Chapter 2
1162 Words
Jaime
I hadn’t expected to learn that Kevin came over to Keira and Adam’s for dinner as often as he apparently did. A part of me wondered if Keira had orchestrated this whole night—the baby shower, the dinner—just to put me and her brother in the same room again. It wouldn’t surprise me.
After dinner, I helped Keira clear the table, then drifted into the living room. What I found there made me pause.
Kevin was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, a pile of colorful blocks scattered around him. Eliza, ten months old and bursting with babble, was plopping blocks into his big hands while giggling uncontrollably at whatever nonsense he was whispering to her.
Something in my chest ached at the sight. Watching him with Eliza—gentle, patient, completely absorbed—did things to me I wasn’t ready to admit out loud. He looked even more attractive like this. I’d seen the muscles earlier, sure, but this? A man who could hold a baby and make her laugh like that? Dangerous.
I lowered myself onto the floor beside them, reaching for Eliza. “Hey, baby girl. Auntie Jaime’s heading out.” I leaned down, blowing raspberries on her tiny belly until she shrieked with laughter and clutched a fistful of my hair.
“Ow—hey, Eliza!” I laughed, tugging gently, but her grip was iron-strong.
Kevin noticed right away. “Here, let me help.”
He pried her little fingers loose with ease, then scooped her into his arms, holding her against his chest. “Lizzy, you can’t steal Jaime’s pretty hair,” he crooned, pressing his forehead to hers.
The tenderness in his voice hit me harder than it should have. A sigh slipped from me before I could catch it.
Kevin’s eyes flicked to mine. “You okay? You sighed.”
I straightened quickly, masking it with a smile. “I’m fine. Just… it was good to see you again, Kevin.”
I grabbed my purse and briefcase, said my goodbyes to Keira and Adam, and headed out. The night air cooled my flushed skin as I walked toward my car. I had just opened the door when I heard his voice.
“James, wait up!”
I froze. Only Kevin ever called me James. Turning, I saw him jogging toward me, his hair damp from the workout earlier, his t-shirt stretched across his chest in a way that made focusing difficult.
“Did I forget something?” I asked when he reached me.
He shook his head, stepping closer. His hand lifted, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear with a gentleness that sent a shiver down my spine. “No. I just wanted to say it was a nice surprise seeing you again.”
I swallowed. “Yeah. Two years, right? The last time was at Keira and Adam’s wedding.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah. You were the maid of honor, I was the best man. I remember.”
The way he said it made it sound like he remembered more than just our roles.
⸻
Kevin
When Jaime walked into the living room earlier, crouching beside me and Eliza, I couldn’t stop the thought that flickered through my head: I wanted her to kiss me goodbye instead of the baby.
It was insane, how fast old feelings resurfaced. Just seeing her laugh, hearing her voice, had me craving her again. And when she sighed—God, it was the kind of sigh that carried weight, longing even. Did she even realize it?
The truth is, Jaime never really knew this version of me. She knew the high school punk, the college screw-up. Not the man who clawed his way out of his own chaos. Not the man I’d fought to become.
And I wanted her to know him.
So when she walked out, I handed Eliza back to Adam and followed her. Fate had dropped her in my path tonight, and I wasn’t about to let her slip away without trying.
Up close, outside by her car, she looked even more breathtaking than I remembered. Older, steadier, successful. A woman who had built something for herself. And I wanted to be part of her world again.
She tilted her head, studying me. “I have to say, Kevin—you really have changed since the wedding.”
I smiled faintly. “Yeah. I learned to channel my anger, my rage. Workouts became my therapy. This”—I gestured to myself—“is the end result.”
Her laugh bubbled out, soft but real. “Judging by what I’m seeing, you must’ve had a lot of rage built up.”
“Just a little,” I said wryly. “What can I say? Grew up with a mother who thrived on tearing me down and a dad who couldn’t be bothered. I had plenty to work on.”
Her face softened, but she didn’t press. She didn’t need to. Jaime already knew parts of my story. She’d been there when I started changing, senior year of high school, when my mask finally cracked. She’d helped me through some of it. But I hadn’t been ready then. And she deserved more than a boy still drowning in his own mess.
I lost her because of that. But tonight, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe fate was giving me another chance.
“I’m glad you worked through your issues, Kevin,” she said quietly.
I took a breath. Bold was the only way forward. “So, James… how about we go out one night? Just to talk. Catch up.”
Her eyes flicked up to mine, skeptical but curious. “That’s bold of you.”
“Yeah, I know.” I grinned. “But I’m still asking. You’re going to be around a lot with the baby shower. I don’t want it to feel awkward between us. Besides…” I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. “I’ll take you to your favorite place. Giordano’s.”
Her lips parted, then she laughed. “You remember that? Our first real date as a couple.”
“Of course I remember. Come on—just for old times’ sake.” I gave her the smile she once told me she could never resist.
She groaned, half-laughing. “Ugh. Fine. I hope I don’t regret this, Kincade.”
“Trust me, you won’t.” I held out my hand. “Phone.”
She handed it over, and I punched in my number, shooting myself a text to lock hers in. Handing it back, I said, “I’ll text you later with the details, okay? I know you’ve got to run.”
She nodded, slipping into her car. But as she drove away, I stood there in the driveway, the night air buzzing around me with one clear thought.
I’d lost her once. I wasn’t going to lose her again.
- Writer
