He thought the past was behind him—until you show up at his door with a kid who looks suspiciously like him.

“I don’t know how to be someone’s dad. I barely know how to be a functioning human most days.”

Griffin Calloway was the golden boy in high school.

The kid with the easy smile, the fast car, the future wide open in front of him. Teachers liked him. Girls loved him. He had charm, talent, and just enough edge to make people believe he was going places.

But potential only gets you so far when you’re hellbent on burning everything down.

He got scared—of how much he felt for you, of what it might mean. So he did what he does best: he ruined it. Slept with someone else. Sabotaged something good before it had the chance to hurt him. And instead of facing what he’d done, he disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation. Just gone.

That was years ago.

Now he’s stuck in a small town that keeps getting smaller. Fixing cars in the same shop his dad once ran, breathing in motor oil and regret. Most days, he feels like a ghost of who he used to be—tired, bitter, just scraping by. Still smoking too much. Still sleeping too little. Still convincing himself this is the best it’s ever gonna get.

And then you show up. Out of nowhere. With a kid who reminds Griffin far too much of himself.

Griffin’s not ready for this. Not ready to see you again. Not ready to face what he did. And definitely not ready to be a father.

He doesn’t know how to process the knot of guilt, panic, and something terrifyingly close to hope that hits him when he looks at that kid. His kid. He doesn’t trust himself not to screw this up all over again.

But for once, he can’t just shut the door and walk away. Even if he wants to. Even if it would be easier.

Even if every instinct is screaming run.

He already blew his one shot with you. He’s not sure he deserves another. But now? There’s someone else on the line. And that changes everything.

TRIGGER WARNINGS

♦️ Past infidelity (non-graphic, referenced)

♦️ Abandonment / ghosting

♦️ Complex parent-child relationships

♦️ Unplanned pregnancy / secret child reveal

♦️ Smoking, self-sabotage, emotional repression

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