Page 86 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

“Straight,” he replied.

I pulled two glasses out. “Good man.”

Jordan’s phone rang. He answered it, then said, “Yeah, I’m home. Shay’s here. Okay. Come on up.” He lowered the phone and looked at me. “That was Lucas. He’s outside. He sounded… rough.”

I grabbed a third glass and placed it next to the first two. “Looks like we don’t have to pressure Haley after all.”

Jordan’s eyes widened. “You think she told him?”

The apartment door flew open, and Lucas strode inside. He was dripping water, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was tough to tell because of the rivulets of water running down his face, but it looked like he wascrying.

He threw himself into Jordan’s arms, letting out a sob.

Jordan hugged him back, unfazed by his wet clothes. He shared a look with me.

I grimaced, and filled all three glasses with whiskey.

“Bran is my son,” Lucas choked out, voice full of agony.

I handed each of them a glass. “Haley told you tonight?”

“Just now.” Lucas downed the drink in a single gulp. Jordan made a pained noise at seeing the expensive liquor thrown back so quickly, but he said nothing.

Lucas wiped his face with a wet sleeve, which only smeared more water. “You two don’t seem surprised.”

Jordan picked up the tablet and showed Lucas. “We literally just figured it out today. Bran is five, not four.”

Lucas didn’t look at the screen, instead closing his eyes. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”

“You have every right to be angry,” I said, taking his glass and refilling it for him.

“Angry?” Lucas asked, a universe of agony swimming behind his dark eyes. “This goes beyond anger. I… I don’t think I can ever forgive her for this.”

I shared another look with Jordan.

What a mess.

42

Haley

It was a good thing I didn’t have to drive myself home, because between the downpour of rain and the tears shimmering in my eyes, I probably would have crashed into a lamp post. When the Uber picked me up outside Lucas’s apartment, the driver took one look at me and asked me if I was okay. All I did was nod while rain dripped down my face.

He kept glancing at me in the rear-view mirror, but let me ride in silence. Five stars.

I felt numb, which helped me keep it together as I walked into my sister’s house. Harper was sitting on the couch, reading a thick hardcover book.

“Where’s Sara?” I asked.

“She went to bed early. I tucked Bran in around nine.” He glanced up, eyes widening behind his glasses. “Haley, are you okay?”

The dam burst then, and I began sobbing. I tried to explain what had happened, but all that came out was a pathetic gargle.

He rushed to the other room, and I thought he was getting my sister—which made me swell with new guilt, since she was nine months pregnant and needed her sleep. But then he returned with a handful of towels, wrapping them around me and patting me dry.

“Shh,” he said, pulling me down onto the couch. “Let it out. It’s all right.”

“The. Couch,” I gasped between sobs. “It’s. Getting. All.Wet.”

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