Page 30 of A Brilliant Spring

“No, you don’t deserve her. But she deserves to have a man beside her raising the child you two made together. And if it’s not going to be you, it’s going to be some other fucker, someone who realizes just how amazing Riley is, and he’ll be the one raising your baby. Is that something you want?”

Rhys looks stricken with grief but gives nothing away. He’s quiet and stewing over my words when something inside me hums. Something in the atmosphere shifts and it’s like I can feel her here. You’re crazy. Yeah, crazy for Elissa. I squirm on the stool, trying to refocus my thoughts on Rhys and his impending doom, but there’s something nagging at the back of my mind telling me to look around and find her. She’s here; she’s got to be. Shut the fuck up, brain. I cautiously turn around in my chair and I see Elissa and Riley walking behind the hostess to the VIP section of the restaurant.

My heart pangs, and I’m overwhelmed with the need to run over there, scoop her up in my arms, and kiss her until she can’t breathe anymore. Of all the places to run into her, she’s here. With Riley, no less. I resolve to try to avoid Rhys running into Riley or seeing her, as I’m sure it’ll only make things worse right now. I glance over again and Riley is cute in a black sweater dress, clearly trying to minimize her baby bump, but it’s still noticeable. But Elissa…Elissa looks more radiant than I remember. Her luscious bronze curls flow down her back, her tight thighs and ass look amazing in a black pencil skirt that has a slit halfway up the front, and a burgundy chiffon top with a black tank underneath shows just the perfect amount of cleavage.

I’m straining so hard against my zipper that my cock throbs in pain.

Fuck, I need her.

It takes all my willpower to keep the distance, so I turn my attention back to Rhys and engage him in more work talk, avoiding the Riley issue because it triggers thoughts of Elissa — knowing they’re here right now, it won’t take long for my resolve to crack and I’ll rush over there and plead for her to take me back. The conversation between Rhys and I flows a little easier when we’re talking about work. But my mind keeps a tab on Elissa. It’s like I can feel her presence everywhere. Everything inside me feels so much for her. It’s hard to breathe when she’s this close and I can’t touch her. I love her, and I just need her to love me. Then, everything will be all right. We can fix things if she just admits she loves me and fights for us. That’s all I need…

•••

The rest of the night is fine. Rhys seems to be in better spirits. As we’re getting up to leave, I glance over and take one more look at Elissa before we leave. My eyes must be radiating with intensity at what I see, because Rhys follows my gaze and shuts up immediately. We’re both standing here, brooding over our women, and there’s some tall schmuck laughing and flirting with our women. Did I fail to mention they’re ours? No, they’re not yours. You both were idiots and screwed it up. It’s hard to tell which one he’s truly interested in, Riley or Elissa, but my heart sinks anyway. Just as we’re about to walk away, Elissa stands up and this fucker pulls my woman into his arms, a rather cozy embrace, and she kisses him on the cheek.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Has she moved on while I’m here pining for her? I know I was the idiot who pulled away first, but could she really move on that quickly? After everything we’ve been through?

Rhys’ elbow nudges my ribs, breaking my stare at Elissa and her new fuck buddy. Because that’s all they can be. Fuck buddies. She doesn’t do relationships. She was only going to “try” with me. Fuck. My head is spinning and I can’t get a grip on any rational emotions. My skin is on fire and sweat is trickling down my back as I burn with rage. Rhys shoves the back of my shoulder, making me stumble slightly. It takes everything I have, all my strength, to turn away from her and walk out of the restaurant. And even when we step outside, with an abundance of fresh air surrounding us, I still feel like I can’t breathe.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Elissa

I’ve never been more thankful to have my back facing away from everything in a room as I am right now. The anxiety that sparks through me, knowing that Brandt is a handful of feet away…I feel like every piece of me is chipping and breaking away. I swear I can smell his wintry evergreen scent from here, filling my nostrils and giving me air to breathe. Fuck, I miss him so much.

Riley has done an impeccable job of ignoring the fact that Rhys is across from her. I can’t tell if she’s using her peripheral vision or what, but I haven’t noticed her glance over there once. The fact that she’s remaining strong in this moment spreads warmth all over my body, and it triggers the fighter in me to be stronger.

The waitress finally comes over and takes our order, both of us ordering the prime rib with a twice-baked potato and seasonal veggies. I strike up a conversation first, trying to fill the tense silence we have going on between us.

“So, next weekend?”

“Hmm?” Riley’s absent eyes find mine as she rids herself of her thoughts and comes back to reality. Her amber-laced chocolate eyes blink the haze from them and she brightens. “What’s up?”

“Next weekend. I was thinking we should take that weekend to go down and tell your parents about the baby.”

Riley groans.

“Do we have to? I can wait a little longer before I need to tell them. Better yet, let’s just send them a text, or a photo of the ultrasound picture,” she says, full of optimism. My expression flattens as I stare at her, giving her my best “Are you kidding?” face. Her chuckle comes out whiny. “Yeah, I know. I need to tell them. I guess we can do it next weekend.” With that settled and out of the way, I make a mental note to let Lana know that I’m coming down for the weekend and see if she wants to catch up.

“But honestly, E, do you think my parents are going to be pissed?”

I’m quiet and thoughtful for a moment, and her face drains of colour.

“I don’t think they’ll be pissed. Will they be upset? Maybe, but only because you’re still recovering from your last episode. But you’re an adult, and they love you, so I think they’ll genuinely support you.” Relief washes over Riley’s face and she settles into her chair, letting her posture relax. “It’s not like your parents are mine,” I mutter under my breath.

Honestly, if I were to have gotten pregnant out of marriage, I think my father would have actually disowned me on the spot, the image of throwing his daughter out be damned. Because embarrassing him like that would have been one hundred times worse. It’s hard to believe a man like him was so likeable across the company and in the public. He really knew how to put on a show. Well, look at me now, Father. I know how to put on a show just like you. Never letting my mask slip. Always hiding my feelings, never letting the cracks show. Even when I’m broken inside from you, Mother, and Brandt.

“’Lissa?” Riley murmurs. The worry in her tone breaks me out of my internal turmoil and the one-sided conversation with the ghost of my father.

“Sorry. My thoughts drifted for a moment,” I say apologetically. Her eyes fill with concern and she nods empathetically.

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