“I kind of…well, I kind of gave myself clearance.”
Gia reared back. Uncomfortable, she peered around, making sure no one was listening in on their conversation. “Should you be telling me this?”
Dana flushed, then quickly said, “You’re not in any danger or anything. Neither’s Josh. I’m not, like, there as a mole or anything.”
“I guess I should be relieved. You’re freaking me out, Dana. What are you telling me this for? And why are you telling me?”
“I had to do something, Gia.”
“I’m sure you did. About what?” Frustration added a snappishness to her tone that she immediately regretted, because Dana blanched and ducked her head.
“I needed to know him. I needed to know what he was like as a person,” she mumbled half into her chest. It reminded her of Lexi when Gia had scolded her for something.
“You needed to know what Josh was like as a person?” she asked, making sure she was on the same page because, for the life of her, Gia didn’t know why Josh’s nature would matter worth a damn to an employee.
“Yeah. I’d been looking for him for a while. Scouring databases, looking where I shouldn’t look. It was kind of appropriate,” she murmured, her voice slightly dreamy now as she looked off into the distance, completely separate from the bustling mall and the chaos of the mom and young toddler network currently blowing up a noisy storm in the forecourt. “I found him on my sixteenth birthday.”
“You found Josh?” Gia stated, tone bland. Where the hell was this leading?
“Yes. I found him. And her.”
The way she said her gave Gia chills. “Who do you mean?”
“She gave me up. Threw me away like I was of no importance. I had to know if he was like that. I had to know if he was a good person or if I was the product of two disgusting human beings who had no respect for the life they’d created.”
The noise of moments before settled into a dull buzz that vibrated at the back of Gia’s awareness. People blurred in the periphery of her vision. The smells of the greasy burgers and fries dissipated, degrading down into ozone. All her senses, all her attention whittled down to the woman before her. The woman who was shaking, a tremor making her look like she was vibrating in her seat.
“Why are you telling me this?” she whispered.
“Because I need to tell him, and I don’t know how.”
Gia’s mouth felt drier than dust. She tried to lick her lips, but it was a physical impossibility. She knew what Dana was saying, at a base level, understood it. But somehow, the words were not computing. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that had overtaken her mind.
It didn’t work.
“What are you trying to tell me here? J-just to make sure I haven’t misunderstood,” she mumbled hoarsely.
Dana’s mouth trembled at Gia’s words. A look of terror flittered across her face, and it came to Gia that the younger woman was petrified. Of her. Of her reaction to this. Of how she’d behave afterward.
Blinking at the realization, she discovered it was easier to approach this rationally now she saw how scared Dana was. Whatever the other woman was about to say, there was no malice buried there, no harmful intent. If anything, though it was only a few years that separated them, it was like looking at a young teenager who was about to admit to some terrible deed.
Pity filled her, and though it seemed impossible to have misheard what Dana had said, she still needed confirmation. “Tell me, Dana. What’s going on?”
“I…” She pleated her hands together, fingers burrowing deep and knotting, turning her knuckles a murky yellow. The desperation in her eyes intensified, the urgent need for kindness and not vitriol with it. “I-I’m…" She licked her lips, then whispered, "Please don’t hate me, but I-I’m Josh’s daughter.”
To be continued…
Loose Id Titles by Serena Akeroyd
The Luck of Love
The Power of Love
The Strength of Love
* * * *
THE FOURWINDS Series
The Angel’s Kiss
Serena Akeroyd
Serena Akeroyd is a romanceaholic. She won’t touch a book unless she knows there’s a happy ever after at the end of it. Pathetic as it may be, because of this addiction Serena decided to craft her own tales, stories that suit her voracious need for sexy romance. After all, a love story ain’t a lurve story without a bit of naughty!
A citizen of the world, Serena is a nomad at heart, and her novels enable her to travel the globe and all behind her computer desk. Naturally, she’d prefer the option of a private jet, but still, if wishes were horses, eh?
Always feel free to connect with Serena; she’d love to chat with her readers, as well as fellow romance addicts! Start at http://www.serenaakeroyd.com/ to find out more about her works, her blog, and how to connect with her.
The Strength of Love Page 18