Tanya's face went pale, tears welling up in her eyes, making her look so pitiful. "Jace, you're tired of me, aren't you?" she asked, tears starting to fall.Jace stayed silent, a cold aura around him."But if Desmond were still here, I wouldn't be bothering you..." Tanya's voice had a desperate edge."Being bothered by you is one thing, but don't bother her," Jace said, referring to me.It looked like they were about to argue. I didn't know if I should stay or leave."I get it. I won't bother you anymore, or her," Tanya said, turning abruptly and walking out.This time, Jace didn't chase after her. He turned to me instead. I lowered my head slightly and started to walk away.Jace followed closely behind me. As we stepped out of the café, a loud screeching of brakes caught our attention.We both looked up to see Tanya being hit by a car coming out of a car park."Tanya!" Jace yelled, running toward her.I hesitated for a few seconds, then followed him."Jace, the baby..." Tan
Lena sensed I wasn't telling the whole truth but didn't press further. "Alright, I'll let you know if there's any news. By the way, where are you going tonight? If you don't want to go back to the Johnston residence, you can stay at my place."Lena was on the night shift tonight, so staying at her place made the most sense.I really didn't want to go back to the Johnston residence, especially since Jace and I were sharing a room now.But crashing at Lena's place forever wasn't a great idea either. Even though she didn't have a boyfriend, everyone needs their own space."Alright," I agreed. Until I found somewhere else, her place was better than a hotel.Even though I had a spot at Lena's for the night, I didn't head straight there. Instead, I drove to Emberholm.Emberholm was an old town, but it was still home to a lot of people, mostly renters, because the rent was cheap.I came here because my parents' apartment was here. Before my parents passed away, the three of us lived he
"Keira, please don't get the wrong idea."Tanya's words almost made me laugh.Remembering what she said earlier about her "boyfriend's" preference for bed linens, it turned out she was talking about Jace."Is this for Jace?" I asked, glancing at the bed linens she picked. Blue and gray—totally his favorite colors.But that was back then. Now, thanks to me, his taste had brightened up a lot.Tanya bit her lip and hesitated for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No, don't get the wrong idea, it's for my brother."I was too tired to deal with her games, so I cut to the chase. "So Jace is moving in with you now?"Didn't he say he couldn't let Tanya's baby get hurt? Watching over her all the time seemed like the next step."How can you say that?" Tanya snapped."You're even buying his bed linens. How can I not say that?" I shot back, mocking her."You're too jealous. Jace won't like that," she replied, making me laugh."Why are you laughing?" Her innocent, wary eyes were fix
Although Tanya's presence had been annoying, it didn't ruin my appetite. I enjoyed a large plate of creamy pasta before heading back to the office.As soon as I got there, I received a call from Lindey. I hadn't been home for two days, so it was normal for her to call. "Hey, Lindey.""Rea, don't stay at your friend's place too long. Come home tonight. I made gnocchi with cumin and ground beef," Lindey said, making me smile.It seemed Jace had already come up with an excuse for my absence.I had decided to move back to the apartment in Emberholm, so I had to go to the Johnston place to pack my stuff. I told Lindey, "I'll be back tonight," and left it at that.As the workday was ending, Demi came up to me. "Keira, you doing okay?""Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, puzzled."Office gossip. Ignore it. I've seen how much Mr. Johnston cares about you," Demi said, hiding her phone behind her back."Hand it over," I said, my tone serious.Reluctantly, Demi gave me her phone and opened the
My heart was touched. Even though I was a foster child in this family, Jace's parents treated me with the same care and love as their own daughter. They made me feel like one of them.I remembered Jace's brother, Wayne, joking that ever since I joined the family, both he and Jace had been knocked down the pecking order.Lena was right. I could break up with Jace, but breaking away from his family would be much harder.I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.Everyone's eyes turned to me, and Lindey quickly got up and came over. "Rea, you're back. We were just waiting for you to have dinner.""Hey Lindey, Matthew," I greeted them. Jace, who had been kicked by Matthew, stood up and came over.He took my bag. "Why are you back so late?""I played some pool," I said. I knew Steve would tell him about our meeting, so there was no point in hiding it.Jace frowned a bit. "Next time you want to go, call me to join."He didn't like me hanging out for fun, especially without him.
Gavin Lawson was his secretary.I stayed quiet, and Jace looked down. "Rea, what do you want me to do? Just tell me, okay?"He sounded powerless, helpless, even somewhat despondent. Seeing him like this was rare."Jace, we've broken up. You don't need to worry about this. Take care of her however you want," I said.He shook his head and stepped closer, trapping me between the sink and his chest. "Don't even think about it. We're getting our marriage certificate tomorrow.""Jace, do you really want to marry me?" I remembered the conversation he had with Steve and spoke directly. "We know each other too well. So well that you have no interest in even sleeping with me, right?""I told you it was just a joke. That night, I was—""Jace," I interrupted him, not wanting to revisit that night, "that night is a shadow that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Do you get that?"His eyes narrowed, and he asked helplessly, "What do you want me to do so you'll forgive me and not break up?
Seeing the hopeful eyes of Matthew and Lindey, I finally nodded.But deep down, I promised myself: if Jace had any more dealings with Tanya, even after we got married, I'd leave him without a second thought.Everyone at the table sighed in relief when I agreed, and the atmosphere turned warm and relaxed.After dinner, I couldn't just leave.Back in the bedroom, the awkwardness between Jace and me was even worse."You go take a shower," Jace broke the silence first.Just then, my phone rang. It was Lena. I glanced at Jace. "You go ahead. I'll take this call."Jace went into the bathroom, and I answered the phone. Lena's voice had a hint of accusation. "Rea, you didn't sleep at my place last night, and you're not here tonight either. Did you go back to Jace's?"Looking at the big bed in the middle of the room, I replied softly, "Yeah.""You and Jace are back together?" Lena sounded surprised.I bit my lip. "We're getting our marriage certificate tomorrow."Lena was silent for
Looking at myself in the mirror, I forced a smile. 'Smile today. Be happy. Live happily ever after from now on,' I told myself.When I went downstairs, Matthew and Lindey had already made breakfast. They'd even swapped the regular tableware and couch covers for the special family occasion sets."Rea, once you get your marriage certificate, come back so we can celebrate and discuss the wedding party details," Lindey said, sounding more excited than I was."Sure!" I replied.Lindey looked at me. "You look beautiful today. It would look even better if it was embellished with pearls or Swarovski crystals.""That would be too conspicuous," I said."Don't listen to her. It's not a wedding ceremony; there's no need to dress extravagantly just to get a marriage license. Rea, wear whatever you like," Matthew cut in, correcting Lindey.I smiled, feeling warm inside.Lindey dragged me to the table. Along with the usual lavish breakfast, there were two extra eggs and a sausage arranged in