Rekindling Tradition

Chapter Eleven: You took that away from me!

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot is written by me and not copied from any other writer.

Author's Note: Hello to all my readers! Happy New Year! I'm back! And due to my lack of posting for the past two weeks, I will be posting FOUR chapters to catch up to my weekly posting schedule. Thank you for bearing with me. Enjoy!

********** Chapter Eleven **********

"Start from the beginning," Theo demanded. It was the first time I was seeing him this close outside of the television screen. Although I was embarrassed to admit it, he was definitely more good-looking in person. Time did nothing but favor him. 

"After the accident, I went to Doctor Thomas for a follow-up. He told me I was a few weeks pregnant," I started, my voice quacking from the shivers running down my spine. Theo eyed me briefly. My eyes shifted from his gaze. 

"When did you get pregnant?" Theo asked, his eyes narrowing onto me. I looked up at the ceiling, taking in the wooden panels. I was always fond of the ceiling in my childhood home. It would stir feelings of warmth and protection, something I desperately needed at this moment. The memory of Ty's conception flooded back into my memory. I held back the embarrassment of reliving the intimacy of two lovesick teenagers. 

"It was that day you came over after your UW tryout," I answer. I gaze at Theo's shifting eyes. He was thinking back on the day. The memory must have given him clarity as he acknowledged the possibility with a nod. 

"Yeah. So, I originally was going to tell you after the championship game. But, I came to your game, and I overheard a few of your fans," I started, my tongue going dry. Theo's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I could see the mixed emotions flowing through him. 

"What the fuck could someone say that would make you leave your family and hide my son from me, Rylee?!" He shouted, leaning towards me out of his seat. I flinched at his words. I wasn't accustomed to Theo being angry at me. Well, not this version of him. This wasn't the boy I knew. He was a man. 

Somehow, I grew angry about everything. Sure, my decision seemed selfish to him. Of course, everyone would think it was silly to move miles away and raise my son by myself. But it was mines. It was a decision I made for his sake. 

"They said I was going to hold you back!" I shrieked, my breathing erratic. I clenched my fist, my eyes enraged at the man in front of me. "And they were right!" I spat. Theo's face dropped. The seriousness of the situation coming to the front of the argument. 

"No, they weren't. Why are you always like this?" Theo frowned. 

"Like what?"

"So controlling all the time! Damn it, Ry. That decision wasn't yours to make. It was my decision! It was MINES!" Theo shouted, pointing at his chest. He was going red with frustration. He ran his fingers through his hair. We both look around the room, trying to steady our breathing. 

"It wasn't your body carrying him, Theo. It was mines. I couldn't abort him," I snap, after evening our my breathing. Theo huffed, the look of hurt flashed across his face. He shot up. He began steady pacing in the room. 

He shouted for a moment before responding, "Am I trash to you, Rylee? Is that it?"

I frowned, "Of course not."

Theo laughs hysterically, "Then why do you consistently make me out to be a piece of shit. Abortion? Do you know how much I fucking loved you? I would have given up everything to be next to you."

My face grew hard hearing those words. I didn't want that. I couldn't bear him losing out on his dreams for someone like me. 

"I didn't want you giving up your dreams, Theo! I told you I would never let you give them up even for me!" I exclaimed, my voice breaking. Theo wiped his face with his hands, exasperated by the conversation. 

"How was that your choice, Rylee? Huh? What right did you have to make that choice for ME?!" He screamed. The tears I was restraining freed themselves. Theo exhaled. He tilted his head to the ceiling, shaking it in disbelief. "It's been eight years, Rylee. My son is almost a teenager, and I didn't know he existed. It's so fucking unfair. You took that away from me, and I hate you for that." He continued, his restraint fading. The tears flowed down his face, and I sobbed. 

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let Tyrus and I be the reason you didn't succeed. I wouldn't be able to live with myself," I explained. 

Theo scoffed, "But you can live with keeping my son away from me? What is wrong with you?"

I nodded, "Yes. Didn't you do it? You're everything you wanted to be." Theo laughed before frowning. His face twisted into a sinister smirk. 

"I'm nothing I wanted to be and everything you wanted me to be."

"That's not true," I denied. Theo inched closer to me. His eyes met mines, those brown eyes enflamed with hatred. My heart shattered into tiny pieces on the floor. 

"What I wanted was to be next to you. I wanted to be married to you with kids. I didn't care if it meant giving up my surname or my stupid dreams. But you know what Rylee?" He shook his head, with a sad grin on his face. He took a slight step back before answering, "You took that away from me."

We both faced the heavy silence that came afterward. Only our sniffles and sighs dared to break the weighted tension. Theo seemed conflicted. He went to say something but was often thwarted by some unknown factor. After a long few minutes of silence, Theo broke it. 

"When are you going to tell him?" He asked, referring to Tyrus. I wiped the last of the tears slipping away. 

"Now, if you like," I replied. Theo seemed to like the response as he nodded and offered a simple ok as a response. 

"Tyrus? Where did that come from?" Theo questioned. He finally took a seat, the room-clearing a bit from the emotions. 

"It means strength or rock. He's my rock. He's so strong and smart. He keeps me balanced," I answered. Theo nodded. 

"I'm assuming he has your surname?" I nod. Theo frowned, "I want to change that. He's my son. He will be a Bradshaw. Tyrus Bradshaw."

"Tyrus can make that decision if he likes. I don't want to pressure him into changing his name."

Theo frowned, "It's not pressuring him to change his name to what it should have been from the start. He's a Bradshaw." Something about the way he said it ticked me off. Ty was a Scott too. He had my blood flooding through his veins. I don't care who he looked like, he was my son too. 

"As I said, the decision is his to make. If he wants to change his name, he can, but I am not forcing anything on my son," I snapped.

"Our son," Theo corrected. Our. Son. I wasn't used to sharing Tyrus. For the past seven years, he was my son. But I knew this was only the beginning. Things were going to change drastically. I didn't know whether I could handle it.