Page 112 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
“Yeah! The girls have those dances with their dads, but my school does game day for the boys, remember. I thought I couldn’t go this time ’cause I didn’t have a dad…” His voice dipped a little, but then lit up instantly. “But I do now, right?”
“Yeah, buddy,” I said, brushing a hand through his curls. “You do now.”
Leila turned slightly, like she was wiping her eyes, and I held Ollie closer, like if I let go, he might vanish. Like all of this—him, Leila, this moment—was some dream I’d wake from.
“We’re going,” I promised. “You and me. And we’re gonna win every game they’ve got.”
His whole face lit up. “Yes! I’m gonna tell Daniel. He said only dads come to the game day when mom offered to go instead, but now I have one, too!”
Leila let out a laugh behind him. “Well, there’s no stopping him now.”
“Damn right,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Ollie’s head.
Ollie beamed from ear to ear, practically vibrating with joy, and for a second, I couldn’t breathe.
“Can we continue building the LEGO set, Mommy?” Ollie turned to Leila with pleading eyes. It was refreshing to see how he looked to her for permission with almost everything. It spoke volumes of the respect he had for her—and the kind of boy Leila had raised.
Leila gave him a smile. “Sure, Ollie. As long as Luca is okay with it.”
He turned to me, expectantly.
I was more than okay with it. I’d lost five years with my son. I could never get those years back, but I could make sure he never felt my absence again.
I smiled. “That’s okay, Ollie. I think I’m in the mood for a brain-wracking puzzle.”
He chuckled and took off instantly, dashing toward the stairs.
“What did I tell you about running on the stairs, Ollie?” Leila called after him.
Ollie slowed, slightly, but still hurried up, his excitement impossible to contain.
Once his footsteps faded, Leila stood.
“Since you’ll be staying a while, would you like some coffee?”
“Coffee sounds great,” I answered.
She ignored the way my gaze pierced into her and started toward the kitchen, but my voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Thank you for this, Leila,” I said. “You have no idea how happy I am right now.”
“You were going to force your way into his life either way, Luca,” she said quietly. “I had to make sure I did it the right way…so I wouldn’t overwhelm him.”
Her words sliced straight through my chest. I stood, rounded the corner, and came to stand in front of her.
“Listen to me, Leila,” I started, making sure my voice sounded as firm as possible. “I would never—never—do anything that would hurt Ollie. He’s my son.”
“And you were my Fated Mate.” A pained expression crossed her face.
It felt like someone had driven a knife into my chest and was twisting the hilt with every word she spoke.
“Leila—” I stepped forward, but she raised a hand to stop me, taking a pace backward.
“Look, Luca,” she said, her tone soft but resolute. “Just because you’re Ollie’s father, just because you’re in his life now, doesn’t mean things between us have changed.”
She exhaled slowly. “I admit, this past week felt like a fantasy. And if I’m being honest…it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time. The peak was winning the pitch. But now that it’s over, we need to come back to reality. We need to focus on our lives—especially the fact that your wedding is this weekend.”
Deeper.
