Eight Long Years (Heart of Hope 5)

Jude turned to her picking her up. “Yes. I’m starving.” He took her into the kitchen.

Left alone with August, I went to him. “Please August. Why is it all or nothing with you?”

“I don’t belong. The three of you are a complete unit.”

I rolled my eyes. “You are so melodramatic. You’re part of the unit too. Are you really going to walk away from me and Maya because you’re mad or jealous of Jude?”

“Jealous?” he scoffed.

I nodded. “I understand not wanting to be alone. And I appreciate all you’ve done to look out for me and Maya, but maybe it’s time for you to start looking for other people to build your unit too. Me and Maya will always be here for you. Even Jude. But now that I’m grown up and a capable woman, you don’t need to sacrifice your life for me and Maya. We’ll be okay.”

August pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“Good thing you have a family to help you.” I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed.

Maya came running into the living room. “Are you staying for pizza?”

“We’ve got just enough,” Jude said from the kitchen doorway.

I looked at August. “Lesson number one, have pizza with your family.”

August looked uncomfortable, but he nodded. The victory wasn’t complete, but it was a start. As we sat to eat pizza, Maya chatted away, August continued to look like he felt out of place, and I wondered where things stood with me and Jude. Had he been too hurt to let me back into his heart?

After dinner, the awkwardness continued between the adults, but Maya continued to chat away like this was the most natural thing in the world.

“I know Maya is supposed to be visiting with you, but I wonder if I might take her for ice cream,” August said to Jude. “I haven’t spent much time with her lately.”

Jude’s jaw tightened and I could only imagine that he was thinking about all the time August had taken from him.

But he nodded. “Of course. I need to talk to April anyway.”

“Thank you.” August managed stiffly.

“Yay. I love ice cream.”

I watched August and Maya as they left Jude’s apartment. The door shut behind them, but I wasn’t able to turn around toward Jude as I was afraid what he might say. Had I pushed him away one time too many?

I heard him in the kitchen and suspected he was getting a drink. He returned with two glasses of wine. He set one on the coffee table, and the other he kept as he sat on the couch.

Resigned to accept whatever he said, I took the wine on the table and sat in the chair across from him.

“Thank you for forgiving August,” I said.

“I wouldn’t go that far. But I’m grown up enough to know that he’s important to you and Maya.”

I sipped my wine. “If only August was so mature, huh?” I said it trying to have some humor, but I didn’t quite manage it.

“I don’t trust him, April. I can’t tell you how much strength it’s taking me not to follow him to make sure he doesn’t run off with Maya.”

My head snapped up. “What? No. August would never—”

“Wouldn’t he? He sent me away. He forged a letter from you ending things with me, knowing you were pregnant. He intercepted your real letters to me.”

I looked down into my wine. “He won’t do anything to hurt Maya.”

“Why? What better way to get back at me than through her?”

“She loves him unconditionally. He knows that and won’t do anything to ruin it.” I sighed. “I know what he did was unforgivable. My heart aches for how much time you and Maya lost. August has given his life to me and Maya. He’ll be lost—”