Sweet Encounters

Chapter 27

Colin

The city buzzed around me, but I felt like I was in a bubble, the noise muted as I drove toward the café where I was supposed to meet Emily. The weight of the message lingered in my mind, pressing down harder with each passing block.

I hadn't seen her in years, and the memories of our relationship were a mix of warmth and bitterness. As I parked and stepped out of the car, my heart raced-not from excitement but from anxiety. What could she possibly want to say?

Entering the café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit me, but I barely registered it. I scanned the room until I spotted Emily at a corner table, her familiar silhouette sending a jolt of nostalgia through me. She hadn't changed much-her hair still a chestnut brown, cascading in loose waves around her shoulders. But there was something about her demeanor that seemed off, as if she was a stranger wearing the mask of someone I once knew.

I approached the table cautiously, my heart pounding in my chest. "Emily," I said, keeping my tone neutral.

"Colin," she replied, her voice a mixture of relief and apprehension. She gestured to the chair across from her. "Thanks for coming."

I sat down, the tension thick between us. "You said you needed to talk. I got your message."

Her expression shifted, a flash of vulnerability crossing her face. "I know this is unexpected, and I'm sorry for just dropping this on you like that. I didn't know how else to tell you."

"Tell me what?" I pressed, my patience wearing thin. "About the baby?"

She took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly. "Yes. I found out a few weeks ago, and I was terrified. I didn't know how to reach out to you. I thought I could handle it, but then I realized I needed to talk to you. You deserve to know."

"Deserve to know?" I echoed, feeling a surge of frustration. "You think I deserve to be blindsided like this? Why didn't you reach out sooner?"

"I thought I could do it alone," she replied, her voice shaking. "I didn't want to complicate your life or bring you back into my mess. But I'm scared, Colin. I don't know what to do."

"Do you even know for sure that I'm the father?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Yes," she said, her eyes meeting mine with a mix of desperation and determination. "I was with no one else during that time. You're the only one I was seeing."

I leaned back in my chair, the weight of her words sinking in. This was a mess I hadn't anticipated, and the implications were enormous. "Have you thought about what you want to do?" I asked, my voice softer now.

"I don't know," she admitted, tears glistening in her eyes. "I've been overwhelmed. Part of me wants to keep the baby, but I'm terrified. I can barely take care of myself. I can't even imagine raising a child alone."

I felt a pang of sympathy for her, despite the turmoil swirling in my own mind. "What do you expect from me, Emily?" I asked, forcing myself to remain calm. "Do you want me to step in and help? Do you want to co-parent?"

"I don't know," she admitted, shaking her head. "I didn't plan this. I never thought I'd be in this position. But I can't deny that I need your support, whatever that looks like."

I stared at her, grappling with the weight of the situation. "You know I'm with someone now, right? Adrienne deserves to know what's happening."

"I know, and I'm sorry to bring this into your life when things are finally looking up for you," she said, her voice cracking. "But I thought you deserved a choice."