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“It’s a long story. But it happened when I took her out to L.A.”
“Man, that sucks. Not to pry, but what went down? You two seemed so happy together.”
I shifted my weight from foot to foot, my face flaming.Of course he’d ask follow-up questions. And I wasn’t dying to spread the Aria news around.
“Uh—” I stammered, tossing around for the story I wanted to tell.
Ryder shoved a hand in his jeans pocket, waiting for me to say something.
“Don’t tell anyone, but a woman I briefly dated—we’re talking like three dates—showed up at my house, claiming to be pregnant with my child.”
Ryder sucked in air, making a strange hissing sound. Exactly how I felt every time I thought about the situation.
“That sucks. And I’m guessing Macy didn’t take the news well?”
I shook my head. “No. And I don’t blame her at all. I wouldn’t want to get involved in this mess either. If the baby’s mine, I’m going to take responsibility, of course...”
“So there’s a chance it’s not yours?” Ryder asked, his eyes narrowed.
“For sure. Like I said, three dates. And we used protection.”
“Sounds like a scammer, man. You need to watch out now that you have money. Shayna tried to do me dirty more than once. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to move home. Peachtree Grove is small, and I know everyone here has my back.”
I blew out a breath, a weight lifting off my chest. At least Ryder didn’t judge me.
“I took a paternity test. I should have the results in a few days. But it doesn’t matter. Macy doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Why? I mean, if the kid’s yours, I get how it’d be better for you to move back to L.A. But if it’s not—” His voice trailed off, waiting for me to explain.
My face flamed, and I was ashamed to even admit the real reason for Macy’s hurt—that I hadn’t been man enough to step up.
“I disappointed her.”
“Why? How?” Ryder’s brow furrowed, clearly confused. I was going to have to spell it out, whether I wanted to or not.
“I said I’d take responsibility for the baby. Financially.” I lowered my eyes, staring at a crack in the asphalt.
“Ahh,” Ryder said, finally getting the picture. “And that probably really hurt Macy because of her own family situation.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Tough break, man. I take it you were here tonight to see her?”
“Yeah.”
“And I’m guessing it didn’t go well?”
“No.”
Ryder heaved out a breath, slapping me on the back. “Wait it out. Once the test results are in, you can decide your next move. If you’re having a baby, we’ll figure something else out for the store. You should be in L.A. But if not, I think you can win Macy back. You may have to get creative, but it can be done. You reacted off-the-cuff; surely, she can forgive you.”
“I don’t know if she can. She told me to leave her alone.”
“She’ll come around. She’s hurt is all. I’ve known Macy a long time. She’s a cool girl, but when she’s upset, it takes a while for her to calm down. She’s had to hold it together for so long that she has some tough defense mechanisms. Can’t imagine it’d be easy for her to trust someone. But if my brother can get over something, anyone can.”
I chuckled. Ryder was one thousand percent right about that. Quinn was a tough nut to crack, and Delaney had him eating out of her hand.
“Hang in there, man,” Ryder said, chucking me on the arm. “And keep me posted.”
