Johnny stands too. “Maybe we should go. You too, Hux.”
Hux frowns. “Nah, I’m good. Colt and I are headed to Macy’s.”
I close my eyes, focusing on keeping it together.
“Maybe Colt should stay home?” Anna suggests.
Hux laughs. “What, and let me go see his son without him? That’d be weird.”
I lift my head and look at Colt. “It’s fine. Go. But Colt… would you maybe have dinner here tomorrow night? For your birthday? Just the two of us?”
He pauses. Then smiles. “I’d love that.”
My heart gives a hopeful little flutter. “Okay,” I say, quietly.
Anna squeezes my shoulder. “Do it, Dee. Talk to him.”
“I will,” I whisper back.
“You want us to stay for dinner?” she asks, eyes narrowed at Colt.
I shake my head. “No, go home. Be with your boy.”
She hugs me tightly again. “When he gets back,tell him.”
I nod, and she gives me one last look before grabbing Johnny’s arm. “Come on, muscles. Let’s take our little man home.”
“Okay, bro, let’s get going. I wanna see my nephew. Kid’s totally awesome,” Hux says, clapping Colt on the shoulder as he strides toward the hallway.
“Yeah, wait for me in the car. I’ll just be a sec,” Colt replies, his eyes cutting to me with intent.
Hux looks between us and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah… just don’t take forever, Romeo,” he mutters, heading outside and shutting the door behind him.
Colt crosses the room and lowers himself into the chair beside me, close enough that I feel the heat of his body. My gaze lifts to meet his, and for just a second, I have to shut my eyes. He’s so painfully beautiful it makes my chest ache. Even now, drowning in heartache, he still makes my pulse skip with a single look.
“You okay?” he asks softly, reaching for my hand.
I force a smile and nod, but he doesn’t buy it.
“You don’t look okay,” he says, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his touch gentle but firm. He knows me too well.
“I’m fine,” I lie, willing myself to sound convincing. “Go spend time with your family. When you get home, we’ll have your birthday together… just us. As husband and wife.”
His mouth quirks up at the corner, a subtle grin that still carries the weight of his exhaustion. “I know I’ve been spending a lot of time with Mace and the kid. It’s just, he’s a great little man. Even with everything he’s going through, he’s got this spark, you know? Being around him, it’s easy to forget how sick he really is. I think…” He pauses, glancing at me like he’ssearching for permission to say the words. “I think I kinda love him.”
The confession hits me hard.
I bite down on my bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
Of course, he loves his son.
He should.
That’s not the part that stings.
It’s the quiet fear in the back of my mind asking,If there’s more love going to Caleb, is there less left for me?And the minute I think it, the more selfish it sounds even in my mind.
“That’s great,” I manage to say, pushing a bright tone into my voice. “Youshouldspend time with him.”
