CHAPTER 73: WHAT SUBJECT?

Jake’s apartment was quiet except for the low hum of the city outside his window. He had just taken off his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair, when the vibration of his phone on the nightstand broke the silence.

He grabbed it without much thought, but the second he saw Bella’s name on the screen, his chest tightened. His thumb hovered before he opened the message.

[Can we meet tomorrow? There’s something I want to tell you. It’s really important we see tomorrow. I’ll send the address after you get back to me.]

For a moment, Jake just stood there, staring at the words as though they might change if he blinked too quickly. His pulse quickened.

Bella wanted to meet. Bella had something to tell him. What could it be? Was it to accept him officially?

A dozen possibilities rushed through his mind, but the one that lodged itself firmly was the one that mattered most: she was opening a door. She wasn’t shutting him out like she had been doing for the past few weeks.

Slowly, a smile tugged at his lips.

He sank down onto the edge of his bed, phone still in hand, and let out a long breath. The day replayed in his mind—her laughter at the ice cream shop, Timothy’s excited chatter, the warmth of her eyes when she thought no one was watching. And, of course, that kiss.

That kiss had undone him.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, heat rising to his skin just thinking about it. Five years. He had spent five years chasing shadows of her, trying to find her, always wondering if she ever thought about him the way he thought about her. And tonight, when her lips met his, he had finally gotten his answer.

"She still feels it," he murmured to himself.

But tomorrow... tomorrow, he would make sure there were no more shadows between them.

Jake leaned back against the headboard, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn’t a man who hesitated once he made up his mind. And tonight, his mind was made up.

He was going to ask Bella out. Properly. Not as the girl who once disappeared from his life after one reckless night. Not as the Aunt of a child he adored already, though he didn’t yet know the full story. But as the woman he wanted to build a future with.

Still, a weight settled in his chest as reality crept back in. He had his own truth to confess, and it wasn’t small.

His jaw tightened. He had never hidden it—not from himself, not from anyone serious in his life. He couldn’t have children.

But if Bella said yes to him—if she let him into her world, into her and Timothy’s life—she deserved to know exactly what she was stepping into. She deserved honesty.

Even though she might reject him once she found out he couldn’t have children and why, he still needed to tell her.

Jake dragged a hand over his face, torn between anticipation and dread. Would she even care? Would she look at him differently? Would she walk away once she realized he couldn’t give her children of her own?

His heart squeezed painfully at the thought.

Yet he knew he had to tell her. She had trusted him enough to let him back into her life, even if just a little. He wouldn’t repay that with lies or omissions.

Jake set his phone down beside him and let out a sharp exhale.

Tomorrow, he would tell her everything—how much he wanted her, how much he had thought of her these last five years, and the truth about his condition. If she said no, if she walked away, at least he’d know he had been honest. At least he wouldn’t have to spend another five years wondering what could have been. He thought as he got up, wanting to go freshen up.

Jake had just gotten up when his buzzed again. He frowned when he checked to see who was calling to see that it was his mother.

At this hour?

He answered, sitting back down and leaning against the headboard. "Mother?"

"Jake," her smooth, clipped voice filled his ear. "I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to ask something quickly."

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, curiosity prickling at her tone. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," she said lightly, though he knew her well enough to hear the undercurrent of sharpness. "I simply wanted to know... do you have any official business with Helena Rivers?"

"What?" Jake’s frown deepened, wondering where the question was coming from.

"Helena Rivers. Have you been in contact with her? Is there some business between you two? I mean the company and theirs."

Confusion swept through him. "No," he said flatly. "Of course not. Why would you even ask me that? Is there some sort of business you were hoping we’d do together?"

There was a pause. His mother exhaled, a little too quickly. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Jake narrowed his eyes at the ceiling. "Mother. What’s going on?"

"Nothing," she repeated, firmer now. "So, when are you going to bring home the woman you believe is better than Helena?"

Jake let out a short laugh. "Wait, are you trying to change the subject, Mom?"

"What subject?" His mother raised a brow. "I’m just asking to know, son. If you’re so certain none of the women I approve of will do, then when will you finally bring the one you think deserves your time?"

For a second, he thought of Bella—her smile today, the way her eyes softened when Timothy laughed, the way she had kissed him back like she had been waiting five years too.

"Soon," Jake said quietly, with more conviction than he expected. "I’ll bring her home soon."

Silence stretched over the line before his mother’s voice softened just slightly. "Then I will wait. Don’t take too long, Jake. You’re not getting younger."

With that, she ended the call.

Jake lowered the phone slowly, staring at the dark screen. His brows furrowed as the conversation replayed in his head.

Why Helena? Why would his mother think he had business with her? He hadn’t spoken to Helena Rivers since that day he’d asked her to leave his office and he didn’t remember telling his mom anything about her after asking her to back off.

Why was his mom suddenly asking that?

Jake’s jaw clenched. What made her even think there was a business?

What game was being played, and who was pulling the strings? Even though his mother had said he shouldn’t bother, he knew he had to look into it and get to the bottom of it.