Gifted Connections 3

“She had just got done putting Jax down, and I was thirsty, so I wanted to get a drink. Mom was downstairs drinking wine with Dad, Horatio, and Greg. Mom started laying into Megan about coddling us too much. She told her we were boys and shouldn’t be ‘babied’ too much.

“Dad didn’t say anything, and Horatio only encouraged my mother. He supported my mother’s beliefs. They didn’t think boys should be treated softly, especially potent

ially gifted boys.

“Megan rarely stood up to her or them. Alison and Aunt Megan were once best friends. They were more than sisters. She stood up to them that night. She told them she would never stop loving us the way we needed her to.

“The argument came up again another day. I was supposed to be outside playing. Megan thought we were too young to be playing outdoors by ourselves. Alison told her when she had children she could make those decisions. That was the first time I saw Aunt Megan cry.

“She wanted children, but she was unable to have them. I honestly think that was one of the reasons why dad hired people like Cora to find out if they could find a solution to it. Dad was in love with Alison but he loved Megan. Sometimes I wondered if Alison used her gifts on Dad, and if that’s why he was so blind to how she treated him and her own sister.”

I went to ask him what gift she had when he pulled me in closer.

“She has the gift of seduction. She can make a happily married man cheat on his wife of thirty years if she chose to. She had a way of making men, and sometimes women, fall in love with her.

“When I caught her in bed with Horatio, I wondered if she had used her gift on him. Later when I was older, I knew they both went into their relationship with wide open eyes.”

I wanted to tell him how horrible his mother was but I knew that’s not what he needed. He already knew that. “If she is your father’s connection, then how do they still have their gifts? How are they still so strong?”

Jace laughed dryly. “Dad is. He’s the nucleus, and now that he and Aunt Megan are back together again, they both are gaining in strength once more, but Alison is weak. When we ran into her, I could feel it. In the past if she tried to use her gift on Jaxson, he wouldn’t have been able to resist her, especially since he still harbors emotions for her.”

“Have you told Jaxson all this?” I gasped. “And when did your Aunt and Dad get back together again.”

Jace smirked. “They’re still hiding it but I noticed Megan slip out of his room early one morning. Aunt Megan also needs to remember I’m an empath and learned about her barriers once more.” He winced and then frowned. “I don’t know if I should completely shatter the illusion Jax has about her. He thinks he really loved her. He’s confusing the emotions he felt when Aunt Megan left with the feelings he had when we left Alison.

“The main reason Aunt Megan had to leave was because of him. Jaxson started calling him mom and Alison flipped. Alison began to make her so miserable. She had to leave or she was going to tear her so down that Megan would have had nothing left.”

I looked up at him and caressed his face. “You know, before I met you and before I knew about all of us, Jax and I talked. A lot. We never told each other our names, and he didn’t like talking about Alison, but he did talk about you and your dad. He always called you the protective one.

“Jaxson jokes a lot. He even seems immature at times, but underneath all that joking and pranking, he really is stronger than you and Pops give him credit for. He started playing football because of you, but he chose running and lifting weights after practice on his own. No one told him to do that. He did it.

“He’s not Drake when it comes to school, but he still carries a high GPA. It was his decision to study agriculture science as a back up plan. No one told him to have a back up plan just in case he doesn’t make it to the NFL. He did that on his own.

“I know you love him, Jace, and I know you want to protect him, but he’s a man now, too. He deserves to know the truth. He should be able to deal with all this with facts and not assumptions and false memories.”

He sighed and kissed the top of my head. “Why do you have to shatter all my previous beliefs?”

I gave him a cheeky smile. “Because no matter how much you love taking care of us, and no matter how much you think you need to watch out for us all the time, you need to realize that you have six other people that love you and wouldn’t mind sharing the burden with you. It’s okay to pause, take a deep breath, and let go sometimes.

“A wise man once told me, even amazing, strong, and independent people should know when to ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of wisdom and strength.”

Jace stared at me for a moment. “Are you one of them?”

I looked at him in confusion. “One of what?”

“One of those people that love me,” he gently prodded.

I blushed and ducked my head. “Yes,” I finally admitted. I knew I loved them all but I didn’t ever want to be the first one to utter the words. I didn’t want them to think I was pushing them for more or that I expected more from them.

He gently grasped my chin and gave me a long lingering kiss. “I love you, too. I’ve been waiting for you to be ready, and every time I came close to confessing my love for you, it didn’t seem to be the right time or place.”

I grinned. “Oh yeah, like when?”

He chuckled and pulled me onto his lap, not caring that the lodge wasn’t exactly empty and we were surrounded by people. “I think I was infatuated with you the first time we played together, but I felt so conflicted. You were my student. It felt wrong.

“I knew I was in love with you when you sang Lost Boys on the stage at We 7. I knew I was lucky to have found a connection that fit so well with me, with all of us. Your compassion, brilliance, talent, and the way you know how to complete all of us was a bonus. But that night when you sang to us, after all you had been through, I could see your soul and I knew together we had found Neverland.”

I felt the tears burn the back of my eyes. I leaned in to kiss him with all the passion pent up inside of me.