Sequel • Worth Fighting For
It is commonly known and spoken that time heals all wounds.
But what they don't tell you is that those wounds remain, leaving behind a plastic film of torment and affliction with those subconscious memories nudging you l...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Savannah James
It was growing increasingly impossible to find just about anything to distract myself with in Nathan's office. I ran my fingers across the dusty books, placed mostly for decoration as per his father Patrick's anecdotal mention before his retirement.
I would once remember when walking into this office made me feel at ease. With Nathan, despite our connection, I was always on edge in coming to see him. Whether it was a good feeling or not, I couldn't tell.
"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind or are you going to continue just touching everything?" His smirk followed my absentminded turn to face his voice. He leaned back in his chair and stopped his typing, "you said you wanted to tell me something."
My hair was overtly unruly as I tucked a piece that had fallen behind my ear, distracting me even further. I finally perched down onto the arm of the chair I could specifically recall sharing an intimate moment with him on. My body retreated from it instinctively, forcing me to stay standing.
"Do you remember me telling you about Riley's father?"
"You've never really mentioned her father—ever. I didn't think it was something you liked discussing." He would be correct if that certain person wasn't back in my life again.
"I don't," I opted to sit on the chair opposite his, one we had not yet spent time together on, "but he's recently come back into the picture and I just wanted you to know that."
"Is there still anything there - between you two I mean? I'm just assuming this is why you're telling me."
I swallowed hard yet attempted to feign anything but the truth, "It's not the same as it was when we were together. He's just here for Riley and that's how it's going to stay." Lying to myself was more difficult than I had initially thought.
Josh and I had already shared something more than a child when he kissed me a week ago. And now I knew that despite that lack of transparency with Nathan, it was probably in the best interest to tell him who Josh was to me, and who he was to Riley.
He stood up from his chair and rounded the desk, his palms soon finding my jawline and resting there, holding me close.
"Your life with Riley is important to me, but what you tell me about her life is your choice. I'll still be here when you finally do." With his angelic words, he leaned closer, bringing his lips to rest against mine in growing seconds until I spoke again, interrupting the moment.
"It's Josh."
He paused, still holding my cheeks.
"Josh is Riley's father—" I faltered as Nathan took a berated step backwards, away from me and dropping his touch. "We were together during high school and college and—"
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
I could tell Nathan's mind was working quicker than most, tracing every moment that we spent with Josh, unknowing to the fact of our history. I could only imagine Madison would be thinking the same. We had all sat across from each other at dinner, our other halves non the wiser while we silently deliberated who would be picking our child up from school the next day.
