This Is Love (Evermore University #2)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

JAXON

I glance past Rya to find she’s right, my mom and Jamie are hurrying through the crowd toward us. Logan’s mother is grinning so widely, it kind of knocks me off balance. I wonder what that’s about.

Logan must have noticed, too, because he tilts his head to the side. “What’s going on?”

Jamie gently pats my chest. She draws in a deep breath, as my mother joins us and walks into my embrace.

“Thanks for being here, Mom. I wasn’t sure if it’d be weird for you.”

“Not at all.” She shakes her head, reaching out to Logan. “Good job today. I really enjoyed watching you.” She’s been doing so much better lately, and I have to wonder if she’s simply done being sad about my father’s behavior and has decided to live again.

Blowing out a breath, Jamie smiles, her gaze pinging from me to her son and then to Rya. “I still can’t wrap my head around the three of you.”

Macie laughs. “Right. But like we were discussing earlier, who the hell are either of us to say love like this is wrong?”

I turn my head, shooting Logan a look that I hope screams Should we be scared?

Rya laughs. “Don’t be afraid. They’re just moms who are excited their boys are in relationships.”

Logan huffs out a laugh. “Right. Okay, lemme go shower, then we can head out to dinner, like we planned.”

Jamie grabs for Logan’s hand. “I have something to tell you. But I don’t know if this is the time or the place.”

“Ditto,” Mom says, wide eyes landing on me. “Different things. But sorta connected.”

“Maybe we could go sit over there,” Rya suggests, pointing to a grassy area with a bench.

“Good idea,” I grit out, a little unsure of what the hell is going on, but willing to go along for the ride. We amble over, my mom and Jamie claiming the bench, leaving us to sit opposite them on the grass.

Our moms have gotten close in the last two months since Jamie first reached out to talk to her. It’s oddly nice. Mom gestures to Jamie. “I think you should go first.”

She takes a deep breath. “Okay. So the divorce is happening. And there’s no way Eric can pull any tricks.” Reaching over, she pats Mom’s knee. “And I fully intend to make it clear that he did some illegal stuff the first time. He won’t be getting away with it again. And I will make things right for the two of you. That’s a promise.” She clears her throat, glancing first at Mom, then at me. Rubbing her hands over her face, she grimaces. “You should know, he went a little off the deep end when it hit him what was happening, and even more so when he realized I was fully ready to take him on. Steer clear for the time being.”

I laugh. “Not a fucking problem.” Rya’s hand squeezes mine. She’s shaking. I glance at her, my good mood evaporating. Leaning down, I whisper, “What’s wrong?”

She turns and whispers back, “Nothing. Just remember everything is going to be fine.”

I pull away, and Mom gives me a tight smile. “I think maybe Rya overheard something I told Jamie.” She raises a brow at Rya, who shoots her an apologetic look through clenched teeth.

Our girl’s face flushes beet red. “Sorry. I didn’t tell him. Just told him it’d be okay.”

My gaze shifts, connecting with my mother’s, seeking out answers. Because I have a feeling there’s something big that I’m missing. “What’s going on?”

“I think it’s time you knew… Eric—” She stops, then shakes her head, distress pouring from her. “He’s not your biological father, Jaxon.”

I sit very still for a count of five, maintaining eye contact. Finally, I rasp out, “Are you joking?”

Her face pales. “No.”

Rya’s hand squeezes mine. Logan meets my gaze over her head, pale eyes studying me but waiting on my reaction before offering an opinion. Smart fucking guy.

But this time, everyone is worrying for fucking nothing. A laugh bubbles up from my chest. “Are you fucking kidding me? This is great news.”

Mom exhales hard, covering part of her face with her hand. “Oh, thank god. I thought you might take it badly, but I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case.”

“Not a chance.” I swallow, letting it sink in. All those times he made me feel less than. All those times I wasn’t enough. Fuck. It’s going to take some time to process, but I don’t think I’ll feel much differently than I do now, especially knowing he’s about to get what’s coming to him. “It’s a relief. Can I ask a question, though?”

“Of course.” She looks at me expectantly, a hint of anxiousness crossing her features.

“Why?” I rasp. “Why wouldn’t he admit I wasn’t his instead of making me feel like shit for so many years? Like”—I swallow past the lump in my throat—“like I was nothing but a fucking disappointment.”

Her face falls, her shoulders drooping. She drags in a ragged couple of breaths. Jamie places a hand on her back. That gesture tugs at my heart in a way I wasn’t expecting.

“It’s okay, Mom. I just really wanna know.”

She nods, wetting her lips. “First, he knew you might not be his when we got married. And he said he was fine with it. The older you got, though, the more I think he suspected. But it wasn’t until you had your tonsils out as a teenager that we knew the truth. They drew blood so they’d have a compatible type on standby in case anything went sideways. Your dad saw your blood type listed on the paperwork.”

My teeth grind. I remember hearing some sort of argument while I was still loopy from the surgery. “And that’s when things went from bad to worse.”

“He didn’t want anyone to know. Said it would be an embarrassment if it got out. But I think at this point, we can be done hiding it.”

I nod, lowering my gaze and staring at the grass as I absentmindedly pluck at it with one hand. I’m aware they’re all waiting for me to say something so they know I’m okay.

“Jaxon,” Rya’s soft voice grabs my attention, “it’s okay if you need time to know how you feel.”

I shake my head, exhaling hard. A grin works its way back onto my face. “I’m good. Can I meet him?”

My mother’s gaze snaps to mine. “Your biological father? You’d want to?”

“Yep.” If for no other reason than to know the man I’m actually related to, rather than the asshole who’d torn me down and made me feel unworthy.

A soft smile forms on her lips. “We can definitely talk about that. He’s a nice guy. Just a friend now. But I bet he’d like to meet you.”

Energized, I get to my feet, then turn to offer Logan a hand up. “Sounds good. How about we get dinner to celebrate the team win, all the good news, and Rya’s performance tomorrow?”

Still nervous to pull too hard because of her shoulder injury, Logan and I each take one of Rya’s hands and gently help her from the grass. She laughs, tugging us both into a group hug. “I won’t break, I promise. If I were going to, Millie most assuredly wouldn’t have me dancing tomorrow.”