8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bren

I didn't let out a single breath until I made it safely inside my apartment. I had a white-knuckle grip on the stroller all throughout my walk home. I may have passed people, I may have said hello to my neighbors, I wasn't sure. All I could focus on was seeing Cal again.

Once inside my apartment, I leaned against my door and breathed heavily, like the hounds of hell had been after me. I snuck a look into the stroller to make sure Neale was all right.

As soon as I caught my breath, I went to the couch. My son was sound asleep in his stroller, so I carefully lifted him out and placed him in the bassinet. I had gotten quite good at making the transition so that he would stay asleep. I handled my son like he was a bomb about to go off.

I sat down, staring off into space.

What in the world was I going to do now?

I knew when I moved to Swena there was a possibility that I would run into Cal. This was his home. It was where we had first met. I had never expected to see him as a prince.

My sister arrived home a bit later. I barely heard her come in, and then she was standing in front of me. I sat in the same spot, staring at the wall.

"What in the world was that about?" she asked. "After you met with the prince and then you guys disappeared, he came back like he had seen a ghost. How do you know the prince, Bren?"

"It's him," I said.

"Who's him?"

"He's him."

"All right. Okay. What's him?"

"He is Neale's father."

"What?" she said. She rushed to my side, sitting next to me and grasping my hand. "And you didn't know? That he was one of the princes?"

"Of course I didn't know. If I had been in a relationship with one of the princes, I think I would have told you. I would have told him about our child!"

"So he lied to you?"

I wrinkled my nose. I didn't really like to think of it as a lie. It was more like an omission. A very big omission. "Yes, but I don't think it was malicious. He wasn't toying with me or anything. Maybe he used it as an escape? Before I left for home, we both agreed not to exchange numbers and that our fling was over. Neither of us ever dreamed that there would be lasting consequences." I gestured to the bassinet. "He did seem quite upset about that."

"About Neale?"

"No, not upset like he didn't want a baby. More sad."

"Oh. So what happens now?"

"I have no idea." I ran a hand through my hair. "It has been on my mind since I saw him." As a prince, Cal had access to funds and resources that I couldn't even imagine. I had no idea what the future would hold. Or what the press would do once they found out Cal… Kalwin had a son out of wedlock, to an American no less.

I couldn't imagine that his parents would be very happy about the scandal. I knew Kalwin's brother had recently taken over the crown, and he likely wouldn't appreciate a royal scandal.

What if they tried to take Neale from me? How would I ever stop them?

As if she could hear my thoughts, Steph asked the question out loud. "Do you think they'll try to take Neale from you?"

My gut squeezed and twisted. My palms went clammy. I wiped my hand over my forehead. "No, but fuck, I don't know. It's the royal family. They can do whatever they want. I don't think they will take him from me. But he will be a part of their lives."

"Well, Neale won't have to want for anything for the rest of his life."

"But we aren't married. He's a bastard son of a prince. What if they reject him?"

"I don't think it'll be like that," she said. "We don't know anything about them, but the way you talked about Neale's father, he sounded like a good man. What does your gut tell you?"

I sighed. "That he is a good man and that he wouldn't do that to me, but I'm just in uncharted territory here." Mingling with royalty was so far beyond my comfort zone that it never occurred to me that I'd have the opportunity. Royalty might as well exist on another planet for as close as I figured I'd get to them.

"Cal… Prince Kalwin was just so… normal. This sort of explains why he couldn't make cereal or use a toaster." I smiled at the memory of him googling the most basic things while we had been together. That made a lot more sense now.

"Is he going to call?"

"Yes," I said. "I gave him my number so he could find me."

As if on cue, my phone pinged. I picked it up, my stomach writhing with anxiety. As if my son could sense the feelings rolling through me, he let out a small cry and wiggled in his bed.

I read the message out loud. "Can we arrange a time to talk?"

Anxiety bloomed in my chest, both at seeing him again and also at what it could possibly mean.

"That's a good sign, right?" Steph asked.

I shrugged and typed out a reply. I didn't want to give myself a chance to overthink. Nor did I want to keep a prince waiting.

Of course. I don't know what your schedule is like or how much control you have over it, but I'm off work for the next two days.

My phone pinged immediately, like he was waiting with bated breath and replied as soon as he received my message.

Perfect. I will come to you.

I didn't know what time, and I was afraid to even ask. So, I just replied with a thumbs-up emoji. I'd see him tomorrow, I guess.

"That's exciting," my sister said. She put an arm around me and hugged me tight. "Everything's going to be okay. I know it will. Now, why don't you take a nap while Neale is napping?"

A nap sounded amazing. Any amount of time that I could lie down and close my eyes sounded like heaven. There was too much to do, and if I closed my eyes, I was only going to see Cal or Kalwin. "He's going to wake up in the next ten minutes. I know he will. The minute I lay my head down on the pillow and lean back on the couch, he'll start crying."

I was about to close my eyes when, just as I thought he would, Neale began to stir and let out a single cry. Naptime was over for him. Sleeping while the baby slept wasn't happening now. Not that I was going to get any rest with all the thoughts running through my mind anyway.