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I had no intention of going back to that house. He came here looking for me. Lord only knows how he managed to find me.
“Is that why you’re here? To make sure I didn’t come looking for Jackson again?”
He shakes his head. “No. I’m here because I want to meet Kellan.”
I bark out a laugh. “Well, I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time then. There’s no way in hell that’s happening.”
He takes a sip of his shake, eyeing me with contempt over the rim. It’s not exactly the reaction I was expecting. He’s too calm, as if what I said doesn’t matter.
“I’ve looked into you, Cara.” He clears his throat, placing the glass back on the table. “You’re a college dropout with pathetic work history. You were married and divorced in your twenties. Given the timing, I’m guessing sleeping with my brother played a role in that.”
I clench my jaw, fighting the instinct to throw the shake in his smug face. My affair wasn’t the reason my marriage to Eric ended; it was over before it even began. Jackson merely gave me the courage to walk away. He made me feel seen again, like I mattered. Only it was a damn lie.
“Not sure if there’s a point to this highlight reel of my failures, but say what you will about me and the life I’ve led. It won’t change the fact that I’m a damn good mother. My son is the most important thing in this world to me. He will always come first.”
He looks dumbfounded as I scoot to the edge of the booth, probably not used to people standing up to him. Money gives people a false sense of power.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ve entertained this long enough,” I huff, throwing his words back at him.
He reaches across the table and grabs my arm as I try to stand, but it’s the vulnerability behind his eyes that keeps me seated. “Wait. Can we start over? Please.”
His plea is strained as if it physically pains him not to be an asshole, and a smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “All right. I’m listening.”
“You’ve been raising Kellan on your own all this time. I know that couldn’t have been easy for you. I assume you showed up at my doorstep because you need help. The kind I can easily provide. All I’m asking for in return is the chance to know my nephew. To be a part of Kellan’s life.”
“Okay, it kind of sounds like you want to pay me to spend time with my kid—which isn’t creepy at all—but my answer is still no.”
“You’re being unreasonable. I’m the boy’s uncle.”
I roll my eyes with a dramatic sigh. “That may be true, but I didn’t even know you existed until yesterday. To him, you’re nothing more than a stranger.”
“He’s all I have left of my brother.” The sorrow in his voice causes a crack in the ice surrounding my heart.
Incredible. Even after all his poor behavior, he’s still managed to make me feel sorry for him. “Fine. I’ll talk to Kellan. If he agrees, you can meet him.”
