If It's meant To Be (Completed)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Look who actually stayed this time."

"Some things are worth holding on to." I pecked her lips between my words and felt when she smiled. She tried to hide her blush, but it was impossible since she was almost red.

We fell silent for a while as we enjoyed nature and each other's company. "Dani," she said, breaking the silence.

"Hmmm," I hummed in answer. She hesitated, and that made me look at her. "What is it?"

"There's something you should know."

"Okay. Tell me."

She chewed her lips. I could tell this made her apprehensive, though I wasn't sure why. The look in her eyes was familiar from that time when I asked her about the reason she left. That same disquieting expression slowly clouded her light eyes.

I waited as it grew dark around us, too.

"So, Henry," she began but paused as soon as she said his name.

A small smile twisted my lips. So, this was about Henry. All along, my gut has been telling me he was way too important to her. There were traces of him all over her, and what she prayed for earlier played over in my mind.

I had my suspicions about just who Henry was to her, but I'll let her tell me her story before I make any assumptions. "What about him?" I asked innocently.

"He's my son."

I didn't know why that surprised me. It's not like the thought didn't cross my mind. But the confirmation that my thoughts were true just made me speechless. I don't think I wanted them to be true.

So, he is hers.

For real real.

Not Tyler's, but hers.

That could only mean...

No, I stopped myself from going there.

Carter? No, she said they never had sex. It wasn't Gavin, either. My mind played match-maker with all her ex-boyfriends that I knew of, but none of them seemed like a match.

I thought deeper. How old was Henry? He looked about two years old, give or take a couple of months. So, two years plus nine months. That would have put us back to the end of ninth grade when she left.

"Dani?"

Her voice broke through my thoughts. I understood my silence was worrying, but I couldn't find anything to say except the question that plagued my mind. Still, I wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

Her hand found my chin and turned me to face her."Dani?"

"Heidi, why did you leave?" my question was immediate, catching her off guard.

"Because I had to," she choked, breaking my heart. "I needed some time away to figure things out."

"How did this happen?"

"I'm pretty sure you know how babies are made."

"Yes, but with who? How? When?"

She shook her head, refusing to answer. "There's too much to it." Her eyes found mine slowly, but she still looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Sorry. I, just..."

My stomach tightened and I couldn't stop the bad feeling that crept into my belly. "It's ok. We don't have to talk about it if you're not ready."

I watched her shoulders relaxed again as she stared over the city that was now dark with glowing lights. But her eyes remained dark and lifeless. I stared out at the city, too. It looked beautiful, and the high-rise buildings made it even more spectacular.