Page 27 of Fighting Our Forever

Chapter Eighteen

Ryan

“Yes, Brenna,” I answer, my eye’s already twitching with the knowledge of being on the phone with this woman.

“Ryan. How are you?” My ex says in her fake-nice voice. The woman cares about herself, and no one else.

“You haven’t cared about how I am in a year and a half. Why are you calling?”

“We have a few things we need to discuss.”

“Wrong. We have absolutely nothing to discuss. In fact, the only reason we’re talking now is I’m tired of your number popping up on my phone. Stop calling me.”

“I would have if you would have answered one of the first times I called. We need to talk in person. Meet me at Charlie's for lunch. One o’clock today.”

“Why in the hell do you think I’d agree to that?”

“If you want to meet your son and have a chance at custody, I’d get your sweet ass to Charlies at one.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? We don’t have-” Stupid fucking bitch, she just hung up on me. I stare at the phone, shocked speechless for the first time in my life. My head is spinning with all the what ifs and possibilities. Do I have a son?

I pull up to Charlie's an hour later and can’t decide what I want to be true when I get in there. How could she not have told me that I have a son? I wouldn’t put it past her to tell me the kid is mine to get money from me. What will this mean for Callie, Paul and me?

I get out of my truck, needing to face whatever the outcome is. Putting my past behind me so I can move forward with my future.

I walk in and spot her immediately, sitting next to a baby in a high chair, paying the kid zero attention. She keeps staring at her phone, while he tries getting her attention by gurgling and slapping his hands on the table. The closer I get, the more my heart begins to break for him and wants to save him from her.

When I’m in front of him, he reaches his chubby little arms up to me. I’m instantly pissed. Is my kid so starved for attention that he’ll let anyone hold him? What a selfish bitch. There is no way she’ll be sharing custody with me. Brenna will be lucky if she gets visitation.

Holding my son close to my chest, he wraps his arm around my neck and holds me back. God, I hope he didn’t spend the first months of his life being ignored by her. She’s a selfish bitch, but she couldn’t have ignored this face, could she?

I clear my throat as I sit, getting her attention from whatever is so interesting on her phone.

“Oh good, you’re here. I see you’ve met Rush. He’s cute, just like his daddy. Looks just like you.”

“Brenna, why are you just now telling me I have a son?” I say through clenched teeth, barely containing the fury roiling through my veins.

“I didn’t think you’d want him.” She snaps at me.

“That’s bullshit. You know I wanted a commitment, that’s why you left in the first place. You’ve got to know I wouldn’t have abandoned my child, even if we didn’t work out.”

“Whatever. Look, I wasn’t sure if he was yours or not. I took a chance and went with the guy who wanted to take care of me the way I was accustomed to. He knew I wasn’t faithful in the beginning, but he looked past it, wanting to look like the perfect couple. He wanted a DNA test when Rush started getting older, and his dark hair didn’t match our blonde.

Well, the test proved he wasn’t the father. He was pissed, but I thought he’d get over it. He didn’t. He says if I don’t get rid of Rush, we’re over. I figured you might want him. So, before I gave him up for adoption, I called you.”

“I’m sorry. Did you just say that you were going to give our son up for adoption? You’re going to give your child to a stranger, so the guy you’re fucking is happy? What the fuck is wrong with you?” I shout at her.

She winces, but then glares at me, pointing her finger in my face. “Don’t you dare yell at me, Ryan. This is my choice. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m not fit to be a mother. He is needier than I thought a child would be. I can’t love him the way he needs to be, and Gary wants nothing to do with him now that he knows Rush isn’t his.”

I can’t believe this is happening. This morning I was in bed with my world. I was planning our future and happy. Now? Now I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do with a son. Oh, there’s no doubt he’s mine. If you placed our baby pictures side by side, you’d say we were brothers.

Rush begins to cry in my arms, and I instinctively begin rubbing his back, and he soon settles down.

I look up at Brenna, and she’s smiling. “Aww, see, he just needed his daddy’s touch. I have a feeling about this, it’s going to be good, you’ll see.”

“Are you crazy?” She laughs. “No, seriously. Are you on something? How could you be happy right now?”

“I might not be right for Rush, but I know that you are. He belongs with you, not with strangers. You gonna take him?” She asks hopefully.

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