Page 148 of Stolen Fate

Then he leaned down and kissed the tender skin on my neck, making me forget about everything else but how good it felt to have him hold me, touch me, kiss me… cherish me.

* * *

Jaceand I had been more open with our affection in front of Elliot. Though Elliot, for his part, didn’t seem to notice much about the change, or if he did, he didn’t think too much about it. And that was what I wanted.

For this to not be a big deal for Elliot.

I walked down the stairs with a happy and energetic Elliot behind me. Though he seemed to be doing okay after the whole incident at the mall, I noticed he had clung to me a little more than usual, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who noticed, though Jace didn’t say anything.

He would sometimes look at Elliot and me with an indulgent smile on his face, and it felt like perhaps everything would be okay as long as Jace kept smiling at us like that.

Jace was in the kitchen, making his signature pancakes when we came downstairs and, hearing Elliot, he turned around, a soft look in his eyes.

“Okay?” he asked me when I walked over to him. I only hesitated for a brief second before I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest.

“Yes, everything is okay,” I told him, my voice muffled in his chest. And perhaps Elliot wasn’t the only one who was getting clingy, because I found myself wanting to be near Jace as much as possible. Perhaps because all he told me about Elijah, or perhaps because I had come close to losing both him and Elliot, but I didn’t want to let him out of my sight for longer than necessary. Which wasn’t reasonable, considering Jace had to go back to work soon, and Elliot had to go to school.

We were getting back to our normal schedule after Emilia left, and I should be happy about that, but I had been getting the feeling that things were just too good to be true and soon the rug was going to be pulled out from under me and I might not be able to handle whatever it could mean.

And then a knock came at the door.

Jace stiffened in my arms, and I pulled back. “Are you expecting someone?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not expecting anyone. Let me go see who it is. Why don’t you get Elliot his breakfast and make sure he eats something before school?”

I smiled and nodded, watching him walk out of the kitchen until he disappeared from sight all together. My gut turned, and I didn’t know why I was feeling this way, but I had been feeling off all morning.

Elliot tugged on my shirt to get my attention, and I looked down at his wide blue eyes. Blue eyes that I was sure I would always have trouble saying no to. “Yes, baby?”

“I’m hungry, Evelyn.”

“Of course, sweetie. Now what kind of pancakes would you like?”

He rolled his eyes and I smiled at him. “Blueberry pancakes, duh.”

I nodded. “Duh. What was I thinking?”

He giggled and went over to the table to grab his plate. I helped him fork up two pancakes and watched him eat, half watching the door, wondering why it was taking Jace so long to see whoever it was.

I had cut Elliot’s pancakes into little pieces, so he was eating away happily, and I watched him absently with a smile on my face. Sometimes, I wanted to go back to a time when I was his age. Without a care in the world, knowing all of my problems would be resolved by all the loving adults in my life.

But there was something good about being able to be the adult in a little kid’s life, solving all of his problems for him so that he wouldn’t have to worry. It was satisfying as well.

“Elliot, I’m going to go check on your dad really quick, okay? Can you just stay here and eat your pancakes for me?”

He grinned at me, with a mouth full of blueberry pancakes and his cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk, before nodding. I patted his head as I walked out the kitchen and to the front door.

I heard Jace before I saw him.

Jace didn’t close the door all the way when he went outside, and it sounded like he was arguing with someone. Someone female.

Not Camila.

No, I had that woman’s catty voice in my head since the day she showed up here. Besides, I didn’t know where she was, but I doubted she would be back here so soon.

No, the female voice I heard belonged to someone older. She sounded calm, very polished, and very, very familiar.

My heart thudded heavily inside my chest and my hands grew sweaty as I got closer to the door.

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