Page 50 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
From the very beginning, I thought he smelled like family, but I didn’t think too much about it. I just thought because he is part of Scarlett, he’s also part of me.
With the impeccably vision of hindsight, I can see every single moment where I denied this truth, and how flimsy my arguments against it were. As horrible as it is, it was easier to be jealous of another man than admit Jarrod was really my son, and I abandoned him along with his mother.
“Rex,” she says, putting her hands on my cheeks. “Do I need to say it again?”
I shake my head, feeling my heart rate increasing as my body reacts to the news.
I have a son! All this time, I had a child I didn’t know about!
Fuck! I’m the deadbeat who left her!
“Rex, listen,” she says, looking into my eyes. “Jarrod is your son.”
A moment of silence falls, and it’s so intense, I fear breaking it. I don’t even know what I’d say, and when my mind races on to telling Jarrod this news, I seize up even worse.
“Mom?” a soft voice speaks from behind me.
I whirl around to see Jarrod standing in the kitchen doorway. Scarlett steps up beside me, her hand over her mouth as her eyes widen with shock.
Jarrod looks between both of us, his gold eyes keen and sharp. He looks confused and scared, but there’s a touch of fury and determination in him that is all me. Everything from the tilt of his head to the curve of his lip to the set of his shoulders is familiar.
“Mom,” he demands. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Chapter 17 - Scarlett
When I hear Jarrod’s voice, it’s shocking enough that it feels like reality has cracked. I feel like I need to grab the counter to support myself, like Rex has been doing since I spelled out the truth to him.
I still can’t believe I had to, but maybe part of his mind refused to recognize it because it was just too traumatic.
Even though I am interested in the excessive mental gymnastics it must have taken for Rex to avoid this knowledge, I have far bigger problems right now.
Jarrod glares at both of us, his eyes glittering with a mixture of shock and anger. He’s old enough to know I’ve willfully lied to him and be severely hurt by it.
He may never trust me again.
“Jarrod,” I say, going over to put my hands on his shoulders. “I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.”
“Mom,” he says, shaking his head and stepping back. “What are you saying?”
“Come into the kitchen, please,” I say, filled with a sudden fear that he might just turn around and run. “Let me explain things.”
“I’ll make you a hot chocolate,” Rex says, turning back to the stove. “We should all have some breakfast while we talk this out.”
“No, wait,” Jarrod says, pushing past me to go to Rex. “You didn’t know, did you?”
“No, kiddo,” Rex answers. “I had no idea until just now.”
“Mom said my dad took off before I was born. You did that? You left us?”
I can see the pain in Rex’s eyes, but I have no desire to rescue him from it. I’m just as interested in his answer as Jarrod is.
“I did,” Rex admits. “But I didn’t know your mom was pregnant, I swear.”
“Does it matter? You were with her, then you left!” Jarrod challenges him.
I love my kid so much right now.
“Jarrod.” Rex closes his eyes briefly, then puts a hand on Jarrod’s shoulder. “I am sorry. There was a very good reason for what I did, and I hope I’ll be able to explain it to you, but I want you to know everything I’ve done, I’ve done to protect you and your mom.”
