Page 163 of Almost Ours
That got a tiny twitch of his lips, but then his face clouded again. He looked down, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve.
“I’m mad at you,” he said finally, his voice small.
The words hit me like a gut punch. “You’re mad at me?” I repeated softly. “Why, buddy?”
His lower lip quivered, but he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the table. “Because you promised.”
“Promised?” I echoed, my heart sinking. “Promised what?”
“You said you were gonna be around forever,” he said, his voice trembling. “You said you’d take care of Mom. That you wouldn’t leave us. But you… you left.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The weight of his words pressed down on me, sharp and unrelenting.
“Connor,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t mean to leave. I’m still here, buddy. I promise I’m still here.”
He finally looked up at me, his big tear-filled green eyes cutting straight through me. “But you’re not here like you were before. You’re not at the house. You don’t come to dinner. You don’t hang out with us anymore. You left, Ryan.”
I swallowed hard, my chest aching. “Connor, I… I didn’t want to leave. I messed up, and your mom needed some space. But I’m trying to fix things.”
His tears spilled over, and he swiped at them angrily, his little face scrunched in frustration. “I miss you,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “You said we were a family. But now we’re not.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table so I was at his level. “I miss you, too, Connor. And I meant everything I said. I care about you and your mom so much. You’re like my family already, and I’m doing everything I can to make things right. I want to be here for you. Always.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his tears still falling, before he finally scooted closer and leaned into me. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight as he buried his face in my chest.
We stayed like that for a while, the pyramid forgotten on the table. And as much as it hurt to see him like this, I knew this was a moment I had to remember–a reminder of how much this kid meant to me and how much I had to fight to make things right.
When Harper walked back in,we were just putting the final touches on the pyramid. Her ponytail had come loose, with more strands falling across her face. Connor practically jumped out of his seat.
“Mom! Look!” he shouted, running over to grab her hand.
She followed him to the table, her eyes widening as she took in the project. “Wow,” she said, a genuine smile spreading across her face. “This looks amazing.”
Connor beamed, clearly proud. “Ryan helped me. He’s the best at stuff like this.”
Her gaze flicked to me, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something there–warmth, maybe even gratitude. “You guys did a great job,” she said softly.
“Thanks,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady even though my chest ached at how natural this moment felt. Like we were a family again, even if just for a fleeting moment.
I cleared my throat, standing up slowly. “I should get going,” I said, even though every part of me screamed to stay.
Connor’s face fell, but he nodded. “Okay. Thanks for helping, Ryan.”
Harper walked me to the door, her expression unreadable. “Thanks again” she said, her voice quiet yet sincere.
“Anytime,” I said, meaning it more than I could ever express.
And then, just like that, I was walking back to my truck, the sound of their door closing behind me echoing in my ears. I had to get home and get ready to meet the guys later. Pretend like the weight in my chest wasn’t there, even if I knew it would follow me no matter where I went.
The pub was already buzzingwhen I walked in, a steady hum of conversation mixing with the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter. Shane and Kyle were at our usual corner table, beers half-finished, deep in conversation. Shane spotted me first, lifting his glass in a mock salute.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” he called out, grinning.
Kyle turned, smirking. “Thought you might’ve bailed, Barzal.”
“Not a chance,” I said, sliding into the chair across from them. The familiar banter was a welcome distraction from the weight that had been pressing down on me lately.
A waitress appeared, flashing me a warm smile. “What can I get you?”
