Page 40 of Unrivaled

Now the biggest unknown is how much Grayson’s presence will change everything …

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Gray

Anticipation sings through my blood as I get out of my car in the mall parking lot, sending a quick text to Tiffany to let her know I’m on site and heading to the designated meeting place.

I’m not super thrilled that we’re doing this at a mall playground, but she assured me that he would have lots of fun here. She said that after he burns off some energy we can get a snack in the food court, and since it’s too cold to meet at a park, this is the next best option.

I suppose doing this in a neutral place is reasonable. Meeting at my apartment would be quieter, but I don’t have anything to entertain a little kid, so it’s probably not the best option. And really, it’s not like I’m going to have deep philosophical conversations with a three-year-old. Right?

But any disappointment at her choice of meeting place is far outweighed by the nervousness and excitement that wells up inside me, setting my heart racing and my palms sweating. I get to see Tiffany again, which by itself fills me with nervous excitement. My attraction to her, inconvenient as it may be, has only gotten stronger since our dinner that wasn’t a date. Our easy conversation only makes me want to chip away at that wall she has between us. I don’t expect her to ever want to date me, but I’d like it if we could at least be friends.

Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

My stomach roils nervously as I consider the other purpose of today’s visit. We’re going to tell Ben that I’m his father.

I have no idea what to expect or how he might react. Will he accept me right away? Will he ignore me? He was pretty excited to see me last time, but I’m smart enough to know that it’s because he liked me swinging him really high with his mom. If Jackson, or hell, even Cal McAdam did that, he’d be just as thrilled to see them.

My phone chimes with an alert as I go in the mall’s main entrance.

Tiffany: We’re already at the playground. See you soon.

That means I’ll have time to sit with Tiffany before we have the, “Ben, I am your father,” conversation, though I’ll be sure not to use the heavy-breathing Darth Vader impression when we say it. Will I be telling him? Or will she?

We never discussed the particulars.

Maybe I can ask her how she thinks we should deliver the news while we’re watching Ben play. It’ll give us something to talk about, though part of me wants to pick a lighter subject, something that will relax her and get her to open up to me again. I want more time with that Tiffany.

After consulting the map to find the play area, I go up the escalator and make my way to the end of the mall where there’s an area sectioned off by purple half walls surrounding a big shiny foam looking tree. Kids climb up one side, go through a hole in the trunk, and slide down the other. Laughter rings out as I get closer, indistinct shouts from a half dozen little kids running and shrieking and playing.

A bench runs along the inside of the wall for parents to wait, and when I open the gate, Tiffany immediately looks up from her phone and gives me a cautious smile. “Hey. You made it.”

Nodding, I take my coat off and sit in the free space next to her. She has a pile of coats on her other side and her big tote bag set on top of it, gaping open to reveal a package of baby wipes and a gallon Ziploc of various snacks.

I don’t know that I would’ve even thought to bring snacks, much less baby wipes. Wait—is he still in diapers? What age do kids stop wearing diapers usually?

“Are you alright?” Tiffany asks, pulling me out of my staring and blinking.

“Yeah. Sorry. I, uh …”

She offers me a sympathetic smile. “It can be kinda overwhelming, I know.” She looks around the space at the other parents and kids. “It’s not too crowded today, which is nice.”

Ben comes running over, jumping up and down in front of us. “Mommy! Your friend is here!” He places his hands on her knees and continues bouncing up and down.

I can’t help smiling at his antics. “Hey, buddy. Your mom invited me along to hang out with you today. Is that okay with you?”

He turns to me with wide brown eyes that mirror my own, nodding. “Mommy said you were gonna have a snack with us after.” His little hands land on my knees now, and he jumps close to my face and shouts, “I love snacks!”

“Me too,” I say with a laugh.

He pauses his jumping, holding his arms up above his head. “You gonna swing me while we walk?”

Stealing a glance at Tiffany, who’s watching this exchange with an inscrutable expression on her face, I nod. “If your mom’s okay with it.”

He clasps his hands together and turns to his mom. “Please please please, Mommy, please please please.”

Leaning forward, she pulls him in close for a hug. “How can I say no when you ask so nicely?”

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