“Amelia,” he said finally, his voice a mix of regret and urgency.
She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her composure. “Ryan. What are you doing here?”
He glanced past her, eyes softening as he caught a glimpse of the twins peering out from the hallway, their faces full of wonder.
“We need to talk,” Ryan said, his voice low and pleading.
Amelia’s chest ached with conflicting emotions—fear, anger, and something she refused to name. “Talk?” she echoed, barely able to keep the tremor from her voice.
“What do you want, Ryan?” Amelia’s voice cut through the silence as she shut the door behind her, ensuring the kids wouldn’t see him standing there. She crossed her arms, standing tall, her face unreadable.
Ryan took a step back, as if surprised by her directness. “I came to see my kids, Amelia.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Your kids? You think you can just show up out of nowhere and claim them?”
“Why not?” he shot back, undeterred by her icy stare. “They’re mine, Amelia. You can’t deny it.”
“They’re not yours,” she replied coolly, her gaze unwavering. “Remember? You made that clear when you called me barren and walked out of my life.”
His face fell slightly, but he quickly masked it with a defiant look. “I was wrong, and you know it. I can see now that I was wrong. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re my kids.”
“Wrong?” she scoffed, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. “You didn’t just call me barren, Ryan. You threw me away, treated me like I was worthless. And now you expect me to let you waltz back into our lives like nothing happened?”
“Amelia,” he started, trying to soften his tone, but she raised a hand, silencing him.
“No. You don’t get to do that,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “You don’t get to come here and disrupt our lives because it’s convenient for you.”
Ryan clenched his jaw, clearly struggling to keep his composure. “I came because I wanted to know my children.”
“Your children?” Her voice was laced with venom. “Cut the bullshit!”
“You’re right. I was a fool back then. But people change, Amelia,” he said, his tone earnest, a plea hidden beneath his words. “I’ve changed.”
She shook her head, her gaze piercing. “Maybe people change, but some wounds don’t. You hurt me, Ryan. You left me when I needed you most. And I won’t let you hurt Damien and Debby the way you hurt me.”
He took a step forward, his eyes softening. “Please, Amelia. Just let me be in their lives.”
“Why?” she demanded, voice rising. “Why do you care now? What changed?”
Ryan hesitated, glancing down as if searching for the right words. “I’ve had time to think… about everything. I know I was wrong, but Damien… he looks just like me, Amelia. You can’t deny it. He’s my son.”
Her face hardened. “Don’t you dare say that,” she hissed. “He’s not your son. You lost the right to call him that a long time ago.”
Ryan’s gaze turned icy, a bitter smile curling his lips. “So, who is their father then?” He folded his arms, a challenge flickering in his eyes. “You think you can hide them from me forever?”
Amelia stiffened, fighting to keep her composure. “It’s none of your business,” she replied coolly, her voice barely wavering.
“Oh, but it is my business,” he said with a low laugh. “Because you’re lying, Amelia. Damien has my eyes, my smile. You can’t keep the truth from me.”
She held his gaze, her silence laced with defiance. The tension crackled between them, a battle neither was willing to lose.
“Fine,” she said finally, her voice a deadly calm. “Believe what you want, Ryan. But I won’t let you hurt them the way you hurt me.”
“Amelia, please, just—”
“Enough!” she snapped, her voice shaking as she pointed toward the door. “Get out, Ryan. Go back to your life, and leave us alone.”
He opened his mouth as if to protest, but the determination in her eyes silenced him. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, but then he nodded, a bitter smile ghosting his lips.
Without another word, she shut it in his face, her hands trembling as she leaned against the wood, the weight of the encounter pressing down on her.
Inside, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes as the reality of the moment washed over her. Ryan’s presence had stirred old wounds, reopening scars she’d fought hard to heal. But she couldn’t let him back in. Not now. Not ever.
After a moment, she pushed herself away from the door, straightening her shoulders. The kids would be waiting, and they deserved her strength, not her pain.
As she walked back to the kitchen, a single thought anchored her resolve: her children’s happiness was all that mattered, and she would protect them, no matter the cost.
