Page 89 of Shattered

Rylee’s face lights up when her eyes land on Boh. Her expression softens, torn between aching and uncertainty. It’s as if she’s missed him desperately, but doesn’t quite know how to bridge the gap. An awkward tension settles over us, and I wonder if Bohdi has kept secrets from me.

“Ry,” Boh’s voice cracks. Rylee shifts, her oversized sweatshirt revealing a bulging bump. A gasp escapes Boh, and I’m equally stunned. There’s no mistaking it. Rylee is pregnant. She glances at Boh, sheepish yet hopeful.

“We’re having a baby,” Cash announces, and even I gasp. I clear my throat discreetly, not wanting to draw attention.

Boh remains frozen, silent. The revelation that Cash, his brother, is expecting a child with his dead son’s girlfriend hangs heavy in the air. Did Boh even know about them?

“Boh,” Rylee breaks the silence, and then it happens. Boh crumbles, tears streaming down his face. He rushes to Rylee, lifting her in his arms as she sobs.

“Congratulations,” I manage, offering Cash a smile. He approaches me, introducing himself.

“I’m Cash, Boh’s brother,” he says, gesturing toward the emotional scene unfolding. “And that sobbing mess? That’s Rylee—my fiancée.”

Well shit.

Chapter forty-seven

Bohdi

“Boh,” Rylee’s voice trembles, breaking through my shock as I stare down at her swollen belly. The reality hits me like a tidal wave—I’m going to be an uncle again. It all floods in at once: the guilt for not speaking to Cash and Rylee properly since everything happened. The realization that she’s far along in her pregnancy, and the unspoken understanding that they kept this from me. But I don’t blame them. Not one bit.

I have a second chance now—to protect this baby with every fiber of my being, to shield them from any harm. My gaze locks onto Rylee’s, tears shimmering in her eyes. She bites her lip, perhaps wondering if I’ll lose it, but it’s not anger that consumes me. It’s love, fierce and unwavering.

I rush toward her, pulling her into my arms. My whispered apology brushes against her ear. “I’ll be the best damn uncle this baby could ever ask for,” I promise. “And the best brother-in-law to you. I’ll always protect you both. Always.”

“I’ve missed you so much, Boh,” she whispers, her voice raw with emotion. “I missed you so damn much.” I pull her in tighter, not wanting to let her go. The weight of our separation settles on my shoulders—the days, weeks, and months when I walked away from her.

“I love you, Ry,” my voice breaks. Tears blur my vision as I bury my face in her hair. She needed me as much as I needed her, and I abandoned her and Cash. I walked away from the one man who’d pulled me through every kind of pain I’d ever faced.

When he lost his son, when grief threatened to consume him, I turned my back. I’ll never forgive myself for that.

But maybe forgiveness isn’t about erasing the past, it’s about making amends. And right now, I realize something deep. You can’t control who you fall for. Love defies logic, defies reason. It’s a force that sweeps you off your feet, leaving you powerless. Your heart makes those decisions, and sometimes, you just have to accept it.

Brayden entered my life at a time I didn’t want anyone around me. He sat alongside me in the dark corners of my mind and made it less lonely.

I don’t think people truly understand how beautiful the darkness can be if you have the right person there with you.

He made me find peace in my darkness.

He made me find peace in my pain.

Now, pulling away from Rylee, I glance down at her swollen belly. Her trembling lower lip mirrors the storm of emotions brewing inside me.

“We’re having a boy,” she whispers.

“A boy.” My voice croaks as I struggle to hold back the tears and stare down at her bump, at my baby nephew.

“Thor Stiles.”

“Thor,” I whisper. “It’s perfect.” Tears continue to track down my face. Jace’s addiction with Thor was next to none. The name couldn’t be any more perfect if they tried.

“He will love it.” Rylee doesn’t need to ask who I mean when I say he’ll love it. She knows. Her sad smile tugs at my heart as I pull her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

But then I turn to Cash, standing next to Brayden. His clenched jaw and restless stubble reveal the emotions he’s desperately containing. “I missed you, Brother,” I say.

He steps toward me, our arms encircling each other. “I missed you more, Brother,” Cash replies. We hold on, unwilling to let go.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

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