I listen mutely as Mr. Reynold’s hurls insults my way left and right. “You sorry, sad sack of shit! You take advantage of my goddamn daughter after we practically raised you as one our own?”

Nate keeps him physically restrained, but barely.

This, right here, is my worst nightmare come to life. I’m honestly closer to the Reynolds family than I am my own. The love and kindness they showed me growing up was no different than the love they gave their children—unconditional. But here and now, I can see that there absolutely are conditions. And sleeping with their little girl, fathering her child, and—as it seems to them—skirting my responsibilities, breaks those conditions.

“Dad, please,” Natalie sobs, but it’s no use. Mr. Reynolds is past the point of no return.

“It makes me sick to think of all the time we allowed you into our home. All the times you spent the night.”

I don’t bother trying to defend myself. He’s not going to listen to a word I say. Thankfully, Nate speaks up. “That’s. Enough.” His voice is deep and commanding, and his father instantly stops.

Natalie is quietly crying, her mother now consoling her while the three men in the room engage in a testosterone stare down, none of us willing to be the first to speak.

Carlos steps into the room, cutting the tension—slightly. With eyes straight on me, he says, “I’m gonna go suggest y’all either take this elsewhere or take the volume down. Customers and staff alike can hear every word. And while we want to be talked about in town, let’s reserve it for our food, not our gossip.” Just as quickly as he entered, he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I collapse back into my chair. “Fuck,” I groan out, elongating the word.

“If I let you go, will you stay put?” Nate asks his father.

Mr. Reynolds grunts and nods.

Nate releases him and he lunges, popping me in the jaw. “Goddamn it, Dad!” Nate yells, yanking him away from me. Mrs. Reynolds begins to weep as well. I rub a hand over my aching jaw, and Natalie moves closer to me, placing her hand over mine.

“I’m s-s-sorry. This is all my f-fault.” Her words are barely understandable, and her touch feels like fire and ice. I want to haul her in closer and shove her away all at once. One thing’s for sure, though—this is her fault.

Yet, somehow, I find myself sympathizing for her, which pisses me off. I turn my head from her, causing her hand to fall away. She gets my message loud and clear and steps back. Nate guides her down into a chair, repeating the motions with his mother.

Together, we sit in my office, me on one side, the Reynolds clan on the other. This feels like the meeting from hell, with sides clearly drawn—it’s me against them.

The patriarch of their family goes to speak again, but his wife quiets him. “Luke, I think it’s safe to say there’s a lot more going on here than we know.”

Mr. Reynolds disagrees. “I know all I need to know.”

“You really don’t, Dad. You know what you overheard, which isn’t much.”

Her dad pins her with a glare so icy it could sink the Titanic. “Then start talking, little girl.”

Oh. Jesus. I’ve never in my life regretted keeping this secret more than I do in this moment. Talk about a colossal fuck-up on my part. “If you’re going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me.”

My dad glares. “Oh, I am.” My mom lays her hand on his, and he simmers down.

“When Alden and I…when we…” I struggle to find the right words, finally settling on, “That night, I came onto Alden. I’d had the biggest crush on him for as long as I could remember, and I finally decided to act on it—that it was now or never.

“He…he seemed into me, and one thing led to another.” A quick look around the room tells me this is as awkward for everyone else as it is for me. “I didn’t realize how much Alden had drunk that night, and the next morning, he didn’t even remember anything happened between us.

“It stung, but I figured no harm, no foul. And then…”

“And then you found out you were pregnant,” Mom supplies.

I nod, feeling microscopically small.

“I really thought I was doing the right thing. I see now that I was wrong and incredibly misguided. I was scared Alden would get in trouble, among other things.”

Alden speaks up. “What other things?” I shake my head, not wanting to answer. “No, c’mon, Natalie. Cards on the table: what other things?”

“Things like Mia,” I whisper.

At her name, Alden’s gaze turns hard and dark. “Mia. Got it.”

He seems angry about this, which baffles me. “You guys had started dating and I didn’t want to come between y’all.”

He lets out a low, humorless laugh. “Thanks, Nat. So much. Really appreciate it.”

I’m not sure where this particular brand of hostility is coming from, and I don’t appreciate it. “How many times do I have to say sorry? I know I was wrong, and I have apologized countless times—and yes, I know sorry doesn’t make it all better! But, I refuse to be your emotional punching bag. You may not remember that night, but you were a willing participant like it or not. Not to mention, the age I am now, is basically how old you were then! I messed up. I’m owning it and trying like hell to make it right. Either accept my apology or don’t, the choice is yours. But this shit? It’s not going to happen.”

My words shut him up. They shut everyone up.

Mom is the first to break the silence. “Obviously y’all have a lot to talk about. Nat, why don’t you walk your father and I out?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The three of us stand and exit the office. I can feel the eyes of seemingly everyone on me, and it makes me squirm. I’m a fairly private person, and now every employee on shift and patron knows my business. How mortifying.

I walk my parents all the way to their vehicle. The air around us is thick and tense.

My mom steps to me and wraps me in her arms, pressing a kiss to my temple. “It will be okay. Everyone makes mistakes, kiddo, but I have to say, you may have taken the cake.” Leave it to mom to attempt to joke at a time like this.

She squeezes me one last time and gets into the car. Leaving just me and my dad. My very angry, surly dad. “I’m disappointed in you, Nat Bug. Real disappointed.” He turns and gets into the driver’s seat, not even looking at me, much less giving me a hug.

Guilt and sorrow churn in my gut as I head back into the café. I was prepared for today to be hard, but my family’s presence only served to further complicate our already difficult situation.

As I approach the office, still-raised voices greet my ears.

Great.

I linger, not wanting to interrupt. I’m in the process of turning to walk away when my brother’s voice stops me in my tracks. “Here’s the thing, Alden. Even if you were hammered, you wouldn’t have made a play for my sister unless you were already thinking of her like that when you were sober. I know you, brother, and that’s just who you are.”

It wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop, yet here I am, waiting. In all honesty, I feel like a dog with a treat on her nose, waiting to be told to “Get it!” Only, Alden’s reply is my it and I’m downright salivating for it.

“You really are like a brother to me, so I’m gonna shoot straight here and not give you any bullshit. Yes, your sister caught my eye on more than one occasion. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment my feelings for her changed—I just know that one day she went from honorary sister to something more. I swear though, I never knowingly acted on it. Age difference aside, I’d never betray you like that.”

I suck in a sharp breath at Alden’s confession. He had feelings for me?