Page 8 of Jaxon

“I don’t understand,” he muttered, looking up at Harper, his eyes filled with pain and confusion.“Why didn’t you tell me?Why did you keep her from me?”

Harper felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.“I was scared, Jaxon.Scared of how you’d react, scared of what it would mean for Mia.I didn’t know how to handle it, and I thought ...I thought it was safer this way.”

“Safer?”Jaxon echoed, his voice rising slightly.“I had a right to know, Harper.I would’ve been there for her.For you.”

“I know,” she whispered.“And I’m sorry.I was trying to protect her, to protect us.”

Jaxon stood, pacing the room with a restless energy that filled the space.His earlier anger had cooled into something more thoughtful, though the tension in his shoulders remained.

Harper watched him, her heart pounding as she wondered what was going through his mind.She couldn’t predict his next move, and the uncertainty gnawed at her.

Finally, Jaxon stopped and turned to face her.“I want to be part of her life,” he said, his voice steady but laced with emotion.“I need to be.”

Harper exhaled, a weight lifting from her chest.“You will be,” she assured him, her voice firm yet gentle.“I want that too.”

She didn’t know why the words came so easily.Maybe it was the way he had shown up for her without question, fixing her car not once but twice, offering his help without expecting anything in return.

Five years ago, they had been young and reckless, caught up in the heat of passion and the chaos of life.But time had a way of shaping people, of changing them in ways they never expected.

Jaxon was different now.She could see it in the way he carried himself, in the way he looked at her and Mia with a quiet intensity that spoke of responsibility and care.The wild, untamed biker she had known was still there, but there was something more—something deeper.

Harper’s thoughts drifted back to those days when they were inseparable, when the world seemed to revolve around their connection.The memories were bittersweet, tinged with the pain of their sudden parting.She had walked away, thinking it was the best choice for all of them.But now, with Jaxon standing in her living room, the father of her child, she wondered if she had made a mistake.

“I want to do this right,” Jaxon said, his voice breaking through her thoughts.He stepped closer, his gaze steady and sincere.“I don’t want to disrupt her life, but I need to be there for her.For you.”

Harper’s heart swelled with conflicting emotions.She had spent so long building a life for Mia, keeping them safe and steady.Letting Jaxon in was a risk, but it was a risk she was starting to believe was worth taking.

“All right,” she said.“Let’s do this, step by step.”

Jaxon nodded, his expression softening.“Thank you.For trusting me with this.”

A silence settled between them, comfortable and charged with unspoken possibilities.Harper could see the worry in Jaxon’s eyes, the weight of all the years he had missed pressing down on him.But she also saw hope—a flicker of it in the way he smiled at her, in the way his eyes lit up when Mia’s laughter echoed from the other room.

Harper reached out, placing a hand on his arm.“She’s going to love getting to know you.She’s already curious.”

Jaxon covered her hand with his, a simple gesture that spoke volumes.“I’ll do my best.I promise.”

They stood there for a moment, a quiet understanding passing between them.The road ahead wouldn’t be without its challenges, but for the first time in a long while, Harper felt like they had a real chance.A chance to be a family.

“Why don’t you stay for dinner?”she offered, the words surprising even herself.“Mia would love it, and we can talk more.”

Jaxon’s smile was small but genuine.“I’d like that.”

Before they could say more, a loud crash echoed from the kitchen.Harper’s heart leapt into her throat as she rushed toward the noise, Jaxon right behind her.

They found Mia standing near the table, a broken plate on the floor at her feet.Her eyes were wide with fear.

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” she said, her voice trembling.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Harper said, crouching down to pick up the pieces.“It was just an accident.”

Jaxon crouched beside Harper, helping to gather the shards.“Hey, it’s all right, Mia,” he said gently.“No harm done.”

Harper’s breath caught as she watched the interaction.Despite the chaos of the moment, there was something beautiful in the way Jaxon spoke to Mia, the way he reassured her.Maybe, she thought, this could really work.

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