Page 12 of One Night with my Best Friend's Dad

Kelly

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as Mac’s words echo in my mind. He wants me, and that has stirred up a whirlwind of emotions that I thought I’d buried since I returned from New York months ago.

I inhale deeply, remembering how long it took me to get over him.

Can I let my heart go again?

With my mind racing with indecision, there’s a part of me that wants to run, to avoid the complications that come with pursuing this relationship. But another part, a stronger part, yearns to give us a chance.

I rest my hand on my stomach and think of a future with Mac. Of Me, him, and our baby living in perfect bliss. But it won’t be.

Although the thought thrills me, it also scares me in equal measure, and I don’t know which is making my heart pound as I make my way to the restroom.

I catch my reflection in the mirror when I splash cold water on my face, and the woman staring back at me looks torn, scared, but I also see a dash of hope in her gaze.

And hope is all I need right now. I have to at least listen to what he has to say.

I take a deep breath, straighten my shoulders, my decision made.

Minutes later, I raise my hand, hesitating before knocking on the door. I chew on my lip as I tap and wait for him to answer.

The door creaks open and Mac smiles as he leans against the frame. There’s no surprise on his face, but there is something deeper flickering in his eyes.

“Kelly,” he breathes. “You came.”

I force a smile, but it feels like a mask that covers my state of mind. “Yeah.”

His gaze flickers to my stomach, then back to my face. The silence stretches between us, before he finally admits, “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“I had to,” I say, feeling exposed all of a sudden, but this is about more than me now. “We need to talk.”

He pushes his hand through his hair, like he is suddenly unsure of himself.

“Can I come inside before someone sees us?” I push.

“Oh, yeah,” he nods slowly, stepping aside to let me in. The room smells faintly of his woody aftershave, dangerous but beautiful. A scent I remembered long after our tryst went wrong.

As I cross the threshold, I glance around his room before I stop near the edge of the bed.

When the door clicks shut, I shiver knowing we’re alone.

I turn around, Mac is running a hand through his hair like he’s unsure how to bridge the distance that has grown between us since that night.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” he starts, tucking his nervous hands into his pockets as if holding himself together. “About...the baby.”

My heart races at the reminder.

“Yeah? Me too,” I manage to say.

He steps closer, intensity radiating from him. “What do we do now?”

I swallow hard. “I don’t know.”

He lets out a soft chuckle that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Great.” His frustration hangs in the air like smoke from an extinguished fire.

“I mean…” I struggle for words that don’t sound foolish or desperate. I feel so young next to him. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. And I’m sorry.”

"Don't be." Mac takes another step forward, closing the space between us until I can feel the heat from his body warming mine. “It did happen and I'm glad.” His voice drops an octave as he looks down at me, searching my face.

---