Jacob
As I stepped inside the room, Mom’s words echoed in my head.
“Yes, you might have his blood running in your veins, Jacob, but you are our child, do you hear that?” The soft touch of her hands against my cheek-the same touch that had comforted me since childhood-washed over my senses as I recalled the moment I had looked at her, my eyes filled with tears and disgust for myself, “Enzo and I raised you. If there’s anyone you are like, it’s Enzo. You are his carbon copy, Jacob. Enzo sees himself in you-not that bastard who doesn’t even deserve to be called a father.”
My gaze lifted, meeting Evelyn’s tear-filled eyes.
And in that moment, the realization struck me.
“Look at me, Son.” Dad had stood before me, for the first time in years, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. But he hadn’t let them fall-I had had learned it from him, “I don’t have much of an explanation for you. But remember this-even God makes mistakes. And in our case, he took our children and handed them to another family. He stole those years from us, Jacob. But when he realized his mistake, he gave us our kids back-you and Bianca.” His voice was hoarse, filled with conviction.
“You are our children. Fuck that DNA and all those bullshit theories. I’m telling you today-I am your father. Not that piece of shit. And Rosaline? She is your mother in every fucking aspect. Consider those years you spent with them as lost time, taken from us. But you?” He had stepped closer, gripping my shoulder firmly, “You are you, Jacob. My son. The one who has my habits, who speaks like me, who handles a shit-ton of pressure just fine, who has my bad habits, who loves his woman to death, and who would do anything to protect his family-but never, never think of harming them. Do you hear me?”
“You are my son. That’s all you need to know. Forget everything else.”
“Dad…” I had sighed, feeling the pressure in my chest constrict. Too tight. Too much, “I don’t know if I can be a good father.”
Mom had let out a quiet sniffle, brushing my hair back the way she always had since I was a kid. Like I was still that same little boy in her eyes.
“You can, and you will, honey,” she had whispered, “And even if you fail sometimes, we are always here to pick you up. Evelyn is here. Bianca is here. And for God’s sake, Samuel is here. Do you think he would ever allow you to fail?”
A small, melancholic smile had tugged at my lips.
Mom had continued, her voice softer then.
“No one is perfect, Jacob. No parent is. We’ve all failed at times, made mistakes. But at the end of the day, we were determined to be better for our children. And if we managed to do it-you will, too.”
Bianca excused herself, slipping out of the room, leaving only me and Evelyn.
She looked so broken.
Red nose. Tear-streaked cheeks. A complete mess.
I could see it in her eyes-the sheer exhaustion that clung to her. She was tired.
Of course, she was.
She was pregnant. And instead of taking care of her, I had fucked up. Again.
Mom’s final words had been the push I needed.
“Don’t let Evelyn go through this alone, Jacob,” she had whispered, while Dad placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
“She is just as scared and restless as you are. And she needs you. Don’t think about what kind of father you’ll be in the future. Think about who you need to be for her now. She’s made a decision that will change her entire life, and if there’s one thing she needs, it’s stability-something to hold onto. And that has to be you.”
Those words had stayed with me, pushing me forward.
Even when I walked out of the apartment, Samuel had called me-chewed me out with every curse in the book, called me a coward, an asshole, a loser-before eventually talking me down and helping me find clarity.
Apparently, turning to the people who cared about me was all I needed.
But I had bottled everything up. And in doing so-I had hurt the most precious person in my life.
Evelyn.
My Evelyn.
“Why are you here?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, trembling like the rest of her. She was holding back sobs, and I knew-it must hurt like hell.
My chest tightened. I took a step closer, instinctively reaching toward her, desperate to hold her, to kiss away her tears. But she scrambled onto the bed, pressing herself against the headboard, clutching the duvet as though it could shield her from me.
No. Not from me. From herself.
She was terrified she’d break, and I knew it. Because I was the one who shattered her.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I told you, I’d always find my way back to you. Didn’t I?”
For a moment, she just stared. Then her expression hardened, rage igniting behind those tear-filled eyes.
“Get lost, Jacob! I’m done with your shit!” she snapped, hands trembling, body shaking-trying so damn hard not to cry. “You don’t want the baby? Fine. I’ll raise it. But I want you out of my fucking life. Get out. Now!”
I let out a slow breath, fighting the urge to tear myself apart. I wanted to disappear, to cease existing-but wiping her tears was more important than any of that. Because if I had to stand here and watch her like this-trembling, scared, and broken-I’d fucking die anyway.
“It’s our baby, Evelyn,” I murmured, stepping closer. This time, she didn’t back away. “How could I not want it?”
She blinked, momentarily stunned. Her lips parted as if to argue, but no words came. She closed her mouth, then opened it again, exhaling sharply before she spoke.
“If this is just one of your mood swings, save yourself the trouble and leave.” Her voice wavered, but the bitterness cut through. “This is a child. A lifetime responsibility. Or a burden, in your words. You wouldn’t want it ruining your plans.” A single tear escaped down her cheek. She turned away before I could say anything, tugging the duvet over herself, curling into a ball. The sound of her muffled sobs filled the room.
God…
What the hell have I done?
I kicked off my shoes and socks, then moved onto the bed. Slowly, carefully, I slid behind her, pressing my body against hers. She didn’t pull away. But her sobs-they grew louder, and it fucking hurt. Like someone was carving my chest open, letting me bleed out.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer, her small frame fitting against mine. Her back to my chest, her head tucked under my chin.
How could someone so small carry so much strength? How could she make this decision, stand her ground, while I-
I was a coward.
But my Evelyn wasn’t.
“Get away from me, asshole,” she choked out, trying to pull free. I didn’t let her go. I just held her tighter, curling my body around hers, molding myself into her. She kept saying it-let me go, let me go-uttered curse words at me-but she didn’t move.
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered, guilt clawing through me, hollowing me out. But beneath it was something else, too-relief. Because this time, I realized my mistake before I lost her for good. This time, I came back. And I wouldn’t leave her to suffer alone, “I made a mistake.”
“You know what, Jacob?” Her voice shook, her breath hitching before another sob wracked her body. “You always make a mistake. And every damn time, I’m the one who gets burned for it. Every time, you act like whatever you say, whatever you think, is the only thing that matters. You never stop to listen, never care about anyone else’s opinion. You’re selfish. A coward. A self-centered, stupid asshole.”
I closed my eyes, inhaling the scent of her-vanilla and heartbreak. “I know,” I whispered, nuzzling into her hair. “I know I keep messing up. I know I hurt you. Over and over again. I act before I think. I do things I shouldn’t. I lose control when I should be calm. I-” My voice caught, thick with guilt. “I am flawed, Evelyn. And I’ve hurt you in ways I can never take back.”
I felt her body tense against me, but she didn’t pull away.
“But, baby…” My voice trembled as I exhaled. “I love you.”
A sharp breath left her lips.
“I can’t live without you. I can’t even breathe when you’re not near.” My grip on her tightened, desperation clawing at my insides. “I love you, Evelyn. And I swear, I will love our child just as much as I love you. Just give me one chance-one chance to prove myself to you, to our baby. Please.”
I buried my face in the curve of her neck, my words barely a whisper against her skin.
“Forgive me. Just one last time…”