Page 85 of Second Chance Wedding
“Ben snuck out last night. I’d fallen asleep on the couch and didn’t hear him climb out his window. Ana, I’m sorry. You left him in my care, and…I screwed up.”
Ana had sucked in a breath the moment Cole said Ben had snuck out, but then she forced herself to focus on the fact Ben was obviously home and safe. “Ben!”
She took a step toward the patio door.
“Ana, wait. There’s more,” Cole said. “And you’re not going to like it.”
ChapterNineteen
Cole stared at Ana and wished he could make the fear and pain and anger he saw flooding her gaze disappear.
He had only his experience helping to raise his younger siblings to use as comparison, but had they done what Ben had, well, he knew he’d be feeling the same rush of emotions.
But the reality was this might only be the beginning of what the future had in store if Ben changed his mind and continued to pursue his interest in his biological father despite what happened at the restaurant. Ana needed to know what she’d face. “Come sit down,” he said again. “Hear me out before you talk to Ben.”
Dragging out the events of the weekend wouldn’t help, so Cole took a breath and blurted out how Brooks had spotted Ben, called him because Ben refused to come home, and he’d gone to get her son.
“I can’tbelievehe’d pull that kind of thing on you. Why didn’t you call me?”
Cole grimaced. “I would have, but it took a while to sort through things. I had him, and he was safe. I didn’t want to ruin your weekend away.”
Ana’s hand trembled visibly as she pressed two fingers to her temple and rubbed.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with Ben acting out again. I can tell you’re upset, but— This isn’t your fault, Cole. I should’ve known better than to leave him. You’re not responsible for Ben sneaking out. He could have easily done the same with me home with him.”
Cole canted his head to the side, her concern for him tugging at his heartstrings when she had so much yet to hear. “That’s not all, Ana.”
He tugged her around the loveseat to the front, shifting his hold until he gently urged her to sit down.
Once she complied, he sat beside her, their knees touching. “Ben didn’t sneak out to meet his friends. He was halfway to a restaurant in Wrightsville Beach on his bicycle.”
Her eyes widened. “His bicycle? What on earth? In the dark? He could’ve beenkilled. What was he thinking?”
“He was going to see his father.”
Ana sucked in a breath, her eyes widening in surprise and horror.
Cole hated the flash of unbearable pain and heartbreak he saw next.
“What do you mean going to see—What?”
“Ana, Ben snuck out because he wanted to see his father. He didn’t want to hurt you, and he knew you’d be upset. He didn’t even want to talk to the guy. He just desperately wanted toseehim with his own eyes.”
Ana’s beautiful green gaze filled with tears, and she blinked rapidly, visibly trying to control her emotions. To take in the significance of Ben’s actions.
“But why? I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”
“I know. I’m sure you’re hurt and probably scared. Ben and I have talked a lot since last night, and I think it’s helped. He says he’s agreeable to counseling now. To talk about things. But more than anything, he’s afraid of how you’re going to react about what he did because he really doesn’t want you to be hurt by this.”
Ana stared up at Cole, her eyebrows pinched over her nose as she nodded and…tried to absorb the news.
“I’ve…brought up counseling before, but he was never willing. I-I’ll call tomorrow. But how does he even— How did heknow? His father has never been a part of our lives, so I haven’t… I mean, Ben’s never asked his father’s name. How did heknow?”
“Ben found one of your old journals in the garage a year or so ago. It had all the details.”
She flinched. “He read it?”
“Some of it, yeah. Enough, obviously,” Cole said, feeling the walls close in. “Look, Ana, I think the thing you need to focus on is that this opened the wall between you two. Yeah? And now more than ever Ben sees how much you’ve sacrificed to raise him. He knows how much you love him. He didn’t do this to hurt you.”
