Chapter 136 One Hundred And Thirty Six
The walk back from the park felt very different from the walk that had taken them there.
The lightness that had filled the morning earlier had disappeared, replaced by a quiet tension that neither of them could fully ignore.
Antonia pushed the stroller slowly along the sidewalk, her movements absentminded. The baby slept peacefully inside, completely unaware of the emotional storm swirling around the adults in his life.
Austin walked beside her, occasionally glancing at her face.
She hadn’t said much since the confrontation in the park.
And when she did speak, her voice had been short and distracted.
They finally reached her apartment building.
Antonia stopped near the entrance and exhaled softly, almost as if she had been holding her breath the entire walk home.
Austin pushed open the door for her.
“After you.”
“Thanks.”
They entered the quiet lobby and rode the elevator upstairs.
The silence between them was no longer comfortable.
It was heavy.
Filled with unspoken thoughts.
When they reached her floor, Antonia unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she seemed to deflate slightly, the tension she had been holding in finally surfacing.
She wheeled the stroller into the living room and carefully lifted the baby out.
He stirred slightly but remained asleep as she carried him into the bedroom and gently placed him in his crib.
When she returned to the living room, Austin was standing near the window, his hands in his pockets.
She leaned against the back of the couch and ran a tired hand across her forehead.
“That was… awful.”
Austin turned toward her.
“Yeah.”
Antonia let out a bitter laugh.
“I can’t believe he spoke to me like that.”
Her voice trembled slightly now, the anger beginning to break through.
“He walked up to me in a public park and started accusing me like I’d done something wrong.”
Austin remained quiet, letting her vent.
“And the irony of it all,” she continued, shaking her head, “was that he was standing right there with Sofia.”
Her frustration spilled out now.
“He had the nerve to act jealous.”
Austin crossed his arms loosely.
“You didn’t deserve that.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Antonia sank onto the couch, rubbing her temples.
“For someone who barely even showed up to see his son yesterday, he suddenly had a lot to say about who I spend my time with.”
Austin watched her carefully.
“He was jealous.”
“That doesn’t excuse it.”
“No.”
She looked up at him.
“And what was that whole performance with Sofia?”
Austin raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
“The way he suddenly started acting close to her.”
She shook her head again.
“It felt deliberate.”
Austin didn’t answer that.
Because it had been deliberate.
But not for the reasons she thought.
Antonia sighed.
“I hate how much it bothered me.”
Austin stepped closer.
“It’s normal.”
“No, it’s frustrating.”
“Why?”
“Because I told him our relationship is about co-parenting now.”
“And?”
“And I meant it.”
Austin leaned lightly against the arm of the couch.
“But feelings don’t just disappear because we say they should.”
Antonia stared at the floor.
“I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore.”
Austin studied her face quietly.
This was the moment.
The exact moment he had been waiting for.
When emotions were raw.
When doubt had already been planted.
When Kennedy had just made himself look like the villain.
He sat down on the chair across from her.
“Antonia.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“I need to tell you something.”
Her brows furrowed slightly.
“What is it?”
Austin hesitated for a moment—not because he didn’t know what to say, but because he wanted it to sound genuine.
Careful.
Measured.
“I didn’t come back to this city by accident.”
Antonia tilted her head slightly.
“I assumed you had work here.”
“I do.”
“But that’s not the main reason.”
She watched him curiously.
“Then what is?”
Austin held her gaze.
“You.”
The word landed softly between them.
Antonia blinked.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“I came back because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Her expression shifted with surprise.
“Austin…”
“I know the timing isn’t perfect.”
“That’s an understatement.”
He gave a small smile.
“I’m aware.”
She folded her hands together nervously.
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
“That’s not how relationships work.”
“I’m not asking for a relationship right now.”
“Then what are you asking for?”
He paused.
“For a chance.”
The same words Sofia had used with Kennedy earlier that day.
Antonia exhaled slowly.
“Austin…”
“I’m serious.”
“I can see that.”
“I like you.”
Her gaze dropped briefly to her hands.
“And I think you deserve someone who actually shows up for you.”
His words echoed uncomfortably in her mind.
Because they overlapped with something else she had heard recently.
Ernest’s voice from the previous day suddenly resurfaced in her thoughts.
You know who I think is serious about you?
Austin.
He came all the way to this city for you.
Her heart tightened slightly.
The coincidence unsettled her.
Austin noticed the shift in her expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You look like you’re thinking very hard.”
“I am.”
She stood up and walked slowly toward the window.
The city stretched out beyond the glass.
Cars moved below.
People walked along the sidewalks.
Normal life continued as if nothing complicated existed.
“I’ve had a lot thrown at me lately,” she said quietly.
Austin remained seated.
“I know.”
“My relationship with Kennedy.”
“The baby.”
“The drama.”
“And now this.”
Austin nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
She turned to face him again.
“You deserve honesty.”
“And?”
“And I don’t know what I want right now.”
The admission hung between them.
Austin’s expression remained calm.
“That’s fair.”
“I can’t just jump into something because I’m upset.”
“I wouldn’t want you to.”
“And I need time to figure out what I actually feel.”
Austin nodded again.
“How much time?”
“I don’t know.”
Her honesty was refreshing.
Painful.
But real.
Austin stood up slowly.
“I can give you time.”
“You mean that?”
“Yes.”
He walked a little closer but kept a respectful distance.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Antonia studied him carefully.
Part of her appreciated his patience.
Part of her remained cautious.
And somewhere deep in her chest—
Kennedy’s angry face in the park still lingered.
She wasn’t ready to untangle all of it yet.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Austin gave a small nod.
“Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t let someone else’s jealousy decide your future.”
Her eyes flickered slightly.
“I won’t.”
But as she stood there in the quiet living room, Antonia realized something troubling.
The path ahead was becoming more complicated than she had ever expected.