It physically hurts to look at him, but I can’t look away.
Hunter meets him in the hall, his newborn son clutched tightly in his arms, and I remain rooted to the spot as Killian leans in, a wide, blinding smile overtaking his face as he strokes a calloused finger over the baby’s head.
This right here? Is my hell.
This is that moment where that dreaded question sparks in my mind.
Why me? Why us?
Why couldn’t I be the one to give him that?
“You love him, don’t you?” Amelia asks, startling me and finally breaking the trace I had fallen into. I turn to face her, and my eyes widen slightly when I realise we’re the only two people left in the room.
“What?” I ask, still slightly confused as to when everyone else vacated the kitchen.
“Killian.” Amelia jerks her head in his direction. “You still love him.”
It isn’t a question. Just a simple observation. And I don’t deny it. “I always have.”
“And that hurts, doesn’t it?”
I drop my head. “More than you know.”
Two warm hands cup my face. “My sweet girl, why are you doing this to yourself?”
I blink at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
She smiles at me, shaking her head softly, as though I’m missing something. “That boy is head over boots in love with you. Why do you both keep wasting time dancing around that fact?”
I open my mouth to answer her but quickly close it again.
God, where do I even start?
CHAPTER 43
KILLIAN
Every friendship group consists of four different types of people.
There’s the oldest of the group; the playboy turned family man.
The broody one with a dark past full of trauma, who keeps to himself.
The level-headed friend that usually ends up being the voice of reason when shit goes south. That’s me, in case you were wondering.
And then, there’s Noah. The party boy with the fuck-it-all attitude for life and self-appointed bad influence.
I don’t know how he manages to convince everyone to carry the party on at The Boot every time we’re together as a group, but somehow, he does.
After Grayson’s epic declaration of love in front of his entire family, Noah demanded we all go out and celebrate.
It’ll be a joint celebration of new life and Grayson finally pulling his fingerout of his ass,he’d said.
The typically grumpy brother is practically floating on air now that he’s finally won his girl back. It’s been a long time since Grayson smiled so freely, but tonight it seems he can’t wipe the smile from his face.
Hunter and Savannah of course declined Noah’s invitation, wanting to spend time at home with their family. And I don’t blame them one bit. I’d have done the same thing.
It was a sight to behold; watching Hunter show off his newborn son tonight like the proud father he is. He’s come a damn long way from the arrogant bachelor he was before the blonde bombshell with the whip smart attitude strutted into his local dive bar and knocked his world off its axis.
