4. Four

Four

Kacey/Kendrick

The door swings open, and my heart heavily pounds as I take in the scene on my doorstep. Cassidy stands there between two men. I barely register the tall one beside her; all I can see is him.

Cass Wild.

He’s older, his features more chiseled, his presence somehow even more intense than I remember. But it’s unmistakably him. The man who used to be my entire world, the one I was forced to leave behind because of the tiny life growing inside me. Now, he stands on my doorstep, and in his eyes, I see confusion, recognition, and a dawning realization. He’s frozen, his eyes locked on me like he’s just seen a ghost.

I swallow hard, trying to find my voice, but it barely comes out as a whisper. “Cass?”

He blinks, and his stare shifts from me to Cassidy, then back again. The look on his face is a mixture of anger, disbelief, and something raw and dangerous–like betrayal.

“Kendrick?” His voice is rough, as though he’s grappling with the weight of my name on his tongue, a name he once spoke with so much love.

I shake my head instinctively. “Not anymore,” I murmur, but the correction sounds hollow, even to me. “I go by Kacey now.” I automatically step back, allowing them to enter our home. Feeling numb, I stumble toward the living room, and they follow silently behind me.

When I swing around, my eyes land on the tall figure, and I give a weak smile.

“Sam,” I say in a soft voice, my lips curving upward in greeting.

“Kendrick!” He strides toward me and engulfs me in a warm embrace. Stepping back, he says, “My God, it’s good to see you after all these years.”

“Wait… you all… know each other?” I hear Cassidy say, her hands gripped together tightly as she glances between us, her forehead creased in confusion.

I feel a tremor in my chest, the words struggling to form as I look into Cass’s eyes, his gaze as piercing as it was the day I left. “Yes,” I say, fighting to keep my voice steady, as I look at the two men, “This… this is my daughter, Cassidy.”

Cass’s blue eyes narrow on me, and then move to her. I can almost see his thoughts racing as he looks at her—her blonde hair, her gray eyes. Eyes just like mine, but her determination, her stance—it’s all him.

There’s a heavy silence before he finally speaks, his voice barely a whisper. I can tell he’s doing the math. “She’s… eleven? Your daughter?”

I swallow, feeling exposed, my secret laid bare. I want to explain, to make him understand why I left, but there’s so much history between us, too much to untangle in a single conversation.

“Yes,” I say quietly.

His face twists with a mix of emotions—shock, anger, and something far deeper, something that makes me ache. “You didn’t tell me.” The words are sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

Cassidy looks up at me, her eyes wide with confusion and hurt. “Mom?” She’s waiting for an answer, an explanation that I can’t just give here, in front of the man who once held my entire heart.

Sam clears his throat and then states easily, “Cassidy, why don’t you show me your guitar? I’d love to hear the song you were telling us about earlier.”

I throw him a grateful glance as Cassidy reluctantly nods her head. She wants to stay and learn more about Cass and me, but she’s torn.

“Yes, Cassidy, go ahead. We’ll talk about you going to the concert later,” I say with a meaningful look.

My daughter’s face flushes unhappily, but she nods, allowing Sam’s words to lure her away. After Sam follows Cassidy into the dining room that doubles as a music room, I slowly turn to Cass. My eyes drink in how handsome he looks, even standing so rigidly before me.

Cass takes a slow breath, his hands clenching and unclenching as he processes what I’ve said.

“She’s eleven,” he says quietly, his voice laced with betrayal. “You left about twelve years ago, Kendrick. She’s mine, isn’t she? And you never told me.”

I step forward, unable to keep the tremor out of my voice. “It wasn’t that simple, Cass. You were about to become a superstar, to have everything you’d worked for. I didn’t want to hold you back, to be the reason you lost everything.”

He shakes his head, his gaze fierce. “You didn’t give me a choice. You took that from me. You decided for me.” His words hang heavy between us, each one a blow to my already aching heart.

“Cass. I did it for you. Your career was just taking off—I thought it was best for you.”

Cass’s eyes flash, a glimmer of anger breaking through. “For me? You thought that disappearing, leaving me in the dark, was best for me?” His voice rises, and I can see him struggling to hold back, the hurt etched deeply into his features.

“The label never would have signed you–” My eyes plead with him to understand. “I had to leave. I didn’t have a choice.”

“No! You had a choice!” Cass states accusingly, his eyes hard. “You could have told me. We could have decided what to do together!”

A crushing wave of regret steals the air from my lungs, but I raise my chin and look Cass right in the eye. “I tried to tell you!” I hiss back at him, furious. “Remember that last night we were together? I told you I had important news! But you got a phone call. It was the label company. They wanted you. You immediately told them yes. You told them you were ready to sign.”

Cass’s eyes flash with remembrance, and I see what looks almost like regret—but just for a moment. He shakes his head. “You still should have told me. We could have worked something out, Kendrick.” But his words are softer, not quite as certain as they were.

“Cass, I wouldn’t stand between you and your dream. Not then, not ever. I— I couldn’t,” I whisper.

“You could! You should have. Dammit!” He runs his hand through his hair. But his words lack the earlier condemnation, I notice with a hint of relief.

Nodding, I watch him closely, my eyes taking in his chiseled features, strong jaw, and piercing blue eyes. If anything, he’s even more attractive now than he was back then. His physique is still just as lean and athletic. I feel something stir within me and determinedly drag my eyes away. Too many years are between us—too many secrets.

“I had a right to know, Kendrick,” he says quietly, and the pain in his voice is so raw, so powerful, that I feel it deep in my bones. “You should’ve let me decide,” he states, his look direct.

“Maybe,” I agree softly. “But I did what I thought was best.”

His expression hardens, replacing his defeated look. “I don’t know how we move forward, Kendrick. I don’t know where we go from here.”

I swallow, nodding. “I don’t either. But we’ll figure it out. For Cassidy.”

He nods slowly. “Yes, for our daughter. But you need to tell her. She needs to know.”

Shaking my head. “Not yet–”

“Yes! Now–”

We hear the door to the music room open, and Sam and Cassidy step out. Sam’s eyes dart curiously from me to Cass. Whatever he sees seems to satisfy him, and he smiles with relief.

Cassidy comes in, her eyes wide with curiosity and a flicker of hurt. “Mom, Sam, told me you guys used to perform together.” She crosses her arms in front of her and gives me an accusing look. “You sang in front of people.”

I glance quickly at Sam, who just gives me an apologetic shrug. “I had to tell her something.”

Taking a deep breath for courage, I look at Cass, who gives me a brief, decisive nod. “Tell her, or I will,” he demands.

“Cassidy… your father–” I stop my voice breaking. I swallow and try again. “Cassidy, you were named after your father… Cass Wild.”

Her eyes widened in stunned shock, her head swinging between us. I can see her wrestling with the revelation, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She stares directly at Cass. “You’re… my dad?” Her voice is barely a whisper, her expression torn between wonder and confusion.

Cass looks down at our daughter silently for a few seconds, something softening in his gaze. It’s like the truth is finally hitting him–Cassidy is his child. His anger is forgotten for the moment as he takes her in fully, as though he’s seeing himself reflected in her. “Yeah,” he says quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m your dad.”

Cassidy stares at him, her eyes searching his face for any hint of the answers she needs, of the connection that’s suddenly changed everything. “Why didn’t you know about me?” she asks, her voice trembling.

I open my mouth, my own guilt and regrets pressing down like a weight. “Cassidy, sweetheart…” I reach out for her hand, but she pulls back, her gaze fixed on Cass, who’s staring at me with a look that makes my chest ache.

They both look hurt—more than hurt. The man I left behind, the one who never knew about the child he’d fathered, and my daughter, who thought I never kept secrets. They are both looking at me like I’m a stranger. I don’t know how to bridge the gap it’s made between me and them.

Cassidy’s gaze flits between us, her brows knitting together as a mixture of bewilderment and hurt spreads across her face. I can almost see her trying to stitch together the story she never knew existed, her childhood suddenly changing before her eyes.

Cass takes a shaky breath, his hands clenching at his sides before he finally speaks, his voice softening. “Cassidy, I never knew about you. If I had…” His words falter as though they’re too heavy to carry–weighted down with all the things he wants to say but can’t seem to find the words for.

Cassidy stares at him, her lips trembling as she processes his words. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest as though shielding herself from emotions too big to contain.

My heart twists, the consequences of all my decisions crashing down around me. “Cassidy, I didn’t mean to keep you from him. I thought I was doing what was best—for both of you.”

“Mom…” Cassidy’s voice trembles, and she looks up at me with an expression I’ve never seen before—one of loss, of something she doesn’t fully understand but can feel in her bones.

My voice breaks as I try to explain. “Cassidy, I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to keep you safe. I wanted to give you a simpler, normal life.’”

Cass turns to Cassidy, his voice hoarse. “I would have done my best to be there for you.” His eyes dart to mine. “For both of you—If I had known.” His gaze returns to our daughter.

Cassidy steps closer to him, her hand reaching out uncertainly, and he takes it, his fingers closing around hers with a gentleness that takes my breath away. At this moment, I see it—the connection between them, something pure and undeniable, an invisible bond that could never be broken.

My chest tightens, and my throat feels raw as I struggle to meet their eyes. The weight of my choices presses down on me, heavy and unrelenting, as the reality of what I’ve taken from them registers. “I thought I was protecting you… and doing the right thing for her.” My voice cracks, but I can’t take my eyes off them. Father and daughter are standing side by side, each one of us trying to make sense of this tangled past that’s now crashing into the present.

Cass pulls his gaze from Cassidy to me, his expression softening slightly. “Your mom and I, we’re going to try to work something out. So, I can get to know you, and you can get to know me—as your dad.”

I feel the words bubbling up, ready to argue, but one look at Cassidy’s hopeful eyes stops me. I swallow my pride, forcing myself to let Cass step in and take the lead.

Cassidy’s eyes flick between us, her expression a mix of yearning and uncertainty. “You’re Cass Wild, a rock star. Are you—are you really my dad?” Her voice is quiet as if she’s afraid that speaking the words might make him disappear.

Cass’s gaze fills with emotion, his hand brushing over her shoulder with a tenderness that makes me ache. “Yes, Cassidy,” he says, his voice steady. “I’m your dad. And I’m here now.”

The words hang in the air, a promise that feels fragile but powerful, one that binds us all in ways I’m not prepared for.