Page 68 of Dangers of Love

“That was stupid.”

I frowned at her. “But you were right. All of you were right. I don’t know what I’m doing. I was stupid to believe that I could make this work with someone I clearly don’t know as well as I thought I did. How could I be that dumb? So completely wrong about the type of man–”

“Stop.” Freedom’s voice was gentle, and when I looked at her, I was startled to see that she had tears in her eyes. “Please, Aline, stop. You’re not stupid.”

I shook my head, wanting to argue, but she didn’t let me.

“I’m so sorry I ever made you feel that way.” She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m especially sorry for how I behaved on Christmas. How I went after Eoin when I heard you were pregnant.”

“But you weren’t–”

“I was taking out my own issues on him,” Freedom said. Her voice was firm again. “I had a pregnancy scare a few years ago.”

My jaw dropped. I hadn’t known.

“My freshman year, there was this guy named Jack Graves. Pre-law and a junior. We started dating, and I thought things were getting serious. I wanted him to come home to meet the family on Christmas, but he thought it was too soon.”

I could see the pain on her face, and my fury toward this man I didn’t know pushed back my own feelings. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to talk about him if it hurt so much, but I knew that she must’ve had a reason, and if this might help heal our relationship, I’d listen. I’d been a fool to wait so long, to let things fester rather than forcing the issue.

“A couple days after I got back from break, I realized I’d missed my period, and when I told Jack, he freaked out. Said that I was trying to trick him into something more serious. He even insinuated that I’d been sleeping with someone else, and if I was pregnant, it wasn’t even his. I wasn’t pregnant, but that was it for Jack and me.”

I reached for her hand. “I’m sorry.”

She gave me a weak smile. “Thank you, but that’s not why I’m telling you this. I’m telling you because I’d thought I’d moved past it, but in the last few days, I’ve come to see that what happened with Jack really messed with my head.”

“Well, yes, it would,” I agreed.

“You don’t understand. I wasjealous, Aline,” Freedom said. “Jealous that this man who you’d had a fling with, after learning that you were pregnant, proposed and wanted to make a life and family, while the man I’d been dating for months had cheated on me and accused me of trying to trick him.”

Suddenly, I saw Christmas in a whole new light. Heard the things she’d said with this new information in mind.

“Eoin’s lost people close to him.” The soft tone surprised me almost as much as what she said. “Maybe it’s fear of losing more people he loves that has him pushing so hard to protect you.”

I didn’t know what to say. The last thing I’d expected when I’d called her was for her todefendhim.

“What’s going on with you? You’re not acting like yourself.”

Freedom’s laugh had an edge to it. “I know. And there’s a lot more we should talk about, but I need to know something first.” Her expression was serious as she locked eyes with me. “Do you love him?”

That was a question I hadn’t really let myself think about, which was pretty foolish considering the ring I was wearing.

“Put aside all the crazy. The way you met, the baby. If you had just gotten to know him as a man, as Eoin McCrae, would you want to be engaged to him? Make a life with him?” Her gaze practically bore a hole into me as she asked a second time, “Do you love him?”

Maybe the reason I’d never asked was because I’d known I wouldn’t even have to think about the answer. It’d just be right there, ready to come out.

“I do.”

She smiled. “Good. Now, stop running away. Go back home and talk to your fiancé. Don’t let him get away because you’re too scared or too proud to make him talk about his baggage.”

I leaned back in my chair. “I really didn’t see this coming when I called you.”

This laugh was far lighter than the one before. “I’ve had an eye-opening last few days.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Let’s just say that you’re not the only Mercier woman who prefers to leave instead of dealing with things that are tough.”

I was beyond stunned. “I’m an awful sister. How did I not know you were going through something so terrible?”

---