Page 87 of Not For Keeps
We watch Maya run to show Seb her board again, and Anna threatening to laminate hers. Andres has glue in his hair, and Mari is laughing so hard she’s crying. Nathan’s lounging on the couch, shaking his head as he peels glitter off his jeans.
It’s messy. Loud. A little ridiculous…or maybe a lot. But it’s mine, and I love it.
A knock echoes through the house. We all freeze.
Seb glances around. “Who could that be? We’re all right here.”
Anna frowns. “Unless someone invited Santa, we’re not expecting anyone.”
Maya gasps. “Is it the unicorn I manifested?”
I give her a soft smile, ruffling her curls. “Not this time, mamita.”
I force my feet to move toward the door. When I open it, a blast of cold air hits me—and so does the sight of Nico. He’s standing there, snow clinging to the shoulders of his coat. His jaw is tight, his hands shoved into his pockets.
Mateo is behind me in second. His voice is low and sharp. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Nico’s eyes narrow. “I’m here to see my kid, obviously.”
I step between them, heart pounding. “You can’t just show up here unannounced.”
“I just need to talk to you,” he says, his tone tight. “Ten minutes. That’s it.”
Mateo bristles behind me. I can feel the tension radiating from him. “Analyse?—”
“It’s fine,” I say, cutting him off. I turn back to Nico. “Five minutes. Outside.”
Nico nods, shoulders relaxing slightly.
Mateo steps closer. “You want me to come with you?”
I shake my head. “No. Just stay with Maya, please.”
His eyes search mine, unwilling to let me walk this alone. “You sure?”
I nod. “Yeah.” I lean in and kiss him, lingering just a moment. “I’ll be okay.”
Mateo watches me for a beat longer before stepping back into the warmth of the house. I shut the door behind me, sealing myself into the cold. Snow crunches under our feet as I lead Nico to the edge of the porch. The lights inside spill faintly across the snow-covered yard, but out here, the air bites harder. It’s quiet except for the distant hum of wind through the trees.
“What do you want?” I ask, arms wrapped tightly around myself.
He stands there for a second, rocking on his heels. He blows out a breath, fogging the air between us. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Try the truth.”
His jaw tightens, but then he looks at me with eyes that are softer than I remember. “I’ve been thinking about you. About Maya. About everything.”
I stiffen. “You don’t get to think about us now like we’re some nostalgic memory you can revisit.”
“I know, I know,” he says quickly, holding up his hands. “I just…I’ve changed. I’ve been changing. I’m not the same guy I was back then. I’ve been getting my shit together, finally. And I started thinking, maybe there’s still a chance.”
I blink, confused. “A chance at what?”
He steps closer. “I told you when I came back into town, Lyse. A chance at us. At being a family. I want to be in Maya’s life. And I want to try again with you.”
“And I told you that I have a boyfriend, Mateo. I’m happy. We are happy. There is no trying again with me.”
“Fuck that guy. He’s not the guy for you. I’ve missed you, Analyse. I’ve missed what we had. I still think about the night we danced on the beach. I still remember how you looked the night you told me you were pregnant. Scared. But strong. I was an idiot for leaving, but I want to be the man you and Maya deserve now.”
