Chapter 20

Lucas was nervous.

He was never nervous but he was as he walked up the sidewalk that led up to the little condo that Fallon, Aiden, and Audrey lived in. He hated this condo. He hated that the woman he loved and his child lived there. Lucas wanted them to live with him in his house. Aiden’s room was ready and Lucas was sure that Fallon would like his room. He would even let her put some of her pink crap up on the walls. He didn’t care, he just wanted them with him. He wanted Fallon to forgive him; he wanted her back.

Lucas wanted his family.

Lucas ran his hand through his hair nervously as he climbed the steps to the door. After Fallon called the night before he was finally able to go to sleep, but it didn’t mean he got a good night’s sleep. He tossed and turned with images of Aiden’s scared gray eyes. It broke Lucas’ heart every time he thought of Aiden looking up at him with fear in his eyes. Lucas had sworn a long time ago that he only wanted to make Aiden happy. After the events of the day before, Lucas felt like a failure.

Lucas took a deep breath in as he knocked on the door. When the door opened, the breath Lucas had just taken in came out in a whoosh as Fallon smiled up at him. She wore a pair of tight jeans that were big at the bottom and hugged her ass perfectly. For once though, it wasn’t the tightness of her jeans that had Lucas having a hard time breathing, it was her sweater. It was an ivory color with little sparkles in the yarn and it wasn’t even tight but it cut down low. Lucas could see the lace of Fallon’s white bra and even more of her beautiful perky br**sts. Lucas’ mouth watered at the sight and it took everything out of him to look up into Fallon’s eyes.

Fallon smiled sweetly before saying, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Lucas choked out as he passed by her. She shut the door behind him as he looked around the house for Aiden, because he knew if he kept looking at her, they weren’t going to make it to breakfast. “Where’s Aiden?”

Lucas turned to see Fallon pulling at the bottom of her sweater, showing more of her breast. Lucas inwardly groaned as he looked away. “Upstairs. He knows you’re coming. I got some paperwork I need to finish and then we can go.”

Lucas almost ran up the stairs. Not only did he have to get away from Fallon’s sexy ass but he was anxious to see Aiden. He wanted to make sure that Aiden still liked him, that he wasn’t angry with him. Hearing it from Fallon was one thing, he needed the proof from his little guy. When Lucas reached Aiden’s door, he knocked before entering. Aiden looked up from where he sat on the floor playing with his army men. It almost killed Lucas when their eyes met because it wasn’t happiness he saw. Lucas only saw fear.

Fuck.

“Hey, bud,” Lucas said before dropping down on the ground.

Lucas lay on his stomach, inching his way to where Aiden laid. Aiden looked back down at his army men before saying, “Hey, Lucas.”

Nothing was said for a moment as Aiden continued to play with his toys. Lucas didn’t know what to say so they sat like for a long time before Lucas couldn’t take it anymore.

“Do you hate me?”

Aiden didn’t look up as he shook his head, “No.”

“Are you mad at me?”

Aiden shrugged his shoulders before resting his chin on his hands. He looked over at Lucas and Lucas took in a sharp breath. He had tears in his eyes.

“Do you want me?”

Lucas couldn’t breathe. He was pretty sure he was about to have a heart attack in the middle of Aiden’s floor. Lucas took in another breath before clearing his throat choking back the tears. “Of course I do, bud. Since I found out about you, I’ve wanted you. You are my buddy, my little guy.”

Aiden’s mouth pulled at the side but he didn’t smile as he looked down at carpet. “You’re never gonna leave me again are you?”

Lucas shook his head even though Aiden wasn’t looking at him. “Never, bud,” Lucas whispered, but then he remembered that he was leaving that night. “Only for my job, but I won't be gone long.”

“I know you gotta leave for your job. I meant like, you leaving for years.”

Lucas swallowed loudly, “I’ll never leave you, Aiden. I’ll always be here. Always.”

Aiden nodded slowly. “Do I call you Dad?”

Lucas swore that Aiden could hear his heartbeat, it was beating so hard against his chest. Didn’t the kid realize that that would be a dream come true? “If you want.”

Aiden nodded again. “Are you and my mom gonna get married?”

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. “That’s up to her. Your mom doesn’t like me most of the time.”

Aiden smiled and Lucas couldn’t help but smile back. “She does. She’s just weird.”

Lucas nodded, he couldn’t agree more. Damn foolish woman. “We’ll talk every night while you’re gone right?”

“Yup,” Lucas said with a nod, “on our cool iPads.”

Aiden grinned as he said, “Cool.”

They sat for another moment, nothing being said as they both stared at the floor. It was as if both of them were trying to figure out what to say to the other. Lucas wanted to tell Aiden he loved him, but he didn’t want to scare him or make him feel like he had to love Lucas. He wanted Aiden to make his own decisions. He didn’t want to demand anything from him. Lucas wanted it to be natural between them.

“Do you love me?” Lucas whipped his head up to see Aiden still looking down at the ground. “Like my mom and AA love me, and I thought since you’re my dad, you’re supposed to love me. I was just wonderin’,” he said.