“That’s our child,” Lauren replied.
“Wait a second. Let me get this straight. I have a little boy and you never told me about him?” Nick muttered angrily.
“I’m sorry, but I honestly didn’t think you deserved to be told after the way you acted,” Lauren said.
“I could accept the fact that you wouldn’t want me to be a part of his life, but I should have at least been notified!”
“I wouldn’t have known where to look for you.”
“Well, you could have started at the beach house. That would have been logical.”
“I tried, but I didn’t find out I was pregnant until a month after I left. You’d moved out by then.”
“Why didn’t you call Brian or something?”
“I walked out on your life, and I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I would get if I suddenly tried to jump back into it,” Lauren answered.
“Lauren, I know you. You wouldn’t have let yourself jump back in,” Nick said. He hesitated. “Not after I hurt you so badly.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Dammit, Nick! Yes, I would have.”
“What?”
Bursting into sobs, Lauren backed up against the wall and buried her face in her hands. “Don’t you get it? I didn’t try any harder to find you because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to resist coming back to you, and I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted to be independent.”
Nick pulled her close to him and she cried into his tee shirt. “I’ve screwed everything up, haven’t I?” he whispered.
“I loved you so much, Nick. I still love you,” Lauren confessed.
“Then let’s give you and me another chance,” Nick suggested cautiously. Lauren looked at him, surprised. “Please, Lauren. I’m sorry. I’ve cleaned up my life. I realize now that I don’t need alcohol, sex, Rachel…I just need you. Give me another chance, if not for you, for our son.”
Lauren sighed, unsure of what to say.