Fool Me Once

“You okay?” Keegan asks, stepping forward and wiping the lingering wetness from under my eyes. The act feels so intimate, but it shouldn’t. We created a baby. You can’t get any more intimate than that.

“She’s fine,” Brenton grunts. “I’m sorry, Blakely,” he says to me. “I’m just worried.”

“About me?” Keegan asks incredulously. “Because I’m pretty sure you’re the one making her cry.”

“This is between Blakely and me,” Brenton volleys back.

“And it’s about Blakely, our son, and me,” Keegan states. It shouldn’t be what I focus on in this moment, but my thoughts linger on our son. He’s only known about Zane for less than twenty-four hours and he’s already accepted Zane as our son. My heart thumps against my ribcage. Zane has a family.

Brenton starts to argue, but I cut him off. “Stop, please. I appreciate you looking out for me, and I know this is all going to take some time, but what I need is for you to be supportive. Zane looks up to you, and he’s going to observe how you react to his dad. If you can’t be on board, then…” I let my words linger, not wanting to make threats, but also needing Brenton to understand that Keegan isn’t going anywhere.

“Fine,” Brenton says, throwing his hands in the air. “We need to get to class.”

“I’ll be right there,” I tell him. His eyes bug out in annoyance. It’s just going to take time, I tell myself. Brenton has been the only guy in our lives for the last three years. This is a lot for everyone to deal with.

He stomps away like an angry child, and Keegan snorts. “You sure you don’t have two kids?”

I whirl around to face him, my hand going to my hip. “Don’t be like that. Brenton has been there for me since Sierra and I moved here. He’s been the only male figure in Zane’s life, and he’s been a damn good friend to me.”

“He wants in your pants,” Keegan states dryly.

“No, he doesn’t,” I argue. “He’s just protective.”

“He wants in your pants,” he repeats.

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree. Were you looking for me?”

“I was on my way to class.” Keegan looks around. “Where’s Zane?”

“I already dropped him off.” When I point to the building, I remember the flyer I’m holding. “His school is having a ‘take your parents to school’ day next week. Maybe after you meet him and we tell him you’re his dad, you can come?”

I extend my hand, and Keegan takes the piece of paper from me. After a few seconds of reading the details, he says, “I would really like that.”

“Cool. I better get to class. Your brother is teaching the lecture today.”

“I can’t even imagine what was going through your head when you saw him.” Keegan chuckles good-naturedly.

“I know I only knew you for a few days, but when I saw him and we spoke, in some weird way, I knew he wasn’t you.”

Keegan steps closer to me, encroaching on my personal space. “Because you knew deep down I could never forget you.” He runs his fingers down the side of my cheek, stopping at my chin, and a shiver breaks out throughout my body. “Everything about that time we spent together was unforgettable.”

My eyes close of their own accord, and my cheek leans into his hand that’s still lingering on the side of my face. It would be so easy to get lost in this man. To pick up where we left off. But that’s not what Zane needs. That’s not what I need. He needs a dad. I need a degree.

When I open my eyes, Keegan’s face is millimeters from mine. His lips are so close—too close. His gaze is fixed on my lips. He wants to kiss me, but he’s waiting for permission.

“Keegan,” I whisper, my voice coming out breathless. “We can’t do this.” I back away from his touch, and his hand falls. “What we had… It was fun and reckless, and I’ll never regret it because it gave me Zane, and he’s my entire world. But it wasn’t the beginning of something. I have Zane and my degree I need to think about. My sister has been busting her ass to help me so I can get a degree and provide for my son. I’m not about to risk that to date someone—even if that someone is the father of my son. Hell, especially because you’re the father of my son.”

“Our son,” he corrects. “Are you telling me for the last four years you haven’t dated at all?”

“Yep.” I nod vehemently. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. I’m not going out and hooking up with guys while my sister works fifty to sixty hours a week to pay our bills so I can get a college education like I wanted. If it weren’t for her, I would’ve either given Zane up for adoption or been living somewhere shitty working full-time to barely make ends meet. I couldn’t have done these last four years without her.”