Chapter 91

“Derek,” he said, quietly, reaching for my limp hand. “You wanted a kid with Nick. Not with Lene. That’s what this is about. That’s why Nick took you to France. He wanted you to forget.”

His words tore a gash in my heart. He was right.

Myles put his hands on my face and forced me to look at him. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “Derek, I’m sorry.”

I felt something shatter in me and my ego crumbled. “No…don’t be. In the end, Myles, everything is as it should be. Violet is yours and you needed her more than I ever did. She started the healing.”

His eyes filled with tears. “Thank you…” We stared at the painting once more, side by side, holding hands. “Derek,” he said, after a while, “does Nick know what this painting is about?”

“No.”

“Will you ever tell him?”

“No.”

Myles shot me a quick look I saw out of the corner of my eye. “Don’t you think he should know?”

“No, Myles…Nick has his own demons to fight when it comes to fatherhood.”