Page 110 of Stolen Fate

And it could very well be the case with my son as well.

That he was loved and cherished. That he was the apple of his parents’ eyes, and that I wasn’t a total monster for having abandoned him.

I wiped the tears that I didn’t know were forming when they fell down my cheeks, and I closed my eyes.

I fell into a restless sleep and by the time my alarm rang in the morning, I felt like I shouldn’t have bothered sleeping at all.

* * *

I was preparinga snack for Elliot after school when the front door opened. I checked the time and smiled to myself.

It was early. Too early for Jace to be getting off, but I liked the idea that he was getting off early from work because he wanted to see me.

We didn’t spend nearly enough time together this morning. The three of us had breakfast that Jace made us, and then it was a rush of trying to get out the door and getting Elliot to school on time, since he spilled orange juice on himself and we had to clean him up.

I set down the ham and cheese sandwich I was cutting the crusts from and wiped my hands on a nearby tea towel. I resisted the urge to move my hands to my hair and make myself more presentable.

This was probably as good as it was going to get, and it wasn’t like Jace hadn’t seen me at my worst, considering we were all living in the same house.

Elliot rushed to the front door when he heard noises coming from there. “Daddy!” I didn’t need to look to know Elliot had thrown himself into Jace’s arms, or that Jace had caught him. But what Elliot said next surprised me. “Uncle Jensen! You’re here, too! Are you going to have dinner with me and Daddy and Evelyn?”

“Yes, I am, little man,” a deep, unfamiliar voice replied.

I was nervous.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to act around Jensen. Obviously he was close to Jace, but I wondered if Jace had told him about us, or whether I was supposed to act professional—like I was nothing more than Elliot’s nanny.

And what if he knew about Jace and me and didn’t approve? What if he hated me before he even met me, because he thought the same thing I thought: that Jace and I shouldn’t have gotten into this in the first place. That we should have more control than we did and not give into temptation.

I could hear footsteps walking across the hardwood floor, and I knew it was too late for me to find a place to hide.

The footsteps grew closer and then they appeared in the doorway.

My eyes moved to Jace first, who was carrying Elliot in his arms. I knew it had only been hours since I’d last seen him, but I was still affected by the very sight of him. And the fact that he had Elliot in his arms like that? It made me want to hold onto them and never let go.

Jace smiled a little, and I couldn’t help the slight curve of my lips or the softness in my eyes. I should be careful or all of my weak and vulnerable spots would be exposed to his sharp gaze.

A cough darted my eyes away from them, and I turned to take in the man next to them.

He had short dark hair and devastating gray eyes, the bright irises surrounded by thick, long and dark envious eyelashes that should have made him look feminine if he didn’t have such a defined jawline and a neatly trimmed dark beard the same shade as his eyebrows. He was beautiful in a way that was unattainable, with his broad shoulders, defined pecs and muscular form. His figure closely resembled Jace’s, though he was probably an inch or two shorter.

His presence was just as imposing as Jace’s, until he smiled at me, his gray eyes twinkling a bit, and I couldn’t help but think the man spent his whole life getting into all sorts of mischiefs.

I offered a hesitant smile back and moved forward, holding out my hand. “Hi, I’m Evelyn.”

Jensen met me halfway and clasped my hand into his large one, and though I was still intimidated about meeting someone so important to Jace and Elliot, I was less so now, seeing the warmth in his eyes as he took me in.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Evelyn. I see Jace and Elliot weren’t exaggerating when they told me just how beautiful you were.”

I blushed and sneaked in a glance at Jace and Elliot, only to find Jace scowling at the way Jensen’s hand was still holding mine, and Elliot nodding, as if he was agreeing with Jensen’s assertion. I didn’t know if I should laugh or move away before Jace committed murder.

I didn’t get the chance to do either of those things, because Jace said, “I think you’ve been holding onto Evelyn’s hand long enough. Let go.”

Jensen didn’t seem intimidated by Jace, though he did let go of my hand with a chuckle. “It’s like that, is it?”

“Yes, it is,” Jace answered without hesitation, his heated eyes moving over to me in a possessive way I had never seen before. I realized now that Jace had been holding back on me. My blush intensified further. If it wasn’t totally socially inappropriate, I would run away to find a hiding spot.

Jensen laughed again, a little harder than before. “That’s great, man. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you act like this, and I’m happy for you.”

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