Chapter 37 Kaia #2
“No, Kaia. You are not your family, and you are not your blood. You’ve shown me that time and time again.
Previously I was too blinded by my anger and my grief to see it clearly, but I see it now.
You’re one of the strongest and most admirable people I have ever met in my life.
What you did for me? For Eva? What you endured when you—.
” His voice catches and his eyes drop to my bandaged hand.
“Kaia, I owe you a debt I can’t ever repay, but I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much you are loved and adored. ”
Loved?
I blink and tears roll slowly down my cheek. “Eva’s really okay?” I whisper.
Flynn nods and his smile grows warmer. “She’s fantastic because of you. You saved her.”
“You don’t hate me for leaving her?” I whisper again and a weak sob rattles in my chest. “I tried. I tried so hard and I—.”
“Hush,” Flynn soothes and he moves to my bed, sitting right next to me and cupping my cheek with his warm hand.
“She told me you fell and told her to keep running. When I found you and saw your leg, I understood. Kaia, you did everything you could and there is nothing to apologize for, do you hear me? If anyone is sorry, it’s me.
I was blind for so long, but I will make it up to you, if you’ll let me.
Or if you still hate me and want to kill me then I will gladly embrace that too because…
” He laughs weakly and strokes my tears away with gentle swipes of his thumb.
“I’m just so happy you’re alive and awake. ”
“I don’t hate you,” I croak, turning my face into his touch. “I don’t.” What I feel for Flynn is far more complicated than I can decipher, but I can’t dare put it into words because in this state I have enough sense to know rejection would shatter what’s left of me.
“Good, because that would be awkward.” He moves his hand from my face to his chest where his locket rests, then he tugs it from his neck and slides his thumb over the locket until it pops open. “This was my late wife’s. Her name…” He turns the locket toward me and shows the engraving.
“Evangeline?” I read out.
“I named the twins after her because I wanted to keep her with them at all times. And inside the locket, I keep pictures of everyone I love.”
As he hands me the locket, my sluggish thoughts struggle to keep up with why he’s telling me this until I gaze at the pictures inside.
On one side of the locket is a picture of the twins clearly much younger than they are now.
And on the other side is a picture of me.
My heart clenches like my ribs have turned into a fist and caged it.
“Me?” I whisper, slowly lifting my gaze.
Flynn nods. “I…don’t know if love is even the right word when it comes to you because what I feel for you is so much stronger and overwhelming, but I like it.
I missed it because I was so twisted up inside and I didn’t see the signs, but when you left…
and then when you didn’t come back, I knew.
I knew and I regretted not telling you, regretted not being able to decipher what the hell was going on inside me.
I don’t tell you this with pressure or expectation, Kaia.
” His smile softens. “I just want you to know that it’s genuine when I tell you that here, you are loved. And you always will be.”
“But you don’t know everything,” I say weakly as my stomach twists. “I’m…I’m pregnant and I’m sorry, I didn’t know. It’s my fault and I should have kept better track but with everything—.”
“Kaia.” He cuts me off and cups my cheek again. “I know.”
My eyes widen. “You do?”
“My team has been working on you since you got here. There was no keeping that secret so yes, I know you’re pregnant and I know it’s mine.”
Coldness seeps across my shoulders. “Are you angry?”
“Angry?” Surprise washes across his face. “Why would I be angry?”
“It’s not a trick,” I whisper. “But my blood—.”
“Kaia. Listen to me. What your family did is not you, okay? We have all had terrible people do terrible things with the family name, but please trust me when I say you’re as much a Yudkin as Eva is, okay?
I know it’s a lot to take in and there’s no rush for any decisions, but you are safe here.
Take your time. Rest. Heal. Whatever you want to do with the baby, I will support you.
In every way, no matter what. I’m here for you, Kaia.
I mean it when I say I love you and I will do everything I can to be there for you for the rest of my life. ”
Lifting my good hand, I cup the back of his hand as it rests against my cheek. “Even…even if I want to keep it?” I adore the twins and while a baby has never been on the cards before, it feels like some kind of miracle I’d be a fool to pass up.
A baby with Flynn who sits before me telling me he loves me. I ache to word what I feel in my chest, but it catches just under my ribs.
“Yes, even if you want to keep it. It’s our baby, how could I say no?” He smiles warmly again.
A sob hiccups out of me and I sag forward. “I thought you detested me, deep down. I was sure you hated me so much because you just always seemed so hateful toward me and I deserved it so I didn’t mind. Now you’re here saying you love me?”
Flynn’s smile doesn’t waver and he leans close. “The lines blur between love and hate,” he murmurs. “Passion is passion. I’m here, Kaia. And I love you. The rest we can work out together.”
His mouth closes over mine in a sweet, gentle kiss that unlocks the tension in my chest, and I fall into deep, aching sobs in his embrace.
If he means it, really means it, then a future doesn’t sound so far-fetched after all.