Page 120 of Broken Vows

But it feels perfect.

There’s a cheeseburger in front of Levi, plain except for an alarming amount of mustard, and a chicken club sandwich in front of me that I’ve been picking at between smiles. Theo, meanwhile, is attacking a towering stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

“Breathe between bites,” Levi says.

I laugh, and Theo grins around his mouthful. We had talked about how to tell him about us—a gentle conversation, easing him into it, making sure he knew this was good news, not something that had to change everything overnight. But Levi’s never been very good at following plans. He puts his arm around me.

“Carmen and I are together now,” he says.

Theo freezes with his fork halfway to his mouth. His eyes flick to me.

“To be clear,” I say gently, “nothing has to change too fast. We just decided we really like each other.”

Theo looks between us, processing this new information with the grave seriousness only a child can manage. Then his face lights up so quickly it makes my chest ache with warmth. He tries to hide it by stabbing another piece of pancake, but the smile keeps breaking through.

“I knew you liked her,” he says around his next mouthful. “You always eat a whole tin of mints before you go see her. And you changed your shirt three times before⁠—”

“Eat your pancakes,” Levi says quickly. A flush creeps up his neck.

After inhaling his entire plate, Theo begs Levi for a milkshake. When he agrees, Theo slides out of the booth to go look at the milkshake flavors written on the board near the counter, leaving Levi and me alone for a moment. I turn to him as he watches Theo cross the diner, his eyes softer than I think he realizes.

“You’re different with him now,” I say.

Levi’s gaze stays on Theo. “Different?”

“It’s like you’re less afraid of loving him.” I hesitate, because I know this is tender ground. “I know you don’t want children. But I think if life had gone differently…I think you would have been a good dad.”

The warmth drains from his expression. For a second, he just watches Theo at the counter. Then he shakes his head.

“Nah,” he says quietly. “That’s not how it would’ve gone.”

Theo runs back over, grinning. “Chocolate. Definitely chocolate.”

Levi’s face shifts before Theo can see it, the hard edges smoothing into something close to normal.

“Shocking,” Levi says. “Never saw that coming.”

Theo only makes it halfway through his milkshake before he groans and pushes it toward Levi, one hand pressed dramatically to his stomach.

Levi rolls his eyes, then drains the rest of the milkshake in three long pulls. The server comes over with the bill tucked into a little black folder, smiling as she sets it on the table.

“You two are trouble,” she says warmly, glancing between them. “And you look just like your dad, sweetheart. Honestly, identical.”

“He’s my brother,” Theo says.

The server frowns, clearly confused.

“Strong genes,” she says.

Levi reaches for the bill and stuffs far too many bills inside, like he can’t get her away fast enough. “Keep the change.”

The server beams and walks away, completely unaware of the tension she’s left behind.

It’s not just me, then. Other people see it too.

I try to push the thought away on the drive home. I tell myself I’m being ridiculous. We’ve been officially together for one day. It’s far too soon to be asking these kinds of questions. It’s none of my business.

Except the details keep lining up no matter how hard I try to scatter them.