As soon as the words leave my mouth he rushes across the yard, not stopping until he’s standing on the porch, lifting me up into his strong arms.
“Fuck, I missed you so much, baby. Don’t cry. I’m here.” Wrapping his hands in my hair, his mouth presses against every inch of my wet face, as I clutch onto him for dear life in fear of him leaving again. I don’t know what I’d do if that ever happened again, but I don’t intend to give him the opportunity.
“You left,” I whisper through a small cry. “You really left.”
Grabbing my face, he pulls it up for our eyes to meet. “I had to,” he says firmly. “I’m so fucking sorry, but I want you to know that I’m never leaving you again. You hear me?”
I shake my head as more tears helplessly fall down my face. “I was so fucking scared,” I say, while squeezing his arm. “I thought I’d never see you again. Do you know how much that hurt me?”
He looks away for a second, as if to hide his emotions. “It hurt me too.”
“Did it?” I question angrily. “It’s hard for me to believe that when I told you that I loved you, Royal. I fucking told you that I loved you and you left. You still left.”
“Look at me,” he demands, while cupping my face. “Look at me, dammit.”
Letting out a frustrated breath, I finally bring my eyes up to meet the beautiful ones that I’ve missed so damn much. “I’m looking,” I whisper painfully.
“I. Love. You,” he whispers. “I love you and it scared me. That’s why I left.” My eyes slowly close as he runs his thumbs under my wet eyes. “Nothing scares me more than hurting you. I had to clear my head and know for sure that I was strong enough to let you in and fully love you like you deserve. I can never take back leaving, but I can promise you that you’ll never have to wake up another morning without me by your fucking side.”
He pulls my face up; making me open my eyes again. “Please tell me that you’ll let me love you. Will you?” He whispers the last two words.
Bursting out in tears from his confession, I wrap my arms around his neck and slam my lips against his. Feeling his soft lips against mine wakes something inside of me, making it feel as if I’m truly breathing for the first time in five months.
“Yes,” I pant against his lips. “I love you so fucking much.” I slap his chest, before grabbing his face. “Don’t ever leave me again. I won’t survive.”
“I’m yours,” he says gently, while placing my hand to his heart. “This is yours and has been for a long time now.”
I smile through my tears and hold onto him as tightly as I can, as he buries his face into my neck and kisses it repeatedly, while whispering how much he loves and needs me.
I’ve never felt more whole in my entire life than I do right now, right here, standing in Royal’s strong arms . . . but there’s one thing I need to do and there’s really no right way of going about this. I just need to tell him.
“It’s not just me anymore,” I whisper, causing him to look up at me. “There’s a little girl in my life and I love her more than this whole world.”
His gray eyes widen as they search mine. “You adopted a child? You had one before us? I don’t . . .” He swallows. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll love you both. You must know that,” he whispers. “Nothing is going to keep me away from you. Not anymore. Fuck that. I’m not going anywhere unless it’s with you.”
Tears stream down my face from his words and I find myself wanting to break down for this man. This is going to be so damn hard to do. He’s missed two years of his daughter’s life and he doesn’t even have a clue that she’s in my bedroom in my bed right now.
“She’s yours,” I say, so softly that it’s barely audible. “Hadley is here . . . in my bed.”
His whole body stiffens as he gasps. “What did you just say?”
“Your daughter is alive,” I whisper, while wiping the tears off my face. “She didn’t die. She’s very much alive.”
Releasing me, he drops to his knees and grips the back of his head. “I don’t fucking understand! Are you fucking with me?” He looks up with tear stained eyes. “Is this some kind of sick joke to get back at me for leaving?”
I shake my head and crouch down before him to grab his face. “I would never do that!” I scream through tears. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I promise you that it’s the truth. She looks just like you,” I whisper. “So much so that it hurt to look at her, knowing that you were gone. Your daughter is here with us, right now, in the house. She’s fast asleep, warm and safe.”
His fists clench at his sides as the tears uncontrollably pour down his face. Tilting his head, he looks around me to look inside when the door slowly opens behind us, making a creaking noise.
I must have forgotten to close it all the way, because from the look of pure shock and awe on Royal’s face, I know that it’s Kylie standing there and not Madison. He’s seeing his baby girl for the first time.
Wiping at his face, he stands to his feet and stares down at Kylie as she stands there, shivering while holding her blanket.
“Oh my God . . .” he cries out, before scooping her up into his arms and carrying her back inside where it’s warm.
I’ve never seen a man hold a little girl so tight in my entire life. His grip on Kylie is fierce, as if he fears ever letting her go, at risk of losing her again. He’s gone the last two years believing that his daughter was dead, yet she was living not more than twenty minutes from his home.
The million emotions running through his eyes right now as he realizes that this little girl is his life is almost enough to drop me to my knees and clutch my chest.
Watching this moment unfold right in front of me is the most intense moment I’ve ever experienced in my life. This moment is worth a million tears and I’m about to shed just that.
“Hadley,” he cries, while running his hands over her head and burying his face in her soft baby hair. “Daddy loves you, baby girl; so much. I’m never letting you go. I promise. I promise you that on my life.”
My heart aches and a sob escapes me as I watch him cry into the side of Kylie’s head. I’ve never seen Royal so vulnerable, and witnessing all of the pain and suffering finally pouring out of him and freeing him; it hurts. It hurts, but it feels so damn good at the same time.
Kylie’s eyes meet mine from over Royal’s shoulder. They’re filled with confusion as Royal continues to hold her close and cry against her, but instead of her being scared, she holds him back and tears fill her eyes as if she knows this moment is something deep: a special moment between a father and his daughter.
Wiping my eyes off, I reach for Kylie’s head and gently kiss it. “Your daddy is here, baby. This man is going to take care of you like I have. He’s going to love you, baby.” I rub the side of her face. “You’re going to have two people who love you very much. Understand, Kylie?”
Royal’s grip loosens on Kylie long enough for him to look at her face. “Kylie,” he whispers, clearly confused.
I nod my head as Kylie just stares up into his wet eyes.
“Yes,” I respond. “That’s what she’s been going by.”
He smiles through his tears when their eyes meet for a moment. “You have her eyes,” he says gently. “And a part of mine.”
Nodding my head, I smile while wiping my wet eyes off. “She does. They’re the most beautiful eyes in the world.”
Slowly, he lowers himself to his knees and sets Kylie down before him. “Are you tired?”
Wiping at her eyes, Kylie nods her head and yawns.
He turns to me. “Let me put her to bed. I want to tuck her in. I need to make sure she’s warm and safe. I just need to . . .”
“Yes,” I whisper. “I bet she’d like that.”
Cupping her face, he gently places his forehead to hers.
I get distracted when the front door swings open again, but this time to Jax and Blaine rushing inside.
“What’s going -” Blaine stops and turns to me when I grab his arm to quiet him.