip the wall for support. Heaviness weighs me down, making me feel like I'm swimming against a tide.

He has a child.

Jayden has a child.

"Skylar," his hands are on my arms, pulling me into his body. I don't fight him this time, I let him hold me as I try to wrack my brain around the past several weeks I've spent talking about Noah's child.

It all adds up. Every moment I wondered why Noah wasn't here helping, why Jayden was taking on this burden, why he was so upset when there was no birth father listed on the certificate. The pieces beginning to click together.

"That's how you got the information. You sent me to the car to get the files you thought you lost, but you were really telling the lady you were Ellie's father." I finally look toward him. "You're Ellie's father."

"Yes, I'm her father." The pain in his eyes causes tears to well in mine. We slink to the floor together, both a mess of emotions.

"Everything I told you about Ellie and how I just found out about her is true. The only thing I lied about was Noah being the father."

"Why lie?" I ask, exasperated.

He shrugs. "Nobody knows, I didn't tell anyone."

"Nobody? Not even Dylan or Blake?"

He shakes his head. "Only my sister. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to run or think I'm only using you for your adoption knowledge."

I'm not sure whether to feel honored or used. Part of me feels like I have been used, and I want to be mad, I wasn't a credible reason to be angry even though his intentions were not bad. He just wanted to find his daughter. How could I be mad?
I cannot imagine the pain he's in. To have a child and not find out about it until the birth mother died is a lot for someone to go through, especially alone. I should be grateful that he confided in me.

I cup his face and look directly in his watery blue eyes. "I'm not mad at you, I couldn't be mad at you. None of this is your fault."

His entire body relaxes, his hand snakes up my back until his hand is furled in my hair. He pulls my face toward his with such urgency that our lips are coerced together. For a second, I am frozen, taking in this moment as if Jayden could dissipate right before my eyes and all of this would be over.

"Skylar," He pulls away, meeting my gaze. "I'm so glad you killed me that night in the bar."

His random comment causes my body to shake with laughter. Out of all the things he could say, he thanks me for the first night we met. That questionable night, which I try to forget because of how embarrassing it was.