Page 8 of Needing You

Eric stayed stone-faced. He could sense something more was coming—maybe it was that twin connection coming through.

“So you’re broken up about seeing her again?” Jake asked.

I exhaled sharply, wishing that was all there was to it. It’d been bad enough seeing her at the party and getting ambushed at the bar—being forced to feel that pain all over again despite the years passing. But no. It wasn’t that simple. “I saw her at the store earlier. With her son.”

Sammy’s eyes got huge, and Jake said, “Jackson?”

“His name’s Jackson?” Of course they knew Kate’s son. It was a small enough town, and she was friends with Ellie… everyone was connected.

My mind reeled yet again as Sammy and Jake nodded.

Jackson.

“How—how old is he?” I asked in a near-whisper.

None of them replied out loud, but the answer was all over their faces as they stared at me.He’s the right fucking age to be your son.

It was Eric who moved first. He rounded the counter, his face all thunder, and it occurred to me he might be about to hit me. We’d never been huge on punching each other in the face, but something told me to brace for a killer right hook.

Did he think I’d known all along? That I’d left my kid?

I brought my hands up to push him away or block a swing, but no hit came. Instead, he hooked an arm around my neck and pulled me into a hug. I stood stiff, surprised, but dammit if my throat didn’t tighten as I wrapped my arms around him. I patted him twice and released him, unwilling to break down and knowing I would if I stayed there.

“Thanks,” I said, my voice like gravel.

Eric’s dark eyes met mine. “We’re here for you. You tell us what to do, and we’ll do it.”

God, he’d always been loyal, hadn’t he? Even when I’d practically shit on him in school, and now, when I came back and tried to claim my place at Walker’s, he’d been loyal and honorable. Maybe not willing to let me have the job, the stubborn ass, but still a faithful friend and brother.

Sammy piped up. “Yeah. Absolutely. We’ll… buy you diapers?”

“Sammy, you idiot, the kid’s fifteen.” Jake shoved him, and Sammy gave us one of his signatureWhat? I’m adorable!Looks.

“I have no idea. I haven’t talked to her. I don’t know why the hell she never told me. But she came by the bar and tried to get me to talk with her, and I shut her down.”Shit.Why hadn’t I just gone with her?

Jake asked just that. “Why?”

“She ripped my heart out. I know it’s been a long time, but what was there to say? What could she have possibly needed to tell me that I’d give a shit about?”

I ran a hand through my hair again. Talk about holding a grudge though, right? Wasn’t I an entirely different person than I had beenfifteenyears ago? She would be too. She should get a chance to explain. Well, fuck that. Shehadto explain now. I wasn’t going to make any more excuses.

“Uh, how about an apology?” Sammy suggested, looking around like anyone would agree with him. “Or better yet, something along the lines of, ‘Hey, I know I broke your little baby heart, but it was because I was pregnant at fifteen.’”

Jake shoved him again. “Oh my god, we’ve got to get you some help. You are so dense it’s alarming.”

“Well then, what if she left because she was pregnant with some other dude’s baby?” Sammy tried.

“Shut up, dickwad. Kate wasn’t like that.” She wasn’t experienced when we were together. She was… mine. And I was hers.

Or so I’d thought. But then she’d left. Was that possible? Had she left because she’d—no. Fuck no. Right?

“You had no idea?” Eric asked, his eyes searching my face. It wasn’t accusatory or even suspicious. He was just asking.

“Not a hint. I never heard from her. I couldn’t get ahold of her—she wouldn’t answer my calls or texts. I went to where we used to meet, tried to hunt down her friends from school, but no one would talk to me. Finally, I got bold and went to her house. She wasn’t there, and her mom said she’d gone to a boarding school in Georgia and that I should find someone else to toy with.”

“Shiiiit. That’s cold.” Sammy shook his head.

“It was brutal.”

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