Chapter 2: I'm That Bastard

Emma's POV

Ethan's movements are stiff, mechanical, like he's handling something fragile that might shatter. But Mia doesn't cry. She doesn't even flinch.

She just wraps her little arms around his neck and buries her face in his shoulder.

"Oh my God!" Noah's voice goes up an octave. "This is insane! Mia never lets strangers hold her. Every time I bring friends over, she screams bloody murder. But look at her. She's not even crying. She's hugging you."

My fingers dig into the edge of the bar counter.

Noah stares at them like he's watching something impossible. "This is literally history in the making. I need to get this on camera."

He's already pulling out his phone.

"Noah." My voice comes out harder than I mean it to. "Give Mia back. It's bedtime."

"Wait, hold on!" Noah waves me off. "Let me get a picture first. Mia Carter's first time not freaking out over a stranger. This is going straight on my feed."

I watch Ethan's arms tighten around our daughter. Watch him lower his head to look at her. His face does something that makes my chest hurt.

"Noah, I said—"

"You know what, Lily?" Noah cuts me off, practically vibrating with excitement. "Uncle Ethan, you have no idea how incredible she is. How much shit she's been through."

Oh God. No.

"Noah, don't—"

But he's not listening. He never listens when he gets like this.

"When Lily first got to Portland, she was broke. Pregnant. Completely alone." Noah's voice fills with that admiration that always makes me uncomfortable. "Can you even imagine? Having the baby by herself. Raising Mia by herself. Building this whole gallery from scratch."

I turn my back to them. Start rearranging wine glasses that are already perfect. My hands won't stop shaking.

"And the guy who knocked her up?" Noah keeps going, getting more worked up. "That asshole just took off. Didn't even know she was carrying his kid. What kind of piece of shit does that?"

"Noah." My voice is tight. "Shut up."

He doesn't hear me. Or maybe he just doesn't care.

"Honestly, if I ever met that guy, I'd kick his ass. Lily still hasn't moved on, you know? She doesn't date. Doesn't go out. Her whole life is Mia and this place. All because some dick broke her heart and bailed."

There's a sound behind me. A sharp breath.

I turn around. Ethan's face has gone white.

Noah is still talking, but Ethan isn't listening anymore.

The words keep playing in his head on repeat. Pregnant. Alone. Had the baby by herself.

The timeline clicks together. Emma left seven years ago. Mia is three, maybe four. If Emma had hooked up with Noah right after leaving, the math doesn't work. Unless...

His mind races backward. That night. The text. "I have amazing news."

Oh fuck.

Ethan's head drops. He stares at the child in his arms. Real panic crosses his face.

Mia lifts her head. Looks up at him with those eyes.

Left eye, sapphire blue.

Right eye, emerald green.

Exactly like his.

Everything stops.

No. This can't be happening. This is his daughter. Emma was pregnant with his child. She carried their baby alone. Gave birth alone. Raised her alone for three years while he...

That night. The night she said she had amazing news. She was going to tell him.

And he went to that stupid dinner instead.

"Her eyes..." His voice breaks. He can barely speak.

"Yeah!" Noah grins, completely missing everything. "Heterochromia. Super rare genetic thing. Only like one percent of people have it. Same as you, actually. Pretty cool, right?"

Ethan's arms are shaking. He pulls Mia closer, holds her like she might disappear. His throat feels like it's closing. His eyes are burning.

This is his daughter. His little girl. And he missed it all. Her first breath. Her first word. Her first steps. Three years of her life.

Because he was too much of a fucking coward to choose her mother.

I cross the room fast and yank Mia out of his arms. The movement is rough enough that Noah's eyes go wide.

"Okay, that's enough." My voice is flat. Too flat. "No more talking."

I hold Mia against my chest. She makes a sleepy sound and burrows into my shoulder. Her little hand grabs my dress.

Ethan is staring at us. His hands are still raised like he forgot how to move them.

"Let's just eat." I force the words out. "Food's getting cold."

We sit at the table. The champagne and food are spread out in front of us, but nobody's touching anything.

Ethan can't stop looking at Mia. His eyes move between her and me like he's trying to save us to memory. Like we'll vanish if he blinks.

"You want to eat? Then eat." I snap. "Stop staring."

"Right. Sorry." He picks up his fork fast. "I'll eat."

But his eyes drift back to Mia two seconds later.

I take a long drink of champagne. The bubbles burn.

Noah looks from me to Ethan and back. "Okay, am I missing something here?"

Silence.

"Do you two know each other?"

More silence.

"How long have you known each other?"

Still nothing.

"Okay, this is getting really weird." Noah's laugh sounds nervous.

Then Ethan speaks.

"Noah." His voice is quiet but clear. "You said that bastard who left her should get his ass kicked. You can do that after dinner." He pauses. Looks straight at me. "I'm that bastard."

"What?!"

Noah's fork hits his plate hard.

"Wait. Wait wait wait." He's staring at Ethan like he grew another head. "You're Lily's ex? The one who left her pregnant?"

"That bastard." Ethan nods once. "Yeah."

"But how? When? You never said anything..." Noah's voice dies. He turns to me. "You never told me any of this."

I sigh. "Because I was stupid back then. I listened to someone who said we had to keep it secret. No marriage. No public anything. Nothing."

My grip tightens on my glass. "Eventually I couldn't take it anymore. So I left."

"So Mia is..." Noah's eyes go huge.

"My daughter." Ethan's voice drops low. "She's my daughter."

The words just hang there.

"You're right about everything." Ethan isn't looking at Noah anymore. He's looking at me. "I'm an asshole. I was so focused on my career, on that stupid morality clause, that I made Emma hide. Made her live in the shadows."

His jaw tightens. "That night she wanted to tell me about the pregnancy, I ditched her for an audition."

I force myself to keep breathing.

"But I'm here now." His eyes lock on mine. "And I'm getting my wife back."

I laugh. It comes out cold and sharp. "Who's your wife? We were never married, remember?"

Ethan just shakes his head. There's something like a smile on his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He turns to Noah. "I mean what I say. Now eat. After dinner, you can beat me up all you want."

Noah's mouth opens and closes. He looks down at his plate, then back at Ethan, then at me.

"I wouldn't dare..." he mutters finally, stabbing at his food without looking up.