Page 25 of Love Unwritten

Despite being angry about Ellie withholding the truth, I can’t help feeling like a dick for kicking her out the way I did. Last night, I gave her a twenty-four-hour eviction notice without considering if she even had a place to go.

She has a best friend who lives in town—that much I know—but do they have room for her? I’m also aware that her mother lives somewhere in Lake Wisteria, but Ellie hasn’t said much about her before, so I’m not sure what their relationship is like.

Why do you care? She isn’t your problem anymore.

If that were true, then why does my chest feel so uncomfortably tight all of a sudden? And how do I explain the tension building underneath my skull, pulsing with every pump of my heart?

Nico shakes my arm hard enough to pull me away from my thoughts. “Why is all her stuff gone?” His voice cracks on the final word.

My reply gets trapped in my throat as he looks up at me with eyes filled to the brim with tears. I knew this conversation would be difficult, but I was hoping it could wait until after I placated him with pancakes, a new 3D-printed superhero to add to his growing collection, and an important conversation about always telling each other the truth.

“You made her leave, didn’t you?” A dark look passes over his face that I recognize too often on my own, and it instantly makes my stomach churn.

I kneel before him so we can be at eye level. “I know you care about Ellie, but I can’t let her take care of you anymore after she hid the truth from me.”

Rather than give in to the tears threatening to fall, Nico shoves me with all his might, and I wobble on my knees before regaining my balance. My kid has never been aggressive a single day in his life. Nico is a lover, not a fighter, so I’m floored by his reaction.

Floored and heartbroken, although I ignore the ache in my chest as I try to reach for him.

He steers clear of my open arms. “You told her to leave?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why? Why?” He shoves me again, but I’m better prepared this time to take the hit, both to my heart and my body.

I gently clasp his wrists. “Use your words, not your hands.”

He tries to pull himself free of my hold. “No.”

“Nicolas,” I beg. “You know I couldn’t let her stay after what happened.”

“She’s my best friend.” Desperation bleeds into his voice.

“She was your nanny.”

“No! You don’t understand!” He tries to break out of my hold and fails. “She wanted to tell you, but I told her not to.” A single tear rolls down his cheek.

I hate myself for hurting him like this, and I hate Ellie even more for putting me in this kind of position in the first place. If she hadn’t left in the middle of the night, I could have had time to better prepare Nico for her departure.

“She’s the adult and you’re the kid. You might not have known better, but she did.”

He shakes his head repeatedly. “You took my best friend away.”

“I’ll find you someone better—”

“No! I want Ellie!”

“That’s not possible.”

“You always make everyone leave!”

I let him go, too stunned by his killing blow to do anything but sit still while my son runs back to his room. He slams the door hard enough to make the frame shake.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but I don’t get up until the ache in my knees matches the one in my chest.

You always make everyone leave. Nico’s words haunt me.

My mom. My ex-wife. Ellie. The list continues to grow, along with my trust issues.

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