“Yeah, that’s fine,” Spencer said in response before turning on his heel and heading down Main Street. It was really difficult to tell how he was feeling. He was good at hiding his emotions and giving nothing away. It was such a frustrating talent of his that we ended up walking in total silence until we reached the entrance of the diner.
I took my phone out of my pocket and quickly text my mom to let her know I’d be late and not to make me any dinner before we walked in. The diner was a familiar venue that I’d been to many times over the course of my life for breakfast on the weekends, birthday parties, and the occasional casual lunch. Over the years, I had changed a lot, but Mae’s Diner had not.
The décor still looked like it was fresh from the fifties with old battered leather seats in the booths, black and white checkered floor tiles, and a neon green and pink color scheme. There was an antique jukebox in the corner and old, worn advertisements for soda still stuck up on the walls. Still, the place had a charm I couldn’t resist and the nostalgia was comforting.
I walked straight toward a booth near the back of the diner where hardly anyone else was sitting. I really didn’t want our conversation to be overheard by any nosy residents of Halston who might spread gossip. I knew better than to trust random strangers to mind their own business.
Spencer sat down opposite me and grabbed the menu in his strong, thick hands. I couldn’t resist the tremor that took me over as I remembered how those hands had touched me just a few days before. Get a grip, Rylee, I told myself as I straightened up in my seat and tried to focus on what was best for Jayden and not how desperate I was to fuck Spencer again.
A waitress in a cute fifties-style outfit and curly blonde hair walked over a moment later.
“What can I get you, folks?” she asked.
“I’ll have a strawberry milkshake with a burger and sweet potato fries,” I told her and handed over the menu.
“Gotcha. And you, sir?”
“Sparkling water and a hot dog,” Spencer told her in a gruff voice. He pointedly looked down at the menu instead of at her or me like he was deep in thought. I would have loved to get a glimpse of what was going on inside that head.
“Right away!” the waitress replied before heading back to the kitchen. As soon as she was out of earshot, Spencer spoke.
“We need to discuss our son, Rylee.”
I let out a sigh. I knew we needed to discuss it, but I was tired from work. I just wanted to go home and collapse on my bed.
“I’ve been patient, but I’m not going to wait forever,” Spencer continued as he tapped his fingers on the table between us. “I want to meet him.”
My heart thudded against my chest at those words. I didn’t think I was ready. How was I going to explain this to Jayden? Should I tell Jayden that Spencer is his dad? So many thoughts raced around my head that I began to feel dizzy.
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” I finally said as I stared down at a napkin and began to fold it into an origami swan. “I don’t want my son to get attached to someone who isn’t going to be around for the long haul.”
“I’ve already told you, Rylee,” Spencer barked, “I’m in this for the long haul. Whether you like it or not, Jayden is my son and nothing you can do will change that. I’m going to be there for my son and I’m not going to abandon Jayden or you.”
Despite the tingling I felt at Spencer’s vehement desire for us to be a family, I couldn’t shake the sight of Spencer with my mom, of the two of them on their little date. How could I possibly be with Spencer if everybody in Halston thought he was dating my mom?
“It’s impossible,” I told him with a shake of my head. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t see a way where things don’t end badly for Jayden. Even if you do tell everybody that you’re Jayden’s father and even if you do stay in Halston, everybody’s going to think there’s some kind of weird love triangle going on between you, mom, and me.”
I sighed and stopped talking for a moment as our food arrived. I thanked the waitress before picking up a few fries and promptly eating them. “I don’t want my son to be a pariah in his own hometown. I don’t want him to end up getting bullied or picked on because of something stupid we did!”
“You don’t get to decide everything, Rylee,” Spencer replied with a grimace. “He’s my son too and I want to get to know him. I want to be in his life and what others think shouldn’t matter.”