The Wright One

DEX

She got pregnant. She went through it all alone. I wasn’t here for her. I was a chicken shit too scared to tell her brother that I was in love with his little sister. The woman has been on my mind every day since I left. I regretted every minute I was away from her. That’s why I came back. I needed to be here with her again.

I watched her drive off with all her venom. I could tell that she was hurt. When I come back into the house I see her mother with my son. A son I never knew about until ten minutes ago. He looks a lot like me. Mostly her, but I can see me there too. He has a big smile on his face as he shows his grandma a car.

I want to meet him and spend time with him but first I have to talk with Braden, how the hell could he have not told me his sister had a kid. In three years he never mentioned his nephew. Not one word.

I grab Braden and drag him out back. I push him a little. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that your sister had a kid?”

He folds his arms over his chest. “Why the hell would you want to know?”

I glare at him. I can see it. He resents me. He knows. “You know.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I am probably the only one that does. She didn’t tell a single person. But I didn’t miss that she was pregnant roughly around the night of the party when you both just disappeared. Or that the next day you left town like your ass was on fire. Or when that baby was born and he looked just like you. You are my best friend, did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“I didn’t fucking know. She never said anything to me.”

“Why would she? You left. Obviously you never called, you just left her. How could you do that to her?”

“How could you not tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?”

I sigh. “What was I supposed to say? I slept with your sister because I have been in love with her since I was fifteen. She is your little sister. You know as well as I do that I was never good enough for her.”

He glares at me. “What did you say to her out there?”

“I asked who the father was.”

He scoffed. “Really you couldn’t tell.”

“I wanted to hear her say it.”

“She doesn’t owe you anything. She has been doing it alone for the last three years. Why did you come back?”

“I came back for her.”

“You said it was a transfer.”

“I asked for the transfer. I can’t live without her. Did you really think I would transfer to this town to be a rookie again if I could be somewhere else. Please, I am begging you to understand. I know this is fucked up. But Mia is it for me. She always has been. I know I can’t continue to live my life without her. With things the way that they are, I know I can’t do this without you.”

Braden looks at me for a minute and sighs. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. But you know how stubborn she is. She hasn’t told a soul who that baby’s father is, I doubt she is going to welcome you with open arms. You are going to have your work cut out for you.”

“She didn’t even tell her friends?”

“No one. Most of her friends bailed after high school. She has a couple hanging around, but she just said it was a guy that left. I know because her best friend is my girlfriend. She would have told me if she knew who the daddy was. Actually she was really pissed about not getting a name. It’s a thing.”

I gulp. “Well, I think I am going to spend some time with my son.”

“Hugh is a good kid. Smart too.” He smiles. “You’ll like him.”

“I would have liked him anyway.”

Walking back into the house I see my son playing with the car by himself. I am sure his grandma is getting him a snack. I come and sit on the floor next to him. “What do you got there, little man?”

He smiles up at me. “Car.” He shows it to me.

“Wow, that is a cool car, show me how it works.” He starts rolling it back and forth on the floor, making little vroom noises as he does it. I don’t miss that it is a little cop car either.

A shadow falls over us. “You two look so much alike. It’s uncanny.” Mrs. Carthow mutters. “You would think you were the dad.”

I laugh it off. “Well, he is a smart looking kid.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Braden scoffs. “Yeah, sure.” I glare at him. I can’t tell his mom until Mia is ready. I’m not going to throw all this at her at once. That would be an even bigger dick move.

Mrs. Carthow changes the subject. “So, you were transferred here, isn’t that like a step down in law enforcement?”

I shrug. “Yeah, kind of. I actually just wanted to come home. I missed having a small town life.”

Mrs. Carthow groans. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. A lot of people turned their backs on Mia when she got pregnant with Hugh. News travels fast. She got pegged as a slut and hardly anyone talks to her anymore. We were in the supermarket last week and I heard people muttering about it. Sometimes I wish she would move out of this town, but then I wouldn’t see Hugh and her as often and I don’t want that either. I just hate that people talk about her like that.”

I can’t help the shame that sits in the pit of my stomach. “So she hasn’t been with anyone since she had him?”

Mrs. Carthow laughs. “Oh, there have been guys, but they don’t respect her. Or could care less about Hugh. She cuts them loose. She’s a smart girl and doesn’t want to be caught up in a mess again.”

That makes the pit turn into lava. Who the fuck are these guys that planned on moving in on my family? Braden chuckles. “Actually there is this guy that seems pretty nice. He asked her out last week. I’m not sure if she said yes or not. She said she was thinking about it. He’s from money, but he seems decent enough.”

Mrs. Carthow smiles. “Well, that would be nice. She deserves to be happy. She’s been struggling the last few years.”

I just stare at my son and wonder where the hell I went wrong. It could have all been mine. I would have made her happy. I would have loved her. I wouldn’t have missed so much with my son. He doesn’t even know who I am. He should be calling me Daddy, now I am some stranger. A stranger to the family that should have been mine.