Page 40 of Mending Scars

What if the baby’s not mine?

I pushed the thought away, not wanting to ruin the happiness I felt. I hated that what had happened in my past was making me question Kaiya, but I couldn’t help having doubts given my experience with Molly.

I wasn’t upset over Molly and Ethan anymore, but what they did had left a mark on me, a scar I would never forget. But now that I was going to be a dad and start a family of my own with Kaiya, I was starting to see that there were more important things than holding grudges.

Ethan had also been in and out of my mind all morning. Seeing Kamden trying to make an effort to rebuild his relationship with Kaiya made me think more about doing the same. Ethan was my blood, and I didn’t think my parents would want us to be the way we were.

I still had his number in my phone; I could never bring myself to delete it. I’d told myself it was so I would know not to answer his calls or texts, but I think deep down, I didn’t want to completely let him go.

I scrolled through my contacts until I came to Ethan’s. I pressed the text message icon, and began typing my message to him.

Me: You free for lunch today? Wanted to talk

I set my phone on my desk and looked over my client invoices for the month. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed, and I was surprised by how nervous I was. I hadn’t spoken to my brother since before the shooting, and the times before that weren’t on the best of terms.

Grabbing my phone, I clicked on the text icon and pulled up Ethan’s message.

Ethan: R u serious or is this a joke?

The corner of my lip curved up. I couldn’t blame him for not trusting me, especially with how hostile I’d been every time he’d tried to contact me.

Me: I’m serious do u want to meet up or not?

Ethan: When and where?

I told Ethan to meet me at one o’clock at a deli not too far from the gym. Once sending the text, my nerves skyrocketed. The meeting could either completely destroy what little remained of our relationship or get us on the path to mending it. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care either way, but deep down, I was hoping we could make amends.

I was a few minutes early, but Ethan was already seated at a table. When he saw me, he stiffly waved his hand and gave me a tight-lipped smile.

I walked toward him, disliking the unease settling in my gut. I was starting to second-guess my decision.

Why am I doing this? What are we going to talk about? How can I ever trust him again?

When I reached the table, I sat down.

“Hey,” Ethan nervously greeted.

This is awkward already.

“Hey.”

Ethan anxiously tapped his finger on the table. “So, how have you been?”

“Fine,” I clipped. I wasn’t ready to share personal details about my life just yet—baby steps. “How about you?”

“Good. Everything’s good. Tristan is getting big.” He smiled broadly.

Thinking about Tristan used to piss me off so much. He used to remind me of what I had lost and the betrayal committed against me by my own brother. It still irked me a little, only because there was still animosity between Ethan and me, but I didn’t have anything against the kid.

I visualized having my own son, and a small grin tipped my lips. “That’s good.”

Ethan leaned back in his seat and scanned over my face. “Why did you invite me here, Ryker?”

The million dollar question. I cleared my throat. “A lot has happened since I last saw you, and they’ve made me realize some things.” I paused and rubbed my hands together. “Life is-”

A tiny brunette interrupted me. “Hi, my name is Brooke, and I’ll be your waitress today. Can I get you something to drink?”

After she left to get our drinks, Ethan’s eyes met mine. “You were saying?”

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