7. Calista

Chapter 7

Calista

I t's time to tell him.

After our amazing night, I'm not going to screw up again by keeping Juniper from him. I'm doing it right this time.

This time, I'm having Orion over to the little duplex he's letting us stay in. I'm going to make him dinner. Amara is picking Juniper up to watch her for the night, but she's going to bring her back tomorrow morning. Because at dinner, I'm going to tell him, and together, we'll prepare for him to meet his daughter.

I feel like I'm floating after our night together. Orion is everything to me. He's kind, he's patient, and he stood up to his mom. Sleeping together was…

It was magical.

Mostly, though, the date we had showed me something important. Things have changed with him, from how they were in the past. This time, I think he can actually choose me.

Well. If he can forgive me for keeping this secret from him.

That's the only thing I'm worried about. I want to tell him, because I don't want it to hang over us any longer. I want him to know, so that I can know if we have some kind of future together.

Maybe he will be fine with it. Once he hears Juniper is his daughter, maybe he'll want to see her, and we can see each other more, and…

Stop getting ahead of yourself.

"Mommy. I'm hungry," Juniper whines.

I look down at her. We're at the little park near Amara's brother's place, which she says is pretty empty most of the time. The other kids in the pack are in school, so there's no one here. Amara scouted it out, then told us it would be safe. There are a couple of cars in the parking lot, but they aren't using the empty playground.

Being the only kid on the playground, though, seems like it might not be as entertaining for my kid as I thought it would be. She's pretty bored, an emotion that is currently taking the form of hunger.

I point down. "You have a bag of apple slices in your hand."

"These make me more hungry."

"Are you a little bored?"

"No," she says, crossing her little arms and glaring at me. "I'm hungry."

I sigh. "Well, come on, kiddo. Let's get out of here."

I manage to load her into the truck, and I'm just hopping in myself, when I hear voices. Quickly, I duck into the truck, too. The windows are still rolled down to take advantage of the cool mountain air, and I can hear as the other people get closer.

Unfortunately, I recognize one of the voices. It sends a thread of ice down my spine.

It's Orion's mom.

"…and you'll never believe who I saw there," she says. I think she's walking, maybe with some friends, because another voice prompts her to continue.

I get down, tucking myself low in the driver's seat. "Junie, hide," I hiss, looking back at my kid. She's in her booster, but she can still lean down. She has to.

Orion's mom is absolutely going to recognize her.

"Mommy?" Juniper asks.

"Hush," I say, ducking down further in my seat. "Mommy needs you to hide for just a second, okay?"

"Why?"

"Pretend we're secret agents," I say, desperate for her to follow my lead.

She gives me a look, and for a second, I think it's not going to work, but then she nods. "Okay," she whispers.

"When you hear the people stop talking, we can get up."

"Okay!" She leans to the side, hopefully out of view of the window.

I strain, listening to the conversation.

"…I have a perfectly acceptable list of mates for him! The nerve of him, saying that he would cut me off if I didn't accept her!"

"Esther, he was rude, but do you really think choosing a mate for your son is a good idea? If the boy is happy, let him be happy."

"If he wants to be my son, he'll listen to me! That woman is no good, and she'll just leave…"

The conversation drifts away, and Juniper pops her head up. "We did it! Secret agent Mommy! Secret agent Junie!"

"We did," I say, trying to smile.

Inside, though, my heart is breaking. Orion must have gone to his mom. He must have told her… something.

She's really upset. While she's been awful to me, I saw how sad she looked when he told her off the other night. I know their history, and that Orion is really the only family she has. She's absolutely controlling, but she's his mom. I can't be the one who comes between them.

Sadly, I look over at Juniper. She's happily snacking on the apples now, looking out the window at the shapes retreating as they walk away.

Orion isn't going to want me after I tell him about her. Not when I did the exact same thing to him that his mom has done… not when I didn't tell him about Juniper. Because that's just another form of control. I didn't tell him because I couldn't handle his reaction.

It's not the same type of control his mom had, sure, but it's controlling him just the same.

"Mommy, are we going back to Auntie Amara's?"

I start the truck, the rumble of it harsh in my ears. "No, baby. We need to pack."

"Pack?"

"I think it's time for us to get ready to go," I say sadly.

"Why?"

I don't answer her. I know that she's going to pester me with questions, but I don't have a response.

I was stupid to think Orion would see past my mistakes and my manipulations. He's smarter than that.

I'm going to tell him about Juniper. But beyond that?

The hope I had for us is gone. It was a foolish dream, anyway.

Like always, it's time I deal with the reality of my mistakes instead.