Page 102 of Stolen Kiss

“So what do you say? I’ll take Elodie off your hands for the night, and you and Emilia can have some time together.”

He said it causally. I fucking knew what he was. He was digging.

And he wasn’t doing it for Evelyn. I knew I shouldn’t ask Jace to keep things from his wife, but my history with Emilia, my past and potential future with her, were all the things I needed to keep secret for now.

I appreciated him not saying anything to his wife, but that didn’t stop him from playing the role of overprotective big brother to Emilia.

I should be thankful that Emilia had so many people looking out for her.

But mostly, I just wanted them to leave us alone until I could get our shit figured out. Yet I knew the contradiction of my action when I’d called Jace out to drink with me.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun. I’m sure Elodie would love that.”

“Then it’s settled. Speaking of, how are things going with you two?”

“Good,” I answered carefully.

“Just good?”

I didn’t answer him; instead I downed the rest of my drink and grabbed the bottle to pour myself another shot.

“You know,” he said, “looking at you now reminds a lot of the idiot I once knew.”

“Let me guess. You’re talking about yourself?”

He laughed and patted my back a little harder than he needed to. I glared over at him.

“Let me ask you a question.”

“What?”

“Do you see a future with her?”

Fuck, didn’t I see a future with her? I dreamed about a future with her. And it wasn’t just for Elodie’s sake, but for my own selfish reasons.

I wanted Emilia for myself.

When I took too long to answer, Jace continued, “If you do, then you need to come clean and let her make her own decisions on what she wants to do with that information. And if you don’t, you still need to come clean. Only this time, you’ll let her make those decisions on her own. One thing about being a dad: you can’t be selfish anymore.”

“I know that,” I said, a little more sharply than I intended.

“I know, man. I meant nothing by it. I just hope you’ll learn from my mistake. I kept shit from Evelyn at the beginning of our relationship. You knew that. And it almost cost me her. And even though things worked out, sometimes I wish she and I could have a do-over, you know?”

“Emilia never even talked about wanting kids. What if she doesn’t want one? It would make sense why she would do—”

“The reasons are hers to tell you. We can sit here all day and try to guess, but we won’t ever know the answer until you give her the chance to explain it to you.”

Jace finished the rest of his drink and stood, throwing two hundred-dollar bills on the bar top.

“Think about it,” he said before he left, leaving me alone to my thoughts once more.

* * *

I parkedthe car in front of Emilia’s dance studio and got out.

It was usually time for Elodie’s dance class, but since Evelyn was picking her up with Ensley and taking them home, I left work early to pick Emilia up.

Emilia had only had Warren drive her around these past couple of days. I wondered if she was getting used to it.

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