Page 24 of You’re Mine

9

Jace

The beautiful woman hasn’t said anything. Haley’s standing there, looking at me in shock, and I get it. After all, it’s been seven years, and I just found out that I have a son. Holy fucking shit. I have a son.

Knowing that he exists has completely changed my plans. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was doing back in Lenville. I knew I wanted Haley to get a look at the man I’ve become, and maybe even rub it in Herb’s face a little. But now, everything’s different. She’s had my child, and Jamie can’t stay here, not with Herb. That idiot’s a monster, full of poison and maliciousness. I’ve already lost seven years, and I’m not going to waste another second.

“Haley, did you hear me?” She shakes her head as if in a daze.

“Yes, I mean … I’m sorry? You want us to go to New York with you? Me and Jamie? The two of us?” She’s stunned, and it’s not hard to tell. After all, I’m making demands out of nowhere, not to mention that we haven’t seen each other in seven years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to throw me out, but I have to make her see reason.

“Do you really want to stay here? At the Jones Manor? Come on, sweetheart. This place is a mess. There’s no sunlight, the curtains are all drawn, and if your dad is anything like he used to be, he’s still an asshole, to put it lightly. There’s no way my son is going to grow up here.”

“Jace, I don’t know,” she stammers. “Herb’s not here right now, and I can’t just leave without telling him…”

I cut her off.

“I don’t care what your dad wants. He’s never cared about what’s made you happy and I’m sure he doesn’t care about his grandson either. He didn’t care about you, so why would it be any different with Jamie? Come on, let’s go.”

While talking, I move closer and closer to her, and my heart almost breaks. There are tears in her big brown eyes, so I cup her face and wipe them away with my thumb.

“Can you do this for me?” I ask hoarsely, my heart a lump in my throat. “You know what I’m saying is true.”

She hesitates again, and panic begins to rise in my veins. What if I’m wrong? What if Haley wants to stay because her dad brainwashed her? It has been a long time, after all.

But my girl comes through. Gulping a bit, she swipes at her eyes and then nods.

“Okay,” she whispers.

I seize on the opening.

“Good. Then let’s go inside and get you guys packed. Keep it light and don’t worry about forgetting anything because I’ll buy whatever you need. Let’s just get you guys out of here.” I’m in super serious mode because there isn’t a lot of room for error. I’m conducting a rescue mission, and time is of the essence.

Haley turns towards our son. “Jamie, come here!” She motions for him to join us. Her hands smooth his hair down as she kneels in front of him, and then her eyes dart up to me before taking a deep breath.

“Are you okay, Mommy?” the little boy asks timorously.

“Yes, sweetheart. Mommy’s okay, Mommy’s okay,” she mumbles. She takes one more deep breath. “Do you remember yesterday when I told you that secret?” Jamie shyly nods and glances at me nervously. “Well, your dad wants to take us to New York. Do you want to go with him? Do you want to leave with him right now?”

He doesn’t answer immediately, instead opting to turn towards me again. His eyes zero in on mine, the blue burrowing down to my soul. Looking at him is like looking back through time, and a lump rises in my throat. This boy is everything to me already, and my determination growls firm. I won’t be separated from him ever again.

Jamie smiles beautifically.

“Okay,” he responds. He returns his gaze to Haley who is smiling. I can tell she’s holding back her tears as she reassures our son.

“Okay, okay. We’re going back into the house and we can’t make too much noise. You have to be really quiet, baby. I’m going to help you pack a few things, but we can’t take a lot of stuff and we have to move quickly. Can you do that for me sweetie?”

“Yes, I can do that,” he whispers, as if this is a top-secret mission. Haley hugs and then picks him up. The love between them is so strong, and I kind of feel like an intruder busting in after seven years, but I also know this is the right thing to do. They are my family, and I will do everything in my power to protect them.

“We should go in through the back because it’s easier to sneak in that way,” Haley breathes. I already know this because sneaking into the Jones mansion was once a pastime of mine, but I merely nod before following Haley back to the house and into the kitchen.

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