Change of Heart (Fostering Love 2)

Shit.

I sat down at my desk and tried to focus on the bids in front of me.

“Hey, Bram?” Ani called softly from the door to my office an hour later.

Her face looked like she’d been crying, and I had to fist my hands on my lap to keep from rounding the desk to get to her.

“Yeah?” I asked, my heart thumping hard in my chest.

“If”—she drew out the word, looking down at her feet before her eyes rose to me again—“if you changed your mind?” She bit the inside of her cheek and I wanted her to stop. Just stop what she was doing.

I didn’t want to see her like that. Begging. I didn’t want her fucking humbling herself in front of me. I broke up with her. If I decided to grovel, that’s what I should do, but it pissed me off that she was acting like every other woman I’d ever known. Making herself weaker for me. No.

“Stop talking,” I ordered, getting to my feet. My anger was irrational and overwhelming.

“If you wanted to change your mind, I’d—”

“Get the fuck out of my office,” I yelled, the words burning my throat.

A sob left her as she startled, and her eyes met mine for just a second before she ran. A few seconds later, I heard the bells ring as she completely left the building.

“You stupid motherfucker,” Trevor hissed as I dropped back down into my chair, staring blankly at the papers on my desk.

“Get out of here, Trev,” I mumbled, reaching up to smooth my beard.

“She just—”

“I mean it, Trev. Get the fuck out of here.”

“You don’t deserve her, you fucking prick,” Trevor snarled, stepping farther into my office. “I get it, man! You don’t want kids. Fucking good for you.”

“I’m not doing this with you,” I warned, pushing to my feet again.

“Ani just came in here, handing you another chance, practically begging—”

“You think I want her begging?” I bellowed, my chest heaving.

“You want her!” Trev yelled back, looking at me like I was an idiot. “What the fuck are you so afraid of?”

“I don’t want kids!”

“Nice excuse, fucker. Now why don’t you cut the bullshit?”

“I’m done,” I said quietly, shaking my head. I reached forward and scooped the paperwork on my desk into a pile, stuffing it back into a file folder.

“Ani’s not like Kate,” Trev said after a moment.

“Obviously.”

“Kate gave Shane a million chances, and thankfully he finally got his shit together.”

“What’s your fucking point?” I snapped, picking up my thermos and wallet from my desk drawer.

“Ani just gave you another chance, man, which surprised the fuck outta me,” Trev huffed and shook his head. “She’s not going to give you another one.”

He turned and walked out of my office without another word.

“Fuck,” I yelled, throwing my thermos so hard against the wall that it put a huge hole in the Sheetrock.

I hated that she’d come in here making my day go to shit and my head throb. I hated that Trevor saw through me. I hated that I couldn’t go home because I had actual work to do.

I hated that I was so fucked up that I’d given her an ultimatum, essentially asking her to give up her happiness for mine, and she was still looking at me like she loved me.

* * *

My phone rang late that night, pulling me from a restless sleep. “Mom, is everything okay?”

“It’s time, Bram,” she sang happily. “Get up. We need to get to Seattle.”

“What?” I sat up in bed, trying to wake myself up. Seattle?

“Ani’s baby is on its way.”

“Oh, uh—”

“Abraham Daniel,” Mom said sharply, making me silently groan. She and Dad had changed my and Alex’s middle names when they adopted us—with our permission—and whenever she used it I knew she meant business. “This is what we do. When someone in this family is having a baby, we go to the hospital.”

“Not sure that’s a good idea, Mom,” I said quietly, even as I climbed out of bed.

“Son,” she sighed, “I don’t know why you’re so adamant about this, but I’ll respect it.”

“Thank you.”

“But if you don’t go meet Ani’s new son or daughter, you’ll never forgive yourself, and neither will she.”

I swallowed hard.

“I’m on my way. Give me fifteen.”

“Good boy.” She hung up, and I tossed my phone on the bed, going to my dresser to grab some clean clothes.

When I got to my Mom and Dad’s, every light in the house was on, and Uncle Mike’s truck was in the driveway.

“Oh, good, you’re here. Let’s go!” my mom called as I opened the front door. I took a step back onto the porch as the entire family came pouring out of the house. Uncle Mike and Aunt Ellie, my dad, Trevor, and Ani, and then my mom, locking the front door behind her.

“I’ll ride with Ani,” Mom announced.