Page 33 of Need You To Choose Me

I think they’ll have much more interesting things to talk about soon enough, but I don’t bother pointing it out.

Although I’d been tossing and turning for most of the night, thinking over Savannah’s words over and over again, I had yet to figure out how to tell the boys about her. About the baby. I didn’tknow how to bring it up or properly explain what had happened without destroying the fragile relationship I had with them.

But Savannah was right, until I told them, I couldn’t do right by her. One’d think that at thirty-five, I’d have my shit in order, but they’d be wrong.

“Finish that up, boys.” Mrs. Maxwell claps her hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We have to go if we don’t want to be late.” She turns to me, drying her hands on a towel. “Do you need anything else while we’re out?”

“Oh, it’s fine.” I open the dishwasher and put away my cup. “I’ll take them to school.”

When I straighten, I find her staring at me, her brows pulled together. “You will?”

“Umm… Yeah.”

“You never take them to school,” she points out.

Her words make me stop in my tracks.

She’s right.

I never took the boys to school. By the time they’d be ready, I was already at the Lonestars facilities going through my workout, dissecting plays, or working on our next game plan. And even on the days I didn’t have to be at the facilities, there were other things that needed to be done.

Was it even surprising that I had a shitty relationship with my kids?

Bile burns my throat, but I force it down.

You’re trying to do right by them now,I remind myself, but that little voice at the back of my head that’s been haunting me for a while is relentless.

Do you seriously think you can do right by themandSavannah?

“Now I do. Besides, I need to grab some things in town.”

Mrs. Maxwell watches me for a second longer before she nods. “Sounds good. I’ll get to setting up the kitchen and get those cookies started in the meantime.”

“Thanks, Mrs. M.”

The boys finish their breakfast and clean up their mess before going to grab their things. Not even ten minutes later, we’re out of the house.

“Wanna drive?” I ask Daniel.

He glances at me, his face impassive. “Does that mean I get my own car?”

Seriously, this kid…

“That means you get to practice driving,” I extend my hand toward him, the keys a silent offering. Daniel watches them for a moment. Just when I think he’ll brush me off, he takes them.

“Whatever, might as well drive.”

Shaking my head, I help Levi get into the back before sliding into the passenger’s seat, just as Daniel starts the truck. I keep my mouth shut as he drives. His expression is serious, his whole focus on the road. He was a good driver for his age, not that I was surprised. Daniel is smart and has so much potential, however, he is easily influenced by other kids. He pulled a lot of shit in the last year, and while I wanted to trust him, I needed to see that he was willing to put in the effort to make a change.

“Park the truck over there,” I point at the open space in the school parking lot.

“Don’t you want to drop Levi off first?”

I shake my head. “I’ll walk him to the door.”

After a couple of tries, he maneuvers the truck into the space and kills the engine. He hands me the keys before we get out, and the boys grab their things.

“I’ll see you later,” Daniel mutters, and he’s gone before Levi can even put his backpack on.

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