Page 4 of Essence of his Soul

“Well, as much as I’d love to keep this conversation going, I’ve got somewhere to be.” I grabbed the case and moved toward the door.

Mark stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Give me your address. I’ll be by around six to see my son.”

The finality in his tone made it clear—there was no getting around this.

“This evening’s not a good time,” I tried, hoping he’d back down.

He leaned in, eyes blazing. “Essence, I’m home for a month and gonna spend every minute with my son. Starting tonight. Get used to it.”

Our eyes locked in a battle of wills, and I realized Mark wasn’t backing down.

Chapter 2

I rolled up the gravel driveway, the crunch of rocks under my tires the only sound breaking the stillness of the evening. The ranch-style house stood there, looking like something out of a postcard with tall trees looming over it, their leaves scattered like a blanket across the lawn. I parked and stepped out, the cold December air hitting me harder than I expected—as it reminded me of everything I was about to walk into.

As I approached the house, my eyes locked on Essence’s blue Honda Civic parked in the driveway. That car seat in the back? Man, that hit different. Like a punch straight to the gut. My child had been born, taken his first breath, learned to walk, and I had missed it all. All those milestones played like a loop in my head, reminding me of moments I’d never get back.

I was a father. And behind those walls was my son—a son I might never have known about if Kelly hadn’t bumped into them at the mall. The thought burned me up inside. Had Essence really planned to keep my child from me?

There was only one way to find out.

I pulled my jacket tighter against the chill and stepped toward the front door. The doorbell echoed through the quiet, the sound settling like an omen of what was about to go down.

And then she opened the door.

Damn. Whatever anger or resentment had been building inside me took a backseat the second I saw her. Essence was even more stunning than I remembered. Gone was the teacher look—today, it was jeans that hugged her curves like they were custom-made and a T-shirt that made casual look sexy ashell. Her auburn-colored curls hung loose now, falling over her shoulders, framing those big, sienna-brown eyes. And that mole by her lips—now glossed with a hint of strawberry? Yeah, I’d missed that detail more than I realized.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my cool, pushing down the heat rising in my gut. I wasn’t here to focus on how good she looked. But it was hard to shake the memory of what it felt like to have her close. Too hard.

“Are you gonna invite me in, or you just gonna stand there?” I asked, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.

Essence tilted her head, giving me that look—half-amused, half-annoyed. “Depends. You going to stop frowning like that?”

I stepped closer, catching a whiff of her scent—soft, sweet, and damn near intoxicating. She smelled like home, like everything I’d been trying not to remember. “I just found out I got a son, Essence. How do you think I feel?” I asked, the frustration slipping into my tone.

Her gaze softened just a little. “I’m not sure,” she admitted, her voice dropping, almost vulnerable.

I held her eyes, searching for something. “Did you forget about me?” I asked, the weight of those few weeks hanging between us.

“Did you forget about me?” she shot back, her stance solid, eyes still locked on mine, unflinching.

“I haven’t forgotten a damn thing,” I said, my voice low. Not the fire in her eyes when things heated, nor how her stubbornness turned into passion in a heartbeat. That fire was still there, burning just as bright as the day I left.

Her chin lifted, stubborn as always. “You might not believe it, but I intended to tell you.”

I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to, but trust? That was something I couldn’t hand out easily anymore. I’d been burned too many times by too many people. But looking at Essence,seeing the mix of defiance and something close to honesty in her eyes, that doubt crept in. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe not. But the sting of her keeping something like this from me cut deep.

“It’s cold out here. Are you gonna let me in, or we doing this on the porch?” I asked, the tension in the air thick enough to cut through.

“I guess I’ll have to since you’re not giving me much of a choice,” she said, her tone softening, though I could hear the reluctance.

“You’ve always had a choice,” I said, holding her gaze, not letting up. “Invite me in.”

For a second, the air between us was buzzing with everything unsaid. The kind of tension that had you rethinking your next move. Then she dropped her eyes and stepped aside, letting me in.

I shrugged off my jacket as I entered her house. The warmth hit me first, but I barely noticed it. Essence took my jacket and hung it in the closet, moving slow like she was trying to delay what was coming next. She gestured for me to follow her. My eyes couldn’t help but catch the sway of her hips as she walked. I quickly looked away, forcing myself to focus on the living room.

The space was cozy. White walls, hardwood floors, and neutral furniture. It didn’t just look like a house—it felt like a home. But what grabbed my attention wasn’t the fireplace or the modest Christmas tree. It was the toys scattered in the corner. That right there? That was a knife to the heart. Those toys belonged tomyson; I hadn’t even known he existed.

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