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“Is that it?” she asks.
“No, there’s a little bit more,” I admit. “I’m wrong and I know it. I should have told you about Magdalene and the questionable paternity in the very beginning, but things between us were going so well. Honestly, I was afraid to say anything because I didn’t want to lose you, so I kept my connection to Magdalene and Jacob a secret. Just so you know, Magdalene has consistently assured me that Jacob isn’t my child, but I now know otherwise.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the envelope I’ve been carrying around in my pocket.
“Here, see for yourself,” I say, handing the envelope to Jade.
Her hands tremble as she takes the letter from my hand.
“So, Jacob is your son?” she finally asks.
“Right,” I say. “I can’t say for sure that Heath knows the truth, but I am Jacob’s father.”
She folds the paper back up and puts it in the envelope before handing it back to me with fresh tears in her eyes.
“Okay,” she says with a sniffle, folding her arms across her chest. “Are you finished now?”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “You may not believe me, but you’re all I’ve thought about these last few days. I’ve been agonizing over what I would say to make things right. I should have told you everything when I asked to start over with a clean slate. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I’ll probably make a thousand more, but you weren’t one of them, and neither was Jacob. Magdalene doesn’t have my heart, she never did, but you do, and I want to make things right with my son. I love you and I never wanted to hurt you, Jade.”
She releases an audible gasp and I’m just as shocked as she is. I said the words, “I love you” for the first time. They rolled off my tongue so effortlessly, but I meant them with every fiber of my being.
“You love me?” she asks.
I reach out to grab her hand. “Yes,” I attest. “This hasn’t been a smooth ride at all, but I don’t want to give up on us, and I don’t want you to give up on us either. I love you with my mind, body and soul, Jade Sinclair. Scout’s honor.”
Tears spring back into her eyes, but instead of wiping them away she leans over and kisses me. It’s not the hot steamy kiss we typically share, but this kiss has deep feelings behind it. It signifies two people coming together as one in an emotionally draining situation. This kiss won’t erase the heartache I’ve inflicted on Jade, but it’s a much-needed Band-Aid.
Chapter 33
JADE
Do I hold on to the past, or let go and forge on into the future with the man who has my heart? My brain is in an emotional fog and internally I’m at war with myself. Asher’s kiss is tender, but I can tell that he is taking his cue from me. He is waiting for me to make the first move. The last first move as I know that our relationship has crossed over into another stage.
I lay back on the bed and pull Asher to me to try to start the healing process. No man has ever made me feel the way he makes me feel, and I believe him when he says there was nothing between him and Magdalene.
Knowing he is Jacob’s father is both shocking and a relief. It was heartbreaking to think I’d never see the boy I’d grown to love so much again. Knowing I’ll have the opportunity to continue my relationship with Jacob is only an added bonus to Asher’s argument, whether he knows it or not.
Right now, my body craves a very primal but necessary release. I reach for Asher’s shirt and slowly unbutton it. My hands rake down the front of his chest until I reach his waistband.
“I missed you,” I say.
Asher looks at me and understands everything. He plants kisses along my neck and shoulder. “I’m going to make sure you never have to miss me again. My heart ached for you every moment we spent apart.”
Our lips collide again as Asher reaches for my shirt to return the favor of undressing me.
He runs his tongue along the side of my throat, and down to the top half of my breasts. His hands reach around my back before unhooking my bra. My breasts bounce free as Asher pulls me from my sleeves and bra in one fell swoop. He pushes me back on the bed and unzips my pants and I knowingly lift my hips to give him room to slip them from my legs.
“Not only have I missed you, but I missed the feel of your skin against mine,” he says, running his hands down the length of my thighs.
