Page 55 of Flawless

Eden was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, looking sympathetic when she said, “As soon as the doctor confirms it, you need to tell my brother, Rylee. He’s a stand-up guy, and he’s wanted a family forever. He’ll be happy about this, I promise you. And whatever you decide is right for you, co-parenting or⁠—”

“I don’t want to tell him yet!” Eden’s face fell at my emphatic response. “I’m sorry, I know I have to, and I will. But not yet. I need time to process this, to figure out what my life will look like now, what I want before Cam starts telling me what he wants.”

“That’s fair,” Eden said, nodding. “But I don’t want you to go through this alone, hon. You’ve done too much of your life alone. And you’re not alone anymore. You have us and⁠—”

“I appreciate that.” I let the tears fall but swiped them away. Before Cam came into my life, I wasn’t a crier. But he’d cracked open this wellspring of emotion I couldn’t contain anymore. “But I just need some time. Please, can you give me that?”

Eden nodded, looking a little uncertain. “Of course, you’re the one calling the shots.”

A few days had passed since my doctor confirmed I was pregnant. He’d given me instructions, pre-natal vitamins, booked my first ultrasound and sent me on my way, telling me to take it easy and limit stress.

Easier said than done.

I’d been staying busy, trying to block my new reality out of my mind until I was home alone at the end of a long day. That’s when I stood in the doorway of the spare bedroom that got the most natural light and imagined it as a nursery. I walked to the empty closet and in my mind’s eye saw tiny clothes hanging there. A rocker in the corner. Children’s books lining the shelves.

I was determined to give my baby all the love I’d never had growing up. Except I wasn’t in this alone. Cam would have a say in how this child was raised… when I found the courage to tell him he was going to be a daddy.

My cell rang and Easton’s name flashed across my screen. We were supposed to be recording a duet for my new album in the studio tomorrow. He probably wanted to confirm the details.

“Hey,” I said, making an effort to sound normal, like my life hadn’t been thrown into a tailspin. “What’s up, handsome?”

He chuckled. “Sitting home alone, sick to death of my own company. You want to go grab a burger and talk about the plan for tomorrow? I could come there, at that new burger place, just down the street from your building?”

Since I knew how hard it was to be alone with your thoughts, I said, “Sure. Meet you there in fifteen?”

I could hear the relief in his voice when he said, “Sounds good.”

I brushed my teeth, fluffed my hair, added lip gloss and a soft chambray shirt over my black tank and leggings before slipping my feet into a pair of Uggs and grabbing my essentials: keys, purse, and cell phone.

I was just locking up my apartment when I got a text from Cam. The first one since his parking lot plea over a week ago. It was direct and shot straight through my heart.

Missing you.

I deleted it before I was tempted to respond. I knew I’d have to face him eventually, but not until I’d rebuilt those walls he tore down. I needed to shore up my defenses, because being in love with my baby’s daddy, while trying to keep him at a safe distance wouldn’t be easy.

I walked the short distance to the restaurant, knowing Easton would probably insist on driving me home, after dark. He was chivalrous like that. And the past few years he’d become one of my best friends, so if I needed an unbiased male opinion about my current situation, I knew he was my guy. I could have talked to Austin, but he loved Cam, so that made him too invested.

I strolled through the door, and felt the gaze of more than a few patrons. This was Nashville and I was starting to get recognized wherever I went. But I knew once Easton walked in, all eyes would be on him, taking the pressure off me.

I told the hostess I was meeting a friend and she led me to a corner booth in the back of the dimly lit restaurant. It had a cool, music inspired vintage vibe, that appeared to be popular with both locals and tourists, since the place was packed.

I ordered a water and perused the menu while waiting for Easton.

I heard the murmur throughout the restaurant, confirming he’d arrived.

“Hey, you,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek before claiming the seat across from me. “Thanks for meeting me. I’m going stir-crazy at home without Lyla and the kids. Can’t wait to get back out on the road next month.”

Easton managed to balance a busy career with family because he had a wife at home holding down the fort. But how the hell would I manage, doing it all alone? Of course, I wouldn’t be alone. Like Eden said, I’d be co-parenting with Cam, no doubt. But the idea of shuffling our kid back and forth between states didn’t feel like the life of safety and stability I’d imagined for them either.

We placed our order before I sat back and studied my friend. “You look like shit, by the way.” He was gorgeous, with shaggy black hair, light green eyes, scruff, and a muscled physique only enhanced by meaningful ink, but he looked dead tired. “You haven’t been sleeping?”

He sighed before rubbing his hands over his face. “I’ve been spending a lot of time at my bar since it opened. Not wanting to go home to that big, empty house.”

“When are Lyla and the kids coming back?” I asked, leaning in.

His gaze shifted and he started watching strangers walk past the window. “I don’t know.” He cleared his throat. “She’s, uh, not sure she wants to come back, Ry.”

“No.” I sank back against the vinyl seat, feeling the weight of his pain. Family was everything to Easton, and now he was on the verge of losing it? “Why?”