Second time lucky

15

"Consider it granted!" His voice echoed from somewhere close behind me and I didn't need to turn to know it was him.

I had listened to that voice like it was my favorite song for three years, and then called his phone repeatedly just to listen to it all over again when he was gone.

I felt the ache in my chest, the loneliness, the pain, as if it were still fresh and new. My heart had already been battered by Kyle today and now Riley was suddenly back, evidently to finish me off and shatter it to pieces.

"Hey Britt." I heard him say but I still refused to move or turn to face him.

Everyone had gone silent, the twins were staring behind me with huge smiles on their faces as I felt the breakdown coming. My emotions were a stream at the top of a rock face, and this was the final push it needed to crest over the rock and fall.

"Mama are you okay?" Emelia asked me looking concerned.

"Yeah baby." I smiled as she waved behind me and Riley took a step forward, giving me a brief glance at his back until I felt like I was suffocating. "I need a minute." I excused myself as I ran back into the house.

My lip was trembling as I stepped into the house, catching the end of the conversation that had erupted from outside.

"So what are your names?" Riley had asked.

"I'm Connor and this is Emelia, who are you?" Connor had spoken suspiciously.

"Well Connor, Emelia, I'm you daddy." I heard Riley choke out as I closed the door and disappeared to the last place anyone would look for me.

......

Riley Pov

I don't know what I had expected when I came back here. To be completely honest I didn't really plan it out, I just grabbed some things and left, her note was engrained in my mind, the words 'I'm pregnant' a constant reminder that I had fucked up in the most unforgivable way.

It had been three and a half years since the trial. I had known she was pregnant at the hospital, but I had assumed it was his. The way he tended to her, comforted her, wasn't in a friendly way. It was reasonable for me to assume she had moved on, and yet I still chose to ignore her pleas to let her explain.

What a mistake that was.

That note had been in my bag since I left for college, meaning that either she had cheated, which was something Britt would never do, or the pregnancy that had spiraled me into a depressive state, was because of me.

I didn't really think when I saw the cars in the driveway and walked around into the back yard. I could see her, sitting with Kyle, her brother, and some other woman, as two small kids hugged Kyles legs.

She didn't see me and based on the look on her face the conversation she was having with the woman didn't appear to be going well, but she seemed to be holding herself well. She was stronger now, more in control of herself, almost as if nothing could break her anymore.

Levi had caught my eyes as I stood at a distance behind them and gestured with his eyes that I needed to leave, and the moment I saw her put her hands on Kyles face and kiss his lips I knew he was right.

This wasn't the time for hashing out past issues, and watching her kiss him had opened up the wound that I had been numbing with alcohol for the last three years. Still I owed it to my family, and to her, to let them enjoy their party. It was obviously for the children, although I still had no idea which one was mine.

Anna found me in my room not long after I came inside, a look of shock and excitement on her face as she crushed me in a hug.

"I've missed you so much Riley!"