Page 347 of Nobody's Girl

I will never see that baby in real life. I will never really feel Kyle’s love for me in that way. I pray my selfishness lessens with time.

I wipe the tear from my cheek and take in a deep breath. “When we get back, I think that you and I should take a trip all alone. Maybe to the Caribbean. I bet we could get a private island and stay on it for a while. Just the two of us. I want to be with you and only you,” I tell Eden.

“That sounds nice, Alyssa. I’m not sure we can do exactly that, but I’m sure we can figure something out,” he tells me.

His hand touches mine and he sighs. “Alyssa, please don’t feel sad about never getting to see the baby in real life.”

“What?” I ask him.

“I can see your thoughts, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m jet lagged or something. My mind is so scattered. The little boy and his horror at us kind of messed me up. I feel like crying, not only for him but for all the children going hungry and being neglected. How can Our Creator let these things happen?” I ask Eden.

“It’s not for us to question,” he tells me.

I sit up, finding myself mad at his words. “When do we question? When is it finally time to question?”

Eden smiles at me. “Alyssa, this serves no purpose.”

“That is your answer for everything. What does serve a purpose?” I yell.

Eden lifts my hand to his lips and places a kiss on it. “I have news for you, Mrs. Fontaine.”

So he’s trying to divert my attention. I can’t be so easily manipulated. He, of all people, should know that.

“Oh, for the love of everything holy, Eden. Not another mission. Not so soon. I’m exhausted. The long flight, the anxiety, the long flight back home. No, I can’t take anymore,” I whine.

“Okay, I won’t tell you, then. Just rest, Mrs. Fontaine,” he says softly.

I drop my head onto his shoulder. My eyes close, but my mind can’t stop.

What news does he have? Can it be any good at all? Oh, damn my curiosity!

I sit up and look at Eden. “Well, you have my mind going, so tell me before I go and make myself crazy.”

“No, you should rest. I can tell you another time,” he says.

I close my eyes again. Whatever he’s doing isn’t going to work on me. I’m exhausted. I will rest. I don’t even want to know what he has to say. I drift off for a minute and suddenly I am being carried onto our jet.

“I can walk,” I say to Eden.

“Just stay asleep, Alyssa. I’m taking you to bed,” he whispers to me.

He lies me down on the bed in the jet’s bedroom. I feel him on the bed beside me, then he wraps himself around me. His hand rests on my stomach, his warm breath on my neck.

I turn my head to look at him, his face is about an inch away from mine. “I think I can hear your news,” I say softly.

“You sure, Alyssa?”

His emerald eyes dance with his question. I look into them, trying to see what his mind has hidden from me. There is nothing but a black wall. Maybe I don’t want to know after all.

That damn curiosity I have overtakes me. “Eden! Yes, I’m sure.”

He looks into my eyes and smiles that smile which melts my insides. “When you turned into the bird, I heard something different. I heard more than I usually do.”

I frown at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard your heart beat. It’s loud and strong,” he says.