Page 65 of The One Who Changed Everything

Bryce puffed up a little. “Baby Storm, coming this summer.”

Samantha gasped, her whole face lighting up. “Oh, Krystal, that’s wonderful!”

Krystal beamed as Bryce wrapped a protective arm around her. “Yeah, we’re excited. And exhausted. And slightly terrified.”

“Get used to that feeling,” I said, smirking. “As far as I can tell, that feeling never really goes away.”

A strange pang settled in my chest as I watched him cradle her growing baby bump.

I should have had that with Samantha.

I should have been there to feel Sophia kick for the first time, to bring home ridiculous midnight snack combinations, to hold Samantha’s hand through every milestone. Instead, I’d missed all of it. And even though I knew there was no changing the past, I still felt the ache of everything we’d lost.

Samantha glanced up at me, something flickering across her face as if she could read my thoughts.

The conversation drifted, but as we moved on, Samantha didn’t let go of my hand.

She was quiet for a long moment before speaking. “You’re thinking about what you missed.”

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “Yeah.”

She nodded, thoughtful. “I wish you had been there, too.”

Her honesty sent a rush of emotion through me, and before I could second-guess it, I turned to face her fully, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. “Maybe… we don’t have to miss everything.”

Her breath caught, her eyes locking onto mine. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “I mean… maybe we could do it differently this time. Together.”

Her lips parted slightly, surprise and something else—something softer—flickering across her face. “You’re saying…?”

“I’m saying if you ever wanted to—ifweever wanted to…” I swallowed, feeling suddenly reckless. “I wouldn’t mind starting over. Having that experience with you. From the beginning. Giving Sophia a little brother or sister?”

Her expression turned unreadable, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d overstepped.

Then, her fingers tightened around mine.

“I don’t know what the future holds,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “But I do know that if I ever had another baby…” She paused, searching my face. “I’d want to do it with you.”

A slow, deep warmth spread through my chest.

I grinned, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Good to know.”

She let out a breathy laugh. “Don’t get any ideas, Mercer.”

“No promises,” I murmured, reveling in the way she leaned into me.

And as we moved back into the party, the ache of the past eased just a little. Because the future?

That was still ours to write.

Sophia was still tangled up in the chaos of Nathan’s boys, her laughter bright and uninhibited. Nathan himself stood by the dessert table with Rebecca, his arm slung over her shoulders.

“Still crazy about each other,” I mused as we approached.

Nathan grinned as he caught sight of us. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes but smiled. “It helps that he still looks at me like I hung the moon.”

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