Page 160 of Stolen Fate

He had come to Boston with us—had sat in the front passenger seat of the pre-arranged car service; old habits and all that—and he was looking at me with sympathy in his eyes. I didn’t know how much he knew, but he probably knew enough to put the pieces together.

I looked away from him. “Go inside and rest, Evelyn. Just take care of Elliot. I’ll bring your bags in so you don’t have to worry about anything else, okay?”

I nodded and climbed out of the car. He moved out the way enough that I could get through, but before I could get very far, he called my name. I turned my head around to look at him.

“You know I have never seen Mr. Reed look as happy as he is when you’re around. And I’ve known him for over two decades. I saw him lose control the night he found out Camila was pregnant with Elijah, and I saw him spiral even more the night of his wedding. I also witnessed him breaking down when Elijah died. When Elliot came home from the hospital, there was hope in his eyes again. I know he sees Elliot as his second chance to do things right, when Elijah’s death hadn’t been his fault—or anyone’s. But I have never seen him smile as much as he has since the moment we brought you to New York.”

“I don’t know why you’re telling me these things.”

Even in the dark, I could see him raise an eyebrow. “Don’t you? There are a lot worse things in life than loving a man who loves and cherishes you back.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything and walked to the front door with Elliot in my arms.

He hadn’t woken up since we got on the plane, and he even slept through me laying him down on the bed in my childhood bedroom. I stood and watched him sleep for a while, moving some of his dark hair away from his face, and taking in his baby face.

Love for him made my heart light. I still couldn’t believe I got to see him again.

I could say it was fate, but I knew better.

Everything, from the moment we met to the time I ran into that man at the hospital, to finding the flyer with “nanny wanted” on it, had been orchestrated by Jace.

I still didn’t know why he didn’t just come out and tell me everything at the beginning, or at the very least, before he started to pursue me.

I kissed Elliot’s forehead and walked away to the bathroom to get ready for bed, though I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

* * *

I hadElliot’s little hand in mine as we walked out of the elevator on the fifth floor of the hospital, where they were keeping my dad in for observation.

Jerry was down in the lobby, waiting for us to have our visit after dropping us off in Dad’s car.

I was glad he didn’t follow us up. I was already feeling too many things; I didn’t want another one of Jace’s employees to see me lose it—or worse, see me lose it and report it back to Jace.

Jace’s voice asking me to come back home had been echoing in my mind all morning. I knew eventually I would have to take Elliot back to his dad. Elliot hadn’t asked about Jace so far, and I thought it was because he was happy being on this little adventure with me, but he would be asking about him soon, and I couldn’t separate Jace and Elliot from each other. I could never.

It would be cruel.

And I knew exactly how it felt to have your child taken from you.

Besides, I had no legal right to claim Elliot as my own.

But the only problem with returning to Jace, to forgive it all, put the past behind us and to be a happy little family, was that I didn’t know if I would be returning to Jace because I loved him (I did) and forgave him (I still wasn’t sure), or if I was returning because I wanted so badly to have a family of my own (which was also true).

I didn’t want to end up resenting Jace, and if I couldn’t forgive him, then I shouldn’t be with him. It could destroy Elliot if our family broke apart after he’d gotten used to the idea of us.

It would destroy me, too.

And just because I loved Jace didn’t mean it was enough for me to just forgive and forget everything.

There comes a point when love just wasn’t enough.

I let out a sigh and Elliot looked over at me, his big eyes assertive. I would do well to remember how perceptive kids his age could be, and I didn’t want him to worry about me. It wasn’t his job.

“Okay, Evelyn?”

Okay, Mom?

I shook away the sudden thought. I couldn’t ask Elliot to call me Mom. It would only confuse him, but I didn’t realize how badly I wanted him to until that moment.

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