Page 92 of One Reckless Night

I hesitated. “No. I didn’t.”

He shook his head. “Jared, you’ve got to fix this. Regardless of whether you two end up together, you owe it to her to make things right. And you owe it to yourself. You don’t want the mother of your child to hate you. I’m guessing that can’t be good for the baby.”

I knew he was right. But the thought of facing Amelia, of laying everything out on the table, made my chest squeeze in a way that was physically painful. I wasn’t used to being vulnerable. I wasn’t used to admitting I was wrong.

Shawn picked up the file and held it out to me. “Here’s your chance. Take this to her. Ask for her opinion. And while you’re at it, tell her you’re sorry. See what happens.”

I took the file, my fingers tightening around the edges. “What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?”

“Then you respect that,” Shawn said. “But at least you’ll know you tried.”

“I don’t think I can tell her I’m going to be a good husband or boyfriend or father.”

Shawn leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and gave me that look—the one that always made me feel like he could see right through me. “You don’t have to promise her any of that, Jared. You don’t have to have all the answers. Hell, you don’t even have to know what the hell you’re doing. That’s not what this is about.”

I frowned, gripping the file tighter in my hands. “Then what is it about?”

“It’s about being honest,” he said simply. “About admitting you screwed up. About showing her you’re willing to try, even if you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. You don’t have to walk in there and tell her you’re going to be the perfect father or boyfriend or whatever. You just have to tell her you care. That you want to be there for her and the baby. That’s it.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “That’s it? Shawn, I don’t even know if I can do that. I don’t even know if I want that.”

“Bullshit,” he shot back. “You wouldn’t be sitting here, agonizing over this if you didn’t care. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now, Jared. You just have to want her. And the rest? You figure it out together.”

I stared at him, his words bouncing around in my head. It felt like he was telling me to solve world hunger. It was so foreign to me.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Just take her the file. Go from there. Doctor’s orders.”

“Thanks.”