Page 51 of Secret Baby with my Brother's Best Friend

I realized my thoughts were rambling, and I quickly shut them down. The waitress returned, and we gave her our orders. She poured us wine and then left us alone again.

“So,” Sam said after taking a drink of her wine, “this was a bit unexpected.”

“Dinner? Well, honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to agree to it so easily.”

She grinned and shook her head. “You caught me off guard.”

I chuckled. “Oh, is that it? Well, I’ll have to catch you off guard more often.”

She dropped her gaze, and her cheeks turned pink.

“That’s all you seem to do,” she murmured.

Hoping that it would hide the flush in my own cheeks, I took a long drink of wine.

She didn’t look back up at me and instead gazed around at the rest of the restaurant. She was nervous, I could tell. Cautious, even. I needed to find a way to ease her tension and help her relax.

“So, tell me more about Henry,” I said.

Her head jerked up, and her eyes turned bright.

“Oh! What do you want to know?” she asked.

“Everything. Tell me anything you want to share.”

Her whole demeanor shifted, clearly eager to talk about our child.

“He’s such a great kid,” she gushed. “He’s smart as hell and a little charmer. He flirts with all the girls in his class. It’s so freaking adorable.”

“A little Casanova.” I grinned. “I love it.”

“I know I need to correct that behavior before he gets too big.” She chuckled. “But it’s just so darn cute, I can’t help but let him keep going for a little bit. He’s a very respectful flirt, though. I’ve made sure of that.”

I smiled. “I’m sure you have. From what I’ve seen, you’re an amazing mother.”

Her lips parted, and she looked momentarily stunned.

“Th-thank you,” she murmured. “I-I’ve done my best.”

I swirled my wine, staring down into the dark liquid for several seconds.

“I’m sorry,” I said at length. “That you had to do this alone so far.”

She didn’t answer right away. When I looked back up at her, she was gazing at me intently.

“I appreciate that,” she finally replied. “I haven’t been alone, exactly. I’ve got my parents, and Jason. My friends. You know. It takes a village.”

“So I’ve heard.” I chuckle dryly.

There was another beat of silence before she asked, “Why did you leave? Honestly. What made you run and never come back?”

I hadn’t expected that question, but I’m kind of glad she asked it. It was the elephant in the room, and it was best that we just get it out of the way.

Folding my hands in front of me, I leaned a bit closer and answered, “I was scared. I wish I had a better explanation, but I don’t. I was young and scared and stupid. It’s the biggest regret of my life.”

She appeared to consider my words for several tense moments.

Slowly, she questioned, “Were you scared of me?”

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