Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
“Are you going to be difficult?”
I shake my head no. I am going to be invisible where he’s concerned. I am here for one reason and that is Jax. I have no idea what his father and I had at one time, but with how he’s talking to me, I’m guessing it wasn't the best. As he reminded me before, I’d run from here. There had to be a cause. All fingers are currently pointing to him at this moment.
“Come.” He starts up the stairs, the front doors swinging open. A man in a butler suit stands there. His eyes go wide when he sees me. Then they shoot to the car seat that Jonas is holding and his mouth falls open. Clearly he recognizes me.
“Mr. Willits, can I help you with anything?” the man asks.
“I’m good, George. I’m taking Darby to the east wing.” Of course they have wings in this over-the-top house. I follow Jonas. As we pass George, I give the man a half smile.
“How are you, Ms. Harris?”
“Call me Darby, please.”
George chuckles. “We’ve had this fight before. You know I can’t.” His eyes go soft on me. “I’m glad you’re back. Give her hell.” He winks at me before turning to shut the door.
“This way.” Jonas cuts in before I can ask who I need to give hell to. I give Jonas another nod and follow after him. My eyes are so tired at this point that it’s hard to take the place in. Everything is breathtaking and beautiful. I’m going to have to put Jax in a bubble. This place is definitely not baby ready. If Jonas intends for us to stay here, he’ll have to make a lot of changes. Childproofing this place is only the beginning.
“Here.” I look back to Jonas as he pushes open two white doors into a giant bedroom. I follow him in as he sets the car seat down. I drop to my knees in front of Jax, unbuckling him before I slowly pull him out. I bring him close, needing to feel him against me. I always feel calmer when he’s close.
“Mommy,” he says in his sleep.
“I’ve got you, angel.” I pull Jax tighter in my arms as I stand. This gets harder and harder every day. He’s going to be as big as his father from the looks of it. My eyes flick over to Jonas, who is pulling his buttoned-up shirt out from his slacks. He’s a wrinkled mess in his tux.
I turn, heading over toward the giant bed to put Jax into the center of it. I don’t look back at Jonas as I crawl into the bed with Jax. It may be terrible, but I am using Jax as a shield. I don’t want to be alone with Jonas. I am still trying to get everything I am feeling under control.
“Can we step out for a minute?”
My body stiffens when I realize his voice is coming from right next to the bed. I open my eyes, sitting up. “No. I won’t leave Jax alone. He has no idea where we are. If he wakes up he might be scared.”
Jonas runs a hand down his face. “Okay but we need to talk.”
I shake my head no. “There is nothing to say. You wanted Jax here.” I look down at our son. “He’s here.”
“About us.”
“There is no us.”
“Darby-”
“Don’t,” I snap, cutting him off. I take a deep breath in to get myself under control so I don’t yell and wake Jax up. “You say I ran. Fine. Maybe I did. I don’t know what the truth is there. What I do know is that there had to be a reason that a person that’s so in love would run. They would have to have been scared or truly unhappy to take off without a trace. So you think that you have questions, well so do I. Beginning with why did I run from you, Jonas?” I turn my head to look back up at him. He looks shocked as he takes a step back as if I’d hit him. “You may not believe that I don’t remember you, but it doesn't matter. If I ran, I was running from something. If I’m going off the man I’ve met today, I’m starting to see why I would have.” I shake my head.
“I never once thought I ran away from someone. It never even crossed my mind. I didn't know who I was when I woke up in that hospital room but I didn't think for one second that I ran from something. I wasn't scared someone was going to find me. I was scared that no one was looking.”
“Darby-”
I keep going, ignoring him. Realizing that I’m pretty terrible at this not talking to him thing. “No one did.” I turn away from him. “For years.” I lie back down next to Jax, putting my arm around him and closing my eyes, willing myself not to cry. “I’m tired. Please let me sleep before Jax wakes up soon,” I tell him, hoping that he leaves before I start crying. The room goes quiet. I don’t know if he stays or goes. I don’t hear anything as I drift off to sleep.