Chapter 37
“Let me get this straight.” Jade blows out a deep breath. “He’s. Fucking. Married!”
My eyes close of their own accord, the hurt at hearing it out loud almost too much to bear.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“The fucking pricks. They said she was dead!” The horror in her voice is evident, causing me to wince.
“I know.”
She strokes over her swollen stomach, and I watch the motion with a lump gathering in my throat. Rafael spoke about us having children.
She shakes her head again. “I just—” She blows out another deep breath. “I can’t believe it.”
“And I had to sit through this meal with her, Jade. It was fucking awful. She was fucking awful.”
Her mouth drops open, and her fists pump beside her. Jade can be a little firecracker when she gets riled despite her innocent little-girl looks. Something people underestimate her for.
When she discovered she was pregnant, Tommy had left her without a word. Now she lives with his father, who vows to stick by her and their baby. She assures me Vinny Marino is like a father to her, and each time she mentions Tommy, he shuts her down, leaving her heartbroken that she’s bringing a baby into the world without a father.
I blink back tears. “I love him, Jade. I do, but...”
“But what?”
“I can’t stay.” I hold her gaze, and her face falls, but when she stares back at me with pity coating her pretty features, I know she understands.
“You’d always be the other woman.” Her solemn voice stills me, and I know my friend is hurting after discovering Tommy left her for his ex. “You deserve more than that.” Her voice grows stronger on each syllable, giving me the confidence I’m going to need.
“We both do,” I reply, meaning every word. My friend is beautiful inside and out. All she ever wanted was a family, much like me.
“Yeah, but I got this little one. My family is here.” She strokes over her stomach, not a sliver of regret in her tone, and I love her all the more for it.
My phone vibrates on the couch beside me, and when I lift it and open the message, the feeling in my heart becomes irreparable.
He isn’t at work.
The photo is of Rafael and Nikita dressed up at an evening event, with her hand on Oliver’s shoulder, causing the pain inside me to grow deeper. My airways feel like they’re closing.
UNKNOWN:A family. The way we will always be.
UNKNOWN:He will always choose us.
“What is it? Should I call Rafael?” Jade panics.
The sobs are overwhelming as I try to breathe through ragged breaths. I can only shake my head as tears stream down my face, but with them comes a resolve. I’m not coming back.
I spin the photo to face her, and her face twists in disgust. “We’ll ensure he never finds you. You deserve more, Ellie.”
“Know your worth,” I whisper to myself, then straighten my shoulders, determined to prove I deserve more.
I nod, yet his words ring out in my ears.
“You can run, Little Doll. But I’ll always find you.”