26. Layla

I step out onto the front porch, the soft glow of the moon casting a silver sheen over the world below. I take a deep breath, the weight of the day settling heavily on my shoulders as I wait for Eric to arrive.

I don't know for sure that he's going to show up, but after Brock's text I'm certain he's on his way here next.

Eric has always been my protector and he's also always believed that someone did something horrible to me and then watched me get hit and left me to die. The evidence never showed that, but he was convinced that's how it all happened.

It's not long before I hear footsteps approaching, the sound of heavy boots against the wooden porch echoing in the silence of the night. I turn to see Eric standing before me, his expression haunted and distraught.

"Layla," he breathes, his voice trembling with emotion as he takes a seat beside me. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there to protect you."

I shake my head, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his arm. "Eric, you don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault."

He looks at me, his eyes brimming with tears. "But I should have known. I should have been there for you."

I give him a sad smile, my heart aching at the pain in his voice. "You couldn't have known, Eric. It wasn't your responsibility to protect me."

He nods, his shoulders slumping with the weight of guilt. "I know, but I can't help feeling like I let you down."

I sigh, searching for the right words to comfort him. "You didn't let me down. You've always been there for me, and I'll always be grateful for that."

He looks at me, his expression torn between relief and anguish. "But Brock... I trusted him, Layla. I thought he was a good guy."

I swallow hard, knowing that I can't avoid this conversation any longer. "Eric, there's something you need to know about that night."

He looks at me, his eyes wide with anticipation as I retrieve my journal from inside. I flip through the pages until I find the entry I'm looking for, the words scrawled in my own handwriting a testament to the truth of what happened.

"Brock wasn't there when I was hit by the car," I say softly, handing him the journal so he can read for himself. "He had to leave because of his brother's accident."

Eric's eyes scan the page, his expression shifting from confusion to realization as the truth sinks in. "I... shit, you're right."

"He didn't know about Breckin either. I had no clue we had been together. I didn't remember him. When he was at the rink that night, you and Breckin left and he told me he thought he was Breckin's father. He offered to take a DNA test, it was positive."

"And he's been showing up for him now."

"Yeah."

"Breckin doesn't know?"

"I was waiting until all of the stuff with Tierney blew over to tell him. I mean, I was looking for excuses not to tell him because I don't know how."

"So you and Brock… while we were on that trip."

"As far as I know it was just the one time, because he left afterward."

"But I asked him to stay away from you. I told him to leave you alone."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "I know, Eric. And I'm sorry. But you have to understand... Brock and I have a connection that runs deeper than loyalty to a friend. We love each other. And no matter how hard we tried to fight it, those feelings were always there."

He stares at me, his expression a mix of shock and resignation as the truth of my words sinks in. "I... I had no idea. I wish you would have told me."

I reach out to him, offering him a comforting embrace. "I know. But now you do. And that's all that matters."

"I still want to rip his face off."

"Please don't, I kind of like his face."

He laughs. "If I were to handpick a dad for my nephew, it would be Brock."

"That's good," I giggle. "Why don't you come in and sleep this off?"

"Thanks, sis."

"If you puke in my house though, you're cleaning it up."

He rolls his eyes and the two of us go inside. I get him settled in the guest room and then go to my own room.

Crisis averted. I calmed him down. He might apologize tomorrow

You okay?

Yeah. In hindsight, we should have told him sooner but it is what it is. Have a good night.

I end the text with Brock and plug my phone into the charger.

***

The next morning, Eric and Breckin go to Boston to do some public relations stuff at a local hospital with the Bruins. I stay behind to get some work done.

There's a knock on the door and I half expect it to be Brock. I'm surprised to see Randy on my porch when I open the door.

"Layla," he begins, his voice tinged with an edge of urgency. "We need to talk."

I set my mug down, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach as I brace myself for whatever bombshell he's about to drop. "What is it, Randy? What's wrong?"

He takes a deep breath, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he reaches into his pocket and produces a folded piece of paper. "I... I have something to show you."

I furrow my brow in confusion as he unfolds the paper, revealing a set of DNA test results that claim he is Breckin's father. My heart pounds in my chest as I stare at the words in disbelief, my mind struggling to process the implications of what I'm seeing.

"But... but that's impossible," I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper.

I saw the results myself. Brock is Breckin's father.

"Why is it impossible? I told you…"

"Where did you have these done? You didn't have a swab from Breckin."

Randy shakes his head, his gaze unwavering as he meets my eyes. "These tests don't lie. I'm Breckin's father, and I want to be a part of his life."

I feel the ground shift beneath my feet as his words sink in, a sense of unease settling over me like a shroud.

Could it be true?

How is this possible?

I saw the results from Brock's test. I am the one who picked them up. Could he have tampered with them? He did get to the office awfully fast after I told him I got the results. Did he already know?

Stop it, that's ridiculous.

Could Randy have somehow tampered with the results to make it appear as though he's Breckin's father?

Before I can voice my doubts, Randy drops to one knee before me, a small velvet box clutched in his trembling hands. "Layla, please. Marry me. Let's be a family together."

I recoil in shock, the weight of his proposal hitting me like a ton of bricks. "Randy, no. This changes nothing. I need to have my own test done to be sure."

He rises to his feet, his expression hardening with determination. "Fine. Have your test done. But when it confirms what I already know, then we're getting married, whether you like it or not."

I feel a surge of panic rising within me as his words sink in, the threat of losing Breckin hanging over me like a dark cloud. "I'm not going to marry you regardless of what the test results say."

"Yes you are. You've been holding my child from me for the last five years. I'll take you to court and sue for full custody. You'll be paying me child support when I'm done with you."

"What?"

"I'm a lawyer, I can convince anyone of my innocence," he laughs cockily.

I hear a car pull into my driveway and look up to see Brock pulling in. I close my eyes, grateful for his appearance.

"Get rid of that douchebag too. I don't want him around my child."

"Randy, please leave." I pull out my phone.

"No."

"I will call the police. Please don't make me."

He rolls his eyes. "They won't touch me."

"Everything okay?" Brock asks.

"Randy was just leaving," I sigh as I walk into the house.

There are words exchanged outside that I choose not to listen to. A few minutes later, Brock walks inside.

"I'm sorry I just walked in. I'll leave if you want me to."

"He had test results saying that he's Breckin's father."

"That's not possible."

"But how did he have them?"

"Did he even have a swab from Breckin?"

"Not that I know of, but…"

"I'm sure that he's lying for whatever reason. He wants you to relent, he wants you to freak out. You can't give in to him."

"He said he's going to take me to court for full custody."

"Think about that for a second. He told you that he's known all along that Breckin is his but that he didn't want to be tied to you. He said it to me too. I don't care that he's a lawyer or who he knows, there isn't a judge anywhere that would grant a man full custody after that admission. He literally owes you so much in child support if that's the case."

"He…"

"Is bluffing to control you. Are you like a secret millionaire or something?" he teases.

"I think he can't handle that I don't want him anymore."

"We will figure this out, okay? We'll get through this."

"I don't know what to think right now."

"What can I do?"

"Not leave me," I shrug. "I don't want to be alone. I think the second that you leave he's going to come right back here threatening me."

"Then I'll stay," he says as he engulfs me in a hug. "I think we should tell Breckin the truth today. Eric knows. We should… we should tell him the truth before Randy swoops in and does something stupid."

"But what if…"

"Layla, you know that if you think about this logically there is absolutely no way that Randy is the father. You're just listening to his threats. Block all of that out. We did the DNA test the right way, he did not."

"I don't understand why he would lie about it."

"The same reason Tierney said she was pregnant. Lies and manipulation."

I fall onto the couch and shake my head.

Can the drama stop soon? I've had enough.