His hand trembles slightly as he moves closer. His palm rests against the side of my bump, warm and solid and impossibly gentle.
My breath catches.
For a moment, there’s nothing. Just his hand. My heartbeat. The quiet hum of the room.
Then . . . a flutter, soft but unmistakable.
Kade inhales sharply.
“Did you . . .” His voice breaks. “Was that . . .”
I nod, my lips curling despite myself. “Yeah,” I whisper. “That was the baby.”
His eyes widen, and his hand shifts instinctively, as if to feel it again. Another tiny movement answers him, and this time, he actually gasps.
“Fuck,” he breathes, awe written all over his face. “Oh my god.”
I watch his expression change—shock, wonder, something dangerously close to joy—and my heart aches in a way that’s almost painful.
“It’s real,” he murmurs, more to himself than me.
I should pull away. I should remind myself why we’re here. Why I left. Why this is complicated.
But I don’t.
I let his hand stay right where it is. Just for a moment longer.
Because a traitorous part of my brain wonders if this means something. If it’s a sign, like the baby knows him. Like it recognises their dad and is responding to him in a way I can’t explain.
And for these few fragile minutes, we’re connected again.
Not as we were, but more than we’ve been in months.
CHAPTER NINE
KADE
Eden steps out of the building first, tugging her coat around her like she needs the extra layer. The morning air is crisp, biting, but I barely feel it. My chest is still buzzing, like I’ve taken a hit straight to the sternum and somehow survived it.
I follow her onto the pavement.
“Eden,” I say, my voice rougher than I mean it to be. She turns, guarded already, and I hate that the moment we just shared is already gone. “I just . . .” I shake my head once, scrubbing a hand over my face. “That . . . back there. Feeling him or her move.” My throat tightens unexpectedly. “I don’t even have the words for it.”
Her expression flickers. The conflict of her emotions getting the better of her as she struggles to hate me after sharing that.
“I’ve been in gunfights,” I continue quietly. “Buried brothers. Walked away from shit that should’ve killed me.” I swallow.“And I’d do it all over again just to feel that high. Nothing will beat that.”
She says nothing, just watches me like she’s waiting for the catch.
“There’s no doubt in my mind anymore,” I say. “I can’t be without my kid. I won’t be.”
Her brows knit together. “Kade—”
“I know I’ve said things before,” I cut in gently. “I know words don’t mean much coming from me.” I take a step back, giving her space. “So, I’m done talking.”
She stiffens. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m making real changes,” I say. “Not because I want you back. Not because I’m scared of losing you.” My eyes lock onto hers. “Because I need to be here for my child. No matter what that looks like.”
