Page 125 of Just Like That

JP wasn’t Teddy’s father. Russell was.

Russell King.

The thought of him sent a shiver down my spine. I could still see the coldness in JP’s eyes whenever the topic of his dad came up. The way his name filled every room, demanding attention, control. He was a man who always got what he wanted. And now he knew about Teddy.

How long before he showed up, lawyers in tow, ready to rip my world apart?

I dropped down into the worn leather seat by the window, pulling my knees up to my chest.

It was all my fault.

I never planned for this, for any of it. I never planned, period. I lived in the moment, let my emotions steer the ship. I was impulsive, untethered. I had read Olive’s letter, and though I was doing exactly what she wanted for her son, I just jumped in without thinking it through.

And now there I was. Alone. Scared.

I looked out the window toward his bedroom. It was dark inside, but I flicked the lamp beside me on, then off.

I waited and waited, but his room was still dark.

I let out a shaky breath at the thought of the man I had fallen in love with. He made me feel safe, grounded, like all my wild ideas and messy emotions weren’t something to run from, but to embrace.

With him, I wasn’t just a free spirit floating through the universe—I had an anchor.

But how could I keep holding on to him, knowing that Teddy wasn’t really his? Knowing that, in the end, I might lose everything?

My heart ached at the thought of pulling away from him, but what choice did I have? JP didn’t deserve to get caught up in this mess, and I didn’t know if I could take him down with me. Maybe it was better to let him go now, before things got even more complicated.

A small noise broke through the fog of my thoughts, and I turned to see Teddy standing there, rubbing his eyes. His dark, messy hair stuck up in every direction, and he looked at me with that sleepy, innocent gaze that made my heart both swell and break at the same time.

“Hazel?” His voice was soft, still thick with sleep. “Why are we not in the house?”

“You fell asleep. It’s okay.”

He frowned at me and my heart rolled. “Why are you sad?”

I tried to muster a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m not sad, buddy. Just ... thinking.”

He padded over to me, his bare feet making little thumps on the floor, and climbed up onto the seat beside me. He wrapped his small arms around my waist, leaning his head on my shoulder.

“You don’t have to think so much, you know,” he said, his voice wise beyond his years. “The universe already knows what’s supposed to happen.”

I blinked back tears, the lump in my throat growing tighter.

Of course he would say that. Of course.

“I don’t know if it’s that simple, Teddy,” I whispered, brushing a hand through his hair. “Sometimes it feels like everything’s too messy for the universe to figure out.”

He looked up at me, his blue-green eyes serious. “But the universe is really big. You said it can fix anything.”

God, he was too pure for this world. Too good for the mess I’d brought him into.

I kissed the top of his head, holding him close. “You’re right, buddy. The universe is big.”

But no matter how big the universe was, I wasn’t sure if it could fix this. I wasn’t sure if anything could stop Russell from sweeping in and claiming Teddy as his own. And I wasn’t sure if I could survive losing the only family I had.

Teddy shifted beside me, pulling back just enough to look at me, his face full of childlike sincerity. “You’re happy when you’re with Dad, right?”

I froze, not expecting the question. Teddy was staring up at me, waiting for an answer.

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