Page 93 of I Loved You First

Pulling his phone from his pocket as he headed for the door, he texted his parents in the family text chain. I need to drop Brady off with you for a little while.

His dad responded. Bring him over. Is everything okay?

He wanted to say ‘not even close’ as nausea roiled his stomach. It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. I’ll honk when we get there if you can open the front door for Brady.

Because he had every intention of tracking Fiona down before she and Ally bumped into each other. Maple Ridge wasn’t that big of a place.

Fiona picked up the wrapping paper scraps on her bedroom floor as she studied Brady’s sweet new dinosaur backpack, which she’d filled with surprises for him to discover when he unzipped it.

Dressed in short shorts and a tank top, she grinned, finding herself even more excited to share her gift after spending the last few hours with Melody in her kindergarten classroom.

Putting up bulletin boards and sticking colorful name tags in cubbies and on tiny desks had been incredibly fun. By the time she and Mel had stepped out of the cheerful space, she’d been thrilled that Brady would soon have an incredible “big kid school” experience.

She grabbed the box of Legos she’d snagged when she stopped at the store for razors and a new bottle of shaving cream, wrinkling her nose for getting carried away again. It was safe to say she was a sucker for any project she, Brady, and Cam could do together.

This Lego Creator Kit was slightly advanced for Brady’s age, but with a little help, Brady would do fine. Plus, he would have the option of making three different dinosaurs, which he would love.

Glancing out the window when she heard a vehicle slowing by the house, she smiled when Cam pulled into the driveway.

Heading downstairs, she walked outside, fixing her ponytail as he got out of the truck. “Hey, you,” she said, hurrying down the porch steps. “I was just about to head your way.” But her smile vanished when she noted his clenched jaw and the troubled look in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He steamed out a breath as he met her halfway up the front path. “Ally’s back.”

She felt her eyes widen as she pressed her hand to her heart. Cam could have said just about anything, but she hadn’t expected that. “What?”

He nodded. “She showed up at the house about an hour ago. She says she’s ready to be a part of Brady’s life. Apparently, she has a job interview lined up at a salon down in Boston so she can be closer to us.”

She shook her head, still trying to absorb what Cam was saying. “How’s Brady? Is he okay?”

Cam nodded again as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “He’s fine. He’s with my parents. At this point, he has no idea who she is.”

She settled her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Cam. What can I do to help?”

He shook his head as he shrugged his unmistakably tense shoulders. “I don’t know. Everything’s a fucking mess.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Brady showed me his surprise picture for you. It’s an invitation to be his mom.”

She blinked her shock, taking a step back. “I don’t—I didn’t… Oh.”

“Yeah.” He steamed out another breath as he briefly looked down at the ground. “Brady’s clearly confused, and that’s my fault. I’ve gotten careless. He almost caught us in bed this morning because I don’t have my head on straight. I’ve been more focused on what I want instead of what he needs, and that’s not okay.”

She swallowed because she had no idea what to say to that.

“I think it might be a good idea if we take a couple of steps back,” he continued. “Just until I can get everything figured out. And I don’t know that our trip to the water park is a great idea.”

She nodded as she felt her world starting to crumble like it had so long ago. “That makes sense.”

“I need to make all of this okay for Brady. Ally seeing you and me together right now won’t do him any good.”

She nodded again, trying her best to send him a reassuring smile. Because taking care of Brady’s needs was what mattered most. “Okay.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket, glancing at the screen. “I should go. I need to talk to my parents and get Darius’ number from Ezra. He practices family law, and I want his advice.”

She nodded yet again because the emotion choking her throat made speaking impossible.

Cam made no move to give her a kiss or show her any sign of affection as he walked away and got behind the wheel. Turning over the engine, he tossed her a wave as he backed up.

Sending him a wave, she waited for him to drive off before she turned, blinking rapidly as tears filled her eyes. The sudden rush of nausea and her inability to breathe felt exactly like it had the last time her life had changed without any warning. Because her “simple” friendship with Cam had just come to an abrupt ending.

Heading inside, she hurried upstairs, letting her tears fall when she made it to her room. “Oh God,” she whispered as her gaze landed on the framed shot of her, Cam, and Brady snuggled up at Grandpa’s party.