Chapter 44

 

 

 

Luke

 

 

The two cups of coffee in my hands almost tumble to the floor when I walk back into my living room.

Anxiety rips through me.

I’m only self-conscious about one thing, and Afton has her eyes on it now.

I take another step forward, and I don’t know whether it’s the scuff of my bare feet against the hardwood or if she senses I’m behind her, but she turns to look at me.

Tears.

That’s all I see. Tears stream down the cheeks of the woman I love.

I fucking love her.

She gets it. She gets me.

“Luke.” She darts her gaze back to the screen of my laptop. “You did that?”

It’s an admission I’ve only made one time, and that was to Auggie’s mom. She laughed in my face even though it was all for her son.

“Yes,” I say softly.

“I didn’t mean to pry.” She steps closer to me. “But your laptop was open, and the colors caught my eye. It’s amazing, Luke. I’m speechless.”

I don’t have to ask if it’s in a good way because I see that written all over her face.

I set both coffees down on the table before I take the seat next to her. I yank my open laptop onto my thighs. “There are dozens just like this.”

“Dozens?” Her eyes widen. “You’ve written and illustrated dozens of stories for kids?”

“Auggie’s Awesome Adventures.” I laugh.

Her hand runs over the screen of the laptop and the cartoonish figure with the toothy grin and the glasses sitting atop his nose. He’s the central character in every story I’ve dreamed up. “Is that Auggie?”

“That’s him.” I turn to face her. “He’s based on someone I know.”

Her gaze volleys between the laptop and my face. “A Calvetti? Is it a nephew or a cousin’s child?”

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “August is Brooklyn’s son.”

“Oh.” Her eyes search mine. “Just Brooklyn’s? He’s not your son?”

I fucking wish with every cell in my body that I was his biological father.

“No.” I exhale harshly. “She had a one-night stand while we were broken up.”

“I see.”

I go on, so she understands, “Auggie is five. I’ve been in and out of his life the entire time. He’s my little buddy, but since Brooklyn got married, I haven’t seen him.”

Her hand jumps to my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Luke. That must be so hard.”

“It’s brutal,” I admit. “When Brook and I broke up in the past, I missed him, but I knew I’d probably see him again.”

“Because you’d get back together?”

“Yes,” I admit. “I hoped that even with her marriage to Dennis that she’d let me see Auggie, but I don’t know if that will ever happen.”

“If she allowed it, you’d jump at the chance.”

I laugh. “In a fucking heartbeat. I’ve got three new stories ready to read to him. This started when he was a toddler, and he wanted me to read him a bedtime story. I grabbed a notepad and sat down on the floor next to his bed. I drew the pictures to go with the words coming out of my mouth. Then I started using software, and it just went from there.”

Her eyes scan my face. “You really love him.”

“As if he were my own.”

She drops her gaze to the laptop screen. “I hope you’ll get the chance to be a part of his life again.”

“Me too,” I say softly. “Me too.”