29. Reid #2
Gregory smiled for Cheryl without effort. He showed up for a child that wasn’t his while mine learned not to wait by the door, and I’d made myself into something quiet to keep the peace. Stability had been my excuse for staying. I didn’t know what Gregory’s excuse was.
But Reid? Even now… furious, hurt, wounded by the years, he showed up, and he stayed.
I’d left him before. Why should he believe I wouldn’t do it again? Make another excuse that would ruin us once more?
Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. “You don’t trust me,” I said softly.
“No,” he agreed. “I don’t.” The honesty of it burned.
At this point, I wasn’t even afraid of him destroying my life. I was afraid of how easily I’d already started choosing him again. How quickly my body, my heart, my instincts had remembered what it felt like to be seen.
Footsteps padded down the hall, cutting my thoughts. They were light, fast, and unmistakably my… our son’s. Reid pulled away as I sat up, fixing the buttons to be more decent.
There was soft knock, then the door creaked open. “Mom?”
Eugene stood in the doorway, wild bedhead, one sock on, the other lost somewhere throughout the night, clutching his toy car in one hand, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the other.
“I was looking for you,” he mumbled.
Reid walked over to him, scooping him up from the ground as a fit of giggles followed. I smiled genuinely, watching Reid flip him upside down as he cocked an eyebrow.
“What about Uncle Reid, huh? Why weren’t you looking for me?”
“Save me, Mom!” Eugene yelled as Reid tsked.
“Not gonna happen, bud,” Reid said easily. “You’re in air jail.”
Eugene squealed as Reid flipped him upright again, settling him against his chest with an ease that made my throat tighten. Standing up, I walked over, my arms extended for my little baby to jump from Reid rather carelessly—but being a boy mom, I was used to the recklessness.
“Good morning, Lovebug. Ready for breakfast?” I asked, brushing his hair from his face.
“Pancakes, chocolate chip,” he muttered aimlessly.
I could only let out a laugh.
“That’s oddly specific,” Reid commented.
I shrugged. “Can you blame him? Little guy knows what he wants.”
His eyes met mine. “Like father like son.”
My face flushed.
Eventually, we were in the kitchen. Eugene sat at the island, legs swinging, humming to himself as he rolled the toy car back and forth between the salt and pepper shakers. I stood at the stove, flipping pancakes, the smell of butter and batter filling the air, making all of this seem normal…
Reid entered the kitchen, adjusting his cuffs, a newspaper settled under his arm as he approached. He hovered over my shoulder, watching as I plated Eugene’s food before walking over to set it in front of him.
Going back over to Reid, I furrowed my eyebrows.
“Are we not going to the office together?”
“Not today…” he muttered, not elaborating any further. Placing the newspaper on the counter, his hand lingered beside mine resting atop the granite. “Thought I’d give you the day after our rather extensive last two… Our trip won’t be much longer, a day or two at most.”
“Cutting it short?” I murmured, not missing the way he leaned in, his hand getting closer to mine. The spark flickering just between our fingers felt like lightning.
“Despite my plans to burn Newman Trust to the ground, I still have to be there to watch it. A bit counterintuitive, but someone has to do damage control.”
“Do you think that’s your karma in all of this?” I asked, and he narrowed his eyes.
“Watch it.”
A smile escaped my lips, ignoring my weak attempts to hide it. My eyes drifted over to our hands to see his inching closer to mine before his fingers intertwined with mine. Gazing back over to him, I watched the conflicted look in his eyes grow. The hunger, the need, the longing… the betrayal…
He leaned in, his free hand coming to rest on the small of my back as he towered over me. His lips brushed my forehead as he placed a soft kiss on it, his hand squeezing mine.
“I’ll be home soon,” he murmured against my skin, and then he pulled away, leaving me breathless as he walked out of the kitchen, but not before ruffling Eugene’s hair, who seemed oblivious as he swung his legs, still playing.
Going back to cooking, my eyes landed on the newspaper he left behind. I went to call after him, but the headline silenced me as I read it. And the more I read… the more the pit in my stomach began to grow.
Kaufman’s Return Signals More than a Financial Revival
Reid Kaufman’s unexpected involvement in stabilizing the Newman Trust has set financial circles abuzz. But sources close to the company describe a far more complicated dynamic than a simple business rescue.
Kaufman has been repeatedly spotted with Genevieve Devereaux, fiancée of Gregory Newman. Meanwhile, Gregory himself was photographed at a Manhattan event with a senior colleague and her daughter—raising questions about where true loyalties lie.
No official statements have been released. The speculation, however, continues…