Page 57 of One Little Mistake

I wait until I’m sure he’s fallen back into a deep sleep, then quietly slip out of the bedroom. Tim is still asleep. I watch him for a moment, my heart squeezing with love, then gently lift him into my arms and head for the kitchen.

Doing my best not to make a sound, I prepare a bottle of formula. As if sensing it, Tim blinks open his eyes and lets out a soft whimper.

I move to the living room, settle into an armchair, and feed him, smiling at the way his little nose wrinkles up and how he eats with his tiny eyes squeezed shut.

I jump when I spot Max standing in the doorway. How long has he been there, watching us?

“Morning,” he says, nodding and walking over. “The whole street’s buried in snow. Looks like we’re stuck inside for a while.”

“Yeah, I looked out the window earlier,” I mumble, biting my lip. “Sorry about all this.”

“Stop apologizing. It is what it is. Not like we can change the weather.”

He shrugs. “Besides, you would’ve needed some time anyway to pack your stuff. Oh—” He holds out my phone. “Somebody texted you. Might be your boyfriend.”

My heart skips a beat. I quickly reach for the phone. No need to even unlock it—the message is already there on the screen.

“Hey. What do you mean something happened to him? Far as I know, he’s fine. Should be back from the trip soon.”

Colin’s answer punches the air right out of my lungs.

I stand up, cradling Tim in my arms, the walls spinning around me. I stagger a few steps forward, mind blank, then set the empty bottle down on the side table and instinctively hand Tim over to Max.

“Hold him for a minute. Please.”

Before he can say a word, I rush out of the room and lock myself in the bathroom.

Everything shatters—my strength, my calm, my hope, and even that cold shell of indifference I fought so hard to build.

The dam breaks. My hands tremble. Tears flood down my cheeks. I slap my palm over my mouth to keep the sobs from escaping. Because now I know for sure: Max was right. My Max lied to me.

For some twisted reason, he sent me to the wrong address instead of telling me the truth—that he didn’t want me.

That he didn’t want our baby. That he never planned to build a future with me.

It’s over.

For real this time.

CHAPTER 21

Erin

“Erin, are you okay?”

I flinch at the sound of Max’s voice and his knock on the door. For a moment, I’d completely forgotten I wasn’t alone.

“Yeah, I’ll be right out,” I call back, forcing my voice to sound cheerful.

I quickly turn on the faucet and splash cold water on my face, hoping to wash away any trace of tears.

Max doesn’t say anything else. He stands there for a few seconds, then tells me breakfast will be ready soon before walking away.

I stay put, staring at my reflection in the mirror: pale, thinner than I remember, with dark circles bruising the skin under my eyes.

Am I even beautiful? Could I ever be enough for a man to truly love me? Maybe it’s the awful color of my hair. Maybe it was never meant to be between Max and me from the start.

Am I just... boring? Not smart enough? What’s wrong with me? Why wasn’t I enough to make him stay—to make him want a life with me?

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