“I can’t.” Her voice is hard, brittle at the edges, her words faltering. “It doesn’t matter.”
The door opens, and a little boy steps into the corridor. My breath leaves me in a rush when I see his wild, dark hair and smiling brown eyes. He doesn’t look a thing like his blond-haired, blue-eyed mother.
“Hi,” Noah says, waving to me.
“Noah,” Molly says, pointing into the apartment, “I need you to stay inside.”
“It’s a girl cartoon.” He pouts. “I wanted Pider-Man. I don’t like My Wittle Ponies.”
“Then play with your trains until I get in there.” Her voice is stern, and she spares a panicked glance in my direction before pointing into the apartment again. “Please, Noah. I only need another minute.”
“Bye,” Noah says before scurrying into the apartment and shutting the door behind him.
“He’s a McKinley.” No wonder she didn’t want me to see him. Holy shit. It’s so clear.
“Of course he is. He’s my son.”
I shake my head. That’s not what I mean, and she knows it. Molly is only a McKinley because Ava’s father adopted her. Noah is a McKinley by birth. It’s all over his face.
“It’s none of your business, Jake. Please stay out of it. Go home to Ava. Tell her you’re madly in love with her and make beautiful babies together. Don’t worry about me and Noah.”
“You’re sure you don’t want his father to know?”
“Noah doesn’t have a father,” she says firmly. “Just a mommy, and he and his mommy are doing just fine.” She takes my hand, and vulnerability creeps into her eyes for the first time when she says, “Please don’t do anything that might change that.”
It’s the desperation in her eyes that makes me understand her secret. Holy shit. “The secret is yours to keep or tell,” I promise. “You don’t have to worry about me, but soon enough, word is going to spread that you have a child.”
“Let it spread.” She shrugs, but I see the worry on her face. “Don’t do that. Don’t look at me like you feel sorry for me. I don’t want your pity.”
She has it whether she wants it or not. “Let me help you.”
“You already helped when you gave me a job.”
“But surely you need more than that. Let me get you caught up on rent, or—”
She shakes her head as she laughs. “Ava’s right. You are a fixer, aren’t you?”
“I’m not offering anything she wouldn’t.”
She sighs heavily. “Not every problem is yours, Jake. This one is mine, and mine alone. I made my choices, and I’ll deal with them.”
Ava
“Florida’s nice,” Colton says. “Actually, Ellie and I looked at relocating there.”
“Really? When?”
“After Dad brought up the possibility of you moving. Ell hates the winters here, and it would be nice to be closer to Mom.”
“It would.” Two days ago, I walked out of Jake’s apartment, and yesterday, I scheduled my face-to-face interview with Seaside Community Schools. Even though I keep telling myself it’s the right move to make, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea of leaving Jackson Harbor. This has been my home forever, and I’ve passed up any chance I’ve had to leave before because . . . because I was marrying Harrison, and we wanted to raise our family here.
What would I be losing if I left now?
Jake.
I clutch my stomach where the gnawing ache has been hovering all day. I’ve already lost Jake. I lost him the moment he touched Molly, and I think he knew that. That’s why he never told me that it happened.
When my brother came over this afternoon, I decided I didn’t want to tell him any more about what was going on between me and Jake than Ellie already had. Ellie told Colton that Jake and I had decided to step back and slow down. Colton was totally on board with that. I think the rest can wait—for Jake’s protection, because Colton would go after him with fists flying, and for Colton’s, because the last thing he needs is another offense on his record.