My fingers tighten in the fabric of his jacket and I breathe out.
Maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay.
Jace
Nova’s story is heartbreakingly tragic. When I left last night, I was livid. First, because I thought she was writing love letters to her ex, then because I thought she was lying about having a son to cover herself. But the truth shone in her eyes.
“He’s my son.”
That confession rocked me more than any other one she’s ever told me and she didn’t even preface it with confession. But that’s exactly what it was.
Nova releases me and steps back, her face splotchy from crying and making her freckles more vivid than normal.
I clear my throat. “At the Thanksgiving party I took you to, you kept acting funny, and then you spoke with Owen … What did you guys talk about?”
She grabs a paper towel and uses it to dry her face. “I was acting funny because I thought I might run into his father. He’d become Governor, and I knew he had plans to try to move up politically.” She makes a face. “I didn’t think Owen would be there.” She pulls in a lungful of air. “I hadn’t seen him since he graduated and went to college. We didn’t stay in touch, not even through social media.”
“But you had a kid together.” I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t imagine having a kid with someone and never speaking to them again, even if the relationship is over I’d think a bond like that would last a lifetime and I’m a guy.
She shrugs. “To be honest, I felt angry with him for not sticking up for me and our son. He was so unattached to it all, but he didn’t carry the baby inside him so I suppose that makes a difference.”
“Still,” I mumble.
“Anyway—” she waves a hand through the air “—that was the first time we’d seen each other in years. He wanted to tell me he was sorry, that what happened was and will always be his biggest regret.” She smirks slightly. “Then he asked me how serious it was with you.”
“What’d you tell him?” I ask, curious of her answer.
“I told him I was madly in love and I’d found the person that I was going to spend forever with.”
“Not marry?” I joke.
She shakes her head. “Marriage is overrated.”
I place my hands on her hips and pull her body to me. “I wish I could make all of this right for you.”
She sighs and wraps her arms around me, laying her head on my chest. “I do too. I want to see him more than anything.” She pulls back and looks up at me. “Where’d you go last night? I know you didn’t go to Rae and Cade’s because someone would’ve told me.”
I laugh. “Joel’s.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “You stayed in Joel’s dorm room?” I nod. “How’d you pull that off? How’d you even get his number?”
I chuckle. “I got his number a while back. I wasn’t going to let you hang out with some douche that wanted to fuck you and not have his phone number so I can pester him every time you’re together.”
Her mouth drops open. “That’s why he’s always glued to his phone when we hang out.” She smacks my arm but it barely hurts.
“Yeah, so, I just texted him and asked if I could crash on his floor and he let me. End of story. It’s not that exciting.”
She shakes her head and backs away, hopping up on the island. “I can’t believe this. You spent the night with Joel. Whoa.”
“It sounds fucking dirty when you say it that way,” I mutter, picking up an orange and tossing it from hand to hand to have something to do.
“Wow. I’m blow away right now. I need a moment to process this.”
“Stop it.” I pinch her side and she giggles. “Oh.” I grin. “Ticklish, are we?”
She holds up a warning finger. “Don’t you dare.”
“Too late.”