Secret Baby for the Silver Fox: A Brother's Best Friend Contemporary Romance by Riley Hartman

Author:Riley Hartman [Hartman, Riley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-09-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter ten

Mark

I stand outside Leila's apartment door, bouncing nervously from one foot to the other. This is the first time I've been up here, and knowing my son is waiting to meet me on the other side of this door makes me nervous. She told me she's already spoken to him about me, making me even more uneasy.

What if he doesn’t like me?

What if he realizes how messed up I am and wants nothing to do with me?

What if I screw this up so bad that I never get a second chance?

But…

What if he likes me?

What if he wants to see me again?

What if he calls me Dad?

With renewed hope, I raise my hand and knock on the door.

Padded footsteps draw closer to the door, and Leila pulls it open. She has on a pretty sleeveless dress that, for some reason, she's paired with bright yellow socks. Her hair is up in a messy bun, with stray strands slipping out and framing her beautiful face. She also has some paint on her face but still looks stunning.

“Mark, hey. Come on in,” she says nervously, moving to the side so I can pass through.

I hesitate, my nerves getting the best of me.

"Hey, do you think I look okay? I mean, is he going to like me? What does he even like? Games? Toys? Cause I–"

"Hey, relax. He's just as nervous to meet you too, and I know you'll be great." Her reassuring smile soothes me, and I walk into her apartment with my own smile.

She walks me through the brightly painted living room to the dining where he sits, engrossed in the piece of paper he has in his hand, with painting supplies littered all over the makeshift art table.

That would explain the paint on Leila’s face. They’re painting.

"I'll uh– go make some snacks," Leila says, walking into what should be the kitchen and leaving me with him.

As I walk towards the table, he finally lifts his head to look at me, and my heart starts beating even faster.

His gray eyes scan my face cautiously as he sits in his chair.

He really is my son because the resemblance is uncanny. I almost forgot just how much he looked like me.

"Hey, Jeremy," I say slowly, pulling the chair beside him and sitting down.

“Um… hello,” he responds meekly.

"My name is Mark. I- um, I'm really glad to meet you. I've been so nervous, thinking about what I would say to you, wondering if you'd even like me or want to talk to me. I've been standing outside your door for eight minutes, trying to find the courage to knock." I say nervously, opting to rip the band-aid off and say it the way it is.

I stare at my hands folded tightly in my laps, unable to look up at him, until I hear a sound that jerks my head back up.

Giggling.

He starts to laugh.

He thinks I’m funny.

Maybe there’s hope yet…

"Really? I've been so nervous. I barely even slept last night. I didn't know what to expect, and I really wanted you to like me because I like you.

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