He stared at me for a long moment. Then he pulled out a business card and set it on the table. “That’s my real number. In case you change your mind.”
I didn’t touch it.
“But just know that I’m not that guy, Tal,” he said, backing toward the door. “I don’t know how to be a dad. I have plans—travel, my career. I can’t be stuck.”
“Then don’t be,” I said simply. “I’m not asking you to stay.”
Something flickered across his face—relief, maybe, mixed with shame.
“I hope it works out,” he said. “I really do. I’ll be outside waiting for my Uber if you want to talk about this more.”
The door chimed as he left and the shop fell silent except for the whirr of the wine cooler. I stood there, hands pressed flat against the table, trying to remember how to breathe.
Charlie crouched beside my chair. “You okay?”
I laughed—sharp, shaky, barely holding together. “Ask me in five years.”
“Tally—”
“He found me.” My voice broke. “Dig ran into him, and then he just—he found me.”
“Dig didn’t tell him,” Charlie said gently. “He figured it out from your photos. From the work you’ve been doing.”
“Same result.”
“No.” His hand covered mine. “Dig protected you. He punched the guy. Nick came here anyway because that’s who he is—someone who shows up when it’s convenient and leaves when it’s not.”
I wanted to argue, but the truth of it settled in my chest.
“He’s gone now,” Charlie said firmly. “And he’s not coming back.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you didn’t give him a reason to.” He squeezed my hand. “You told him the truth. You didn’t need him before, and you don’t need him now.”
The baby kicked, hard enough that I gasped.
Charlie’s eyes dropped to my stomach. “That the baby?”
I nodded, pressing my hand to the spot.
“Strong kid,” he said softly.
“Takes after their mom,” I managed.
A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Yeah. They do.”
We stood there in the quiet, my hand still in his, and slowly—slowly—my breathing evened out.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “For being here. For not making me feel like I need to explain anything.”
“You don’t,” he said. “You never do. Not with me.”
And somehow, that was exactly what I needed to hear.
Chapter Sixteen
CHARLIE
