by Faye Byrd
The next thing I know, there’s a man entering the room with two coffees. “Who are you?” he asks, stopping in his tracks.
“I’m Cameron’s father. Who are you?” I raise my head and look around the room.
His eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
Just then, Easton sits up with a quiet moan. When she notices the man, she smiles, but her brows also furrow. “Maddox, what are you doing here?”
The fucker beams as if she just raised the sun “Morning, Easy. Ryder told me Cameron was doing better, so I hope it’s okay that I stopped in.” He lifts one of his hands toward her. “I brought coffee.”
“Thank you.” She spares me a side-glance as she gets up and goes over to him, taking the cup he’s offering. “Maddox, I’d like you to meet Trystan. He’s Cam’s biological father.”
She turns to me. “Trystan, this is Maddox Rochester. He’s a contractor for my design firm.”
Filing that little tidbit away, I rise and hold out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Maddox,” I enunciate his name and grip his hand firmly.
A little too firmly.
The pussy winces.
He turns back to Easton, effectively cutting me out of their conversation. “I didn’t realize you’d moved forward with contacting the clinic.”
“What clinic?” I ask before Easton can respond. “I didn’t come from a clinic.”
His brow furrows as he looks up to meet my gaze. “But I thought—”
“Maddox,” Easy breaks in, touching him on the arm to gain his attention. “Things are more complicated than we first thought.”
“I can think of one more complication I’d like to add,” I mumble and toss smirk toward Easton.
Maddox sees this and visibly bristles, his eyes flicking between us. “I’m not sure your insinuation is appropriate.”
“I’m not sure it’s any of your fuck—”
“Okay,” Easton interrupts, stepping between us with narrowed eyes. “I think we’ve gotten way off base here.” She gives that fucker an apologetic look. “Maddox, this isn’t the sperm donor for Cam. This is Cam’s biological father, and he has my biological son.”
The fucker’s brow furrows. “What?”
“It seems there was a mistake”–I snort, but she rolls her eyes and continues–“when the boys were born. They were somehow exchanged before they received their ID bracelets. Cameron is Trystan’s biological son. And his son, Blake, is the child I conceived with a donor.”
His jaw drops.
“Oh, Easy. I had no idea. This must’ve been a horrible time for you.” He puts his arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine your grief.”
She steps from under his arm as soon as it’s socially acceptable. “Thank you, Maddox, but we’ve been trying to keep it as quiet as possible. Trystan only learned yesterday and has already stepped up.” She gives me a secretive smile, and I can’t thank her enough for not calling me out for the ass I’ve been in front of this jerk.
I walk over and slink my arm across her shoulders, smirking at the fucker. “Yes, Easton and I have been working hard to come to terms with this situation.” I pull her a little closer. “I think we’re going to be just fine, though.”
Easton peers up to me with a mini-glare. “There are things still to be figured out, but I think the worst is behind us.”
Maddox nods. His eyes narrow on where my arm rests before settling on Easton. “If there’s anything I can do, please, just ask.”
I clear my throat. “I think the most we can hope for right now is privacy to work through this. It’s a pain that no one else can understand.” I make sure to keep my voice even as to not sound like the asshole I’m purposely being.
The fucker knows it, too, but so does Easton. She steps away from my arm and sits the coffee she never even took a sip from on a table in the corner. “Thank you for offering,” she says to Maddox as she walks back toward where he’s standing, “but Trystan is right. This is going to be a huge adjustment for us, and Cameron being sick only complicates matters even more.”
He spares me a glance before stepping closer to her and lowering his voice. “You have my number. If you need anything, I’m always available for you.”
“Can you assist her in providing a same-parent sibling for Cameron?” I snap, unable to handle the way he’s hitting on her right here in front of me.
Easton sighs, but the fucker’s eyes jump to mine. “What?”
Trying to change the subject, Easton says, “Don’t mind him, Maddox. Thank you fo—”
“Because I fucking can,” I say with determination and a side helping of snide. “Easton and I will try anything if there’s a chance it will save our son.”
11 NO PASSING
EASY
My mouth gapes at Trystan’s admission.
“But … but …” Maddox sputters before finding his voice, though it’s high-pitched, almost hysterical. “You can’t be serious!”
My fiery focus swaps from one asshole to the other. “Why not?”
His eyes go wide, and his jaw drops. “Easy, you’ve only just met this guy. You can’t possibly be considering having a baby with him. That’s crazy!”
My arms cross over my chest in a show of defiance. “That’s funny since we already have two children together.”
He moves closer, gripping my arms and looking me in the eye. “As your friend, I ask you to please think this through first.”
I huff. “Did it ever occur to you that I might’ve already thought it through? Or am I considered so emotional that I can’t think rationally?”
“It’s only been a day. You couldn’t have possibly had enough time to make a decision like that,” he says and releases me to grip his forehead. “My God, Easy, just think. Think it through first.”
“While I appreciate your concern, Maddox, it’s frankly none of your business,” I say, doing the best I can hold my temper.
Trystan’s standing there, his head volleying back and forth as if he’s watching the most engrossing game of tennis ever. The smirk on his lips tells me he accomplished his objective, but little does he know, Maddox’s opinion means nothing to me.
Maddox sighs and speaks, but this time he’s much more resigned. “I’m sorry. It may not be my place, but I’m just trying to be a good friend.”
My stance softens since he isn’t trying to dictate my decisions. “It’s just an idea that we’ve discussed. Nothing’s written in stone. Cameron has other blood relatives now that will also come in for testing, but I refuse to rule out this option.”
He looks to me once more, his eyes pleading. “Just please think long and hard before making a decision. This is one you won’t be able to walk away from if you decide to follow through.” He glances at Trystan. “Either of you.”
Trystan, not one to stay quiet for long, steps closer and looks directly at Maddox. “I’ve already made my decision. It’s completely up to Easton how we proceed from here. But know this”–he leans closer, making sure Maddox is looking into his eyes–”I would never walk away from any child of mine.”
The conversation is interrupted by Cameron. “Hey, you here again?” We all turn to him with sheepish expressions, but his eyes are zeroed in on the father he doesn’t realize he has.
The smile that lights Trystan’s face is breathtaking. He approaches Cam’s bed and sits on the edge. “I sure am, dude. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot of you.”
Cam sits up and shrugs. “Well, I goin’ home soon.”
Trystan leans closer, as if to tell him a secret. “That’s okay. I’ll still come visit you there.” He leans back up. “Guess what?”
“What?” Cam mimics.
“I have a little boy who’s your same age. How would you like it if he came to visit you, too?” Trystan asks.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Maddox’s expression. His lips are pursed as if he just sucked a lemon. I’d probably find a little humor in the situation if Trystan hadn’t used it for his o
wn selfish purposes.
Cam thumbs his chest. “You got a boy like me?”
Trystan reaches over and tousles his hair. “I do. Would you like to meet him?”
Cam smiles and nods enthusiastically. “What his name?”
“Blake,” Trystan answers.
Cam turns to me. “Mama, I gots a new friend named Blake.”
I approach the bed and brush my hand through his hair. “You sure do, baby.”
Maddox clears his throat. “I think I’ll just be going.”
I nod and give him a sad smile. “Thank you for coming, and I’ll take your advice into consideration.”
He nods once and disappears out the door. Once he’s gone, I sit in my usual chair and allow Trystan time with Cam. I think he’s earned it. His smile never wavers as they become fast, easy friends. I find myself wondering if it will be as simple for Blake and me.
I’m almost giddy with anticipation. The last couple of days have been both some of the worst and best all wrapped in one. Trystan hasn’t made things easy, but I think our talk last night helped. Some aspects are still a big blur, but the most important factor is understood between us. What’s best for our sons comes first, and everything else can take a back seat. With Blake set to arrive later today and the hope that Cam will get to go home, I feel like I’m flying on some kind of high.
A high I hope lasts forever–even though I know it won’t.
After Cam’s had breakfast and talked himself out with Trystan, I suggest we take a stroll down the hall. He’s been in bed so much that Dr. Sen’s started encouraging me to get him out of the room on occasion. We take our usual route through the halls, only this time Trystan’s beside us every step of the way.
When we return to Cam’s room, his lunch has already been delivered, along with an extra for me. I help him back to bed and settle his tray in front of him. “Here you go, sweetie.”
“Thank you, Mama. You eatin’ too?” he asks.
“Sure am. I have a tray right over there.” I walk over and grab it, bringing it to his bed.
“What about Trystan? He got somethin’ to eat?”
I’m taken aback that Cameron even cares whether Trystan eats or not. “I don’t know. I don’t think they brought him a tray.” I look over to Trystan. He has his cell up to his ear, walking around, talking into it with a soft voice.
“He can eat wif me,” Cam says, as if that solves everything.
I reach over and caress his cheek. “You’re such a sweet little man, but I think Trystan will be okay. You need to eat and get strong so you can go home soon.”
He fist pumps, Trystan completely forgotten. “Yeah! I goin’ home!”
I chuckle at him. “Soon, baby. Now eat.”
Cam and I sit on his bed; him at the top and me at the foot with the hospital trays between us. Our lunch is as good as any hospital food ever is, and we chat while we eat. Afterward, I put the TV on Nickelodeon so Cam can settle down for his nap. Grabbing a design magazine from my bag, I move back to the convertible chair I’ve been sleeping in.
When Trystan gets off the phone, he returns to his seat only a couple of feet away. Cameron doesn’t even look our way as his eyes have already grown heavy. “That was Cooper, my brother. Their flight boards in ten minutes.”
I smile and brush a random curl behind my ear, my hand shaking uncontrollably. “I can’t wait,” I say softly.
He reaches over and grabs my quivering fingers. “Hey, calm down. It’s okay. You have nothing to be nervous about. Blake is going to love you and you him.”
I take a deep breath and allow his words to soothe me. “I hope you’re right.”
“Trust me, I am.” He gives me a gentle smile, and I start to believe that maybe he is.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” I ask, pulling away, breaking the intimacy of his touch.
“Right,” he says, settling back in his seat. “Their flight is scheduled to arrive at six thirty. I thought you might have someone else sit with Cam and meet us at my hotel room a little later?”
Hearing Trystan and hotel in the same sentence scares me, but when I picture that beautiful boy from Trystan’s phone, it all fades away. This is about him, not some game of chase his dad and I are playing.
“Sounds like a good plan. It won’t be a problem to have someone sit with Cam. What hotel and time?” I ask.
He uses a pad from the side table to jot down the information, including his cell number. I take it and grab my purse. Digging through it, I pull out my phone and punch in Trystan’s number.
At the ring from his pocket, he realizes what I did and smirks. “Just what I was hoping for.” With a wink, he starts saving my number. When he’s finished, he looks to me again. “I’ll text you when we leave the airport. In the morning, we’ll all come visit with Cam. Coop intends to get tested while he’s here, and it’s something I haven’t done yet so we’ll both go then.”
My eyes widen at the reminder. “Have you even been swabbed for the DNA test?”
He shakes his head. “I haven’t, and I will, but there’s not even an inkling of doubt in my mind.”
“But what if, Trystan?” I ask, my stomach knotting. “I thought I’d already heard all the bad news before, and a whole new pile was heaped on me. I don’t know if I could handle another surprise. It scares me.”
“Easton,” he says, and the tone of his voice only tightens the knot. “That beautiful boy lying asleep over there in that bed is mine. Period. Trust me on this. I know I’ve got a lot more to earn, but on this one thing, I want you to trust me. Please.”
I can do nothing but nod. My lips won’t allow me to speak, and my eyes avoid even a glance in his direction. I get up and busy myself straightening the room. I check on Cam and make sure his covers are tucked tight. When I’m done there, I find myself searching for something else to occupy my hands. I can’t trust myself to be close to him right now.
“Easton.” His voice is low, seductive. “Please, sit back down. I don’t bite.” I allow my eyes to find his, and what I see there is a contradiction to his words. He does bite, and I’d be a fool to let it slip my mind.
I take a deep breath and remind myself that I can do this. I can handle Trystan Ashby. But can I really? It was easy when he was acting like an arrogant asshole, but the soft, caring father in front of me …
I’m not so sure.
On shaky legs, I make my way back to my chair and busy myself by refolding the blanket that’s perched on the arm. My eyes focus intently on my task, afraid to face him, even when I finally take my seat. The atmosphere in the room has notched up a noticeable degree.
With the lighting low and no Cameron as a barrier, I’m unusually vulnerable. For some reason, last night felt so different than today. Then he was making a case, begging to set things right. With the important decisions agreed upon, the one that remains is most frightening of all. I can’t help but think he’ll pull every trick in the book to bend me to his will.
He pulls his chair closer, impossibly close. His knee brushes mine, and I shiver involuntarily. My eyes remain locked on my fidgeting hands, refusing to give in. His hand comes into my periphery, making its way to mine. With his middle finger, he traces the vein up my arm. When my shirt sleeve becomes an obstacle, he skips to my face. His fingers encase my chin and force me to face him.
His eyes are dark and seductive in the low light, and the way his tongue runs across his bottom lip causes a swell of anticipation to lodge in my chest. He releases my chin, but I don’t look away, I can’t. I’m frozen, waiting for what he’ll do next. One knuckle makes its way up my cheek before his hand spreads and grips the side of my head, pulling me closer.
He leans over with his lips to my ear and begins speaking in a low, raspy voice. “You know I’m going to fight dirty, right? I’m going to touch and tease as much as you’ll allow. The decision is completely yours, and I’ll honor whatever you decide, but I’ll also do my very best to sway you to my way of thinking. I won’t make
it easy.”
Before I can respond, a throat clears near the doorway. Trystan is unfazed. He pulls back only slightly, giving me a gaze so intense it jumbles my insides, before he retreats to his seat. When I’ve sufficiently calmed my breathing, I snap my eyes to the intruders. Weston and Ryder are standing there. One is gaping, and the other is smirking.
I jump up and go to greet them. “Weston! Ryder! Come in.” My voice is way too high-pitched, and my heart is hammering inside my chest. “We were just … ” My words trail off because I have no idea, but judging by the looks I’m getting, their minds are made up. I shake it off. “Anyway. I have someone I want you to meet.”
Weston makes a show of leaning over and getting an eyeful before focusing back on me. “It would be my pleasure.”
Ryder chuckles and rolls his eyes behind Weston’s back. “I have to admit, this isn’t what I expected. After the way Maddox acted … ” He pauses, and his eyes jump to mine. “Never mind. I see exactly what the problem is.”
“Maddox?” I repeat, my hand going to my hip. “Are you saying he has something to do with this visit?” I glance at Weston, who’s already looking hurt. “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”
Weston’s eyes widen slightly, and it only takes a moment before I feel his presence behind me. Trystan’s hand launches into the empty space. “Hi. I’m Trystan Ashby, and you are?”
“Oh, my,” Weston says, his hand landing on his chest. I’d laugh if my nerves weren’t already so frayed. Guess it runs in the family.
Ryder takes Trystan’s hand, shaking his head at Weston. “Don’t mind him. The name’s Ryder Logan, Easy’s business partner, and this here’s her Irish Twin, Weston Wilder.”
Weston gasps and pushes Ryder’s hand aside so he can latch onto Trystan. “I can introduce myself.” Pumping like mad, he says, “I’m Weston. And it sure is a pleasure meeting you.”
