Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Jessica’s POV

80%

65 vouchers

I stood in the doorway of my aunt’s room for a long minute, watching the rise and fall of her chest, before I finally forced myself to turn away.

The apartment smelled of simmering soup and fresh bread; a comforting, homey aroma that usually lifted my spirits, but tonight they just amplified the worry gnawing at me

Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I made my way to the living room, then followed the clatter of dishes into the kitchen.

Ella and Adrian were there, setting up dinner on the island-plates clinking, silverware arranged with care.

Adrian stood on a step stool, carefully placing napkins, his tongue poking out in concentration.

When he spotted me, a grin broke across his face like sunshine piercing through the 5:57 A.M clouds.

“Momma!” he exclaimed, jumping down and rushing over.

“Hey, baby,” I whispered. I offered a weak smile, crossing the room to pull him into a hug.

I kissed the top of his head, and held him a second longer than usual, my eyes stinging.

As I pulled away, I looked at his features-the set of his jaw, the shape of his eyes. He looked so much like the man I’d spent the last six years running away from.

A terrifying thought clawed at my throat: Would he hate me one day? When he realized I’d kept him a secret, that I’d tucked him away in this quiet corner of the world far from his father, would he ever forgive me?

“You have a great son, Jess.”

Ella’s voice snapped the tension. I turned to see her leaning against the counter.

There was a profound sadness in her eyes, even as a gentle smile played on her lips.

“Thank you, Elle,” I said softly, my voice thick. “He really is the best.”

Ella let out a small, dry chuckle, but a stray tear escaped and traced a path through the flour dust on her cheek.

She tried to brush it away quickly, turning back to the stove to stir the pot, but I wasn’t about to let it slide.

Since the day I moved in, Ella had been the sun-always shining always ready with a joke or a hand to hold.

“Hey,” I said, reaching out to catch her hand. “What happened? Talk to me.”

“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted, her voice trembling. “Just the onions.”

“Ella,” I coerced gently, stepping into her space. “I’m not buying he onion excuse.”

She tried pushing it off again, but I held her gaze, waiting.

She held out for another three seconds before she crumbled. Illed her into a hug, letting her sob into my shoulder.

Despite being a stranger when we met, she had carried my family through our inconvenient moments. It was my turn to be the pillar.

1/4

|||

O

<

09:40 Mon, Jan 26 G GG.

Chapter 104

ས ་ 80%t

55 vouchers

I held her until her breathing leveled out. When she finally pulled back, she wiped her nose with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Sorry for the outburst. I didn’t mean to make your night harder

“Don’t apologize for being human,” I told her.

“It’s just…” She glanced toward the living room where Adrian was distracted.

“Adrian reminds me so much of my son. We lost him two years ago. An accident. He would have been just about Adrian’s age

now.”

My heart sank deeper than I thought possible.

The realization rearranged itself in my mind: her and Tony’s eagerness to babysit, the way their gazes clung to Adrian with tenderness and warmth that couldn’t be explained.

“I’ve been so scared to try again,” Ella whispered, her voice a fragile thread.

“I’m terrified that history will repeat itself. It would break me, Jess. But then I see Tony’s eyes light up when he’s playing with Adrian, and I wish I could just… put my fears in a box and be brave one more time.”

The pain in her voice twisted my gut; I squeezed her hand.

“That’s understandable-losing a child… it’s unimaginable. But you’re strong, Ella. And Tony sounds like he adores you. Talk to him; maybe together you can find a way forward. You’re not alone in this.”

She managed a watery smile, nodding.

“Thanks, Jess. That meant a lot.”

I spent the next few minutes consoling her, and holding her hands.

By the time we actually sat down to eat, Ella had performed a fear of emotional gymnastics I could only dream of.

She was bubbly again, teasing Adrian and telling stories as if she hadn’t just been weeping in my arms.

I watched her, mesmerized. I wished I had that-that ability to keep my head above the water instead of constantly feeling like I was drowning in the “what-ifs.”

After dinner, I packed a mountain of leftovers into Tupperware for her. I escorted her to the door.

“Thank you, Ella. Truly. For everything,” I said.

She waved it off with a casual flick of her wrist.

“Please, it was my pleasure. Keeps me busy.”

“People like you are rare,” I told her, and I meant it.

We hugged, her embrace warm and smelling faintly of the pasta sauce she’d just spent an hour hovering over. It was a sisterly, grounding squeeze.

Then she turned to Adrian, who was peeking out from behind my legs with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

They performed their signature handshake: a silly wiggle of fingers, a fist bump, and a final high-five.

With a final wave and a promise to see us tomorrow, she slipped out into the hallway.

Alone with my son, I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holdingce I left the office.

2/4

<

09:40 Mon, Jan 26 G BB.

Chapter 104

I scooped him up, his weight familiar and perfect in my arms.

“Bath time, mister!”

He squealed in delight, his small hands thumping against my shoulders as I carried him to the bathroom.

This was our soothing ritual, the one part of the day where the rest of the world couldn’t reach us.

80%

55 Vouchers

I ran the water, swirling in his favorite bubble bath until the tub was transformed into a towering foam wonderland.

He splashed happily, sending droplets onto my face, while I worked the soap into his hair. The suds turned his dark curls into a wobbling, bubbly crown.

“Momma, look-I’m a king!”

“The handsomest king in the whole city,” I replied, my heart aching with a sudden burst of love as I rinsed him off.

After I’d towelled him dry and wrestled him into his dinosaur pajamas, he didn’t head for his own bed.

Instead, he grabbed his worn, well-loved copy of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ from the shelf and scampered toward Aunt Lydia’s room, his bare feet pattering against the floor.

“I’m gonna

read to Auntie tonight, Momma! She needs to hear about the monsters!”

I took a moment for myself, leaning against the hallway wall and closing my eyes.

I just needed five minutes of not being “Momma” or “The Assistant.” Just five minutes to breathe.

Then, I freshened up, pulled on my softest nightgown, and went to join them.

To my immense relief, Aunt Lydia was awake.

She was propped up against the pillows, her face pale but her eyes clear.

“Auntie,” I breathed, rushing to the bedside to wrap my arms around her.

She managed a weak, tired smile, her hand shaking slightly as she stroked my hair.

“Look at you,” she teased softly. “Ready to cry over an old woman having a nap.”

“You weren’t just napping,” I countered, the tears threatening to spill again.

“Don’t you start,” she whispered, her voice firm despite her frailty “I’m strong, Jessica. I’ve survived worse than a dizzy spell. I’m not going anywhere.”

I didn’t argue. I just went to the kitchen, brought back a bowl of he warm soup Ella had made, and carefully helped her eat.

I followed it up with her medicine, watching her swallow every op.

We all sat together on the bed-a tiny, fragile island of a family. Adrian curled up against my side, his book forgotten.

“Momma, a superstar visited my school today,” he said suddenly his voice buzzing with excitement.

I furrowed my brows, forcing a playful smile.

“Oh really? A superstar in your little classroom? Did you get to net him?”

Adrian nodded so hard his hair flopped over his eyes.

3/4

09:40 Mon, Jan 26 GB B

Chapter 104

80%1

155 vouchers

“I took a picture with him! He called me ‘handsome, Momma. And Mrs. Hargrove told him how good I am at basketball, and he gave me a real fist bump. A loud one!”

I chuckled, ruffling his hair. “A fist bump from a superstar? That big time. Can I see this famous picture?”

“Yeah!” He slid off the bed and dashed out of the room toward his backpack.

I watched him go, my heart swelling.

“He really is an adorable kid,” Aunt Lydia said, her voice a soft rap. “He’s got the best mother… and the best father’s spirit in him.”

I flinched. The guilt I’d been shoving into the darkest corners of my mind came roaring back.

My gaze stayed fixed on the doorway as I waited for my son, the secret lodged inside me growing heavier by the moment.

I was protecting him, I told myself. I was keeping him safe from the Tyrone sharks. But was I also stealing his heritage?

Adrian skidded back into the room, holding a glossy Polaroid. He was running so fast that as he reached the bed, the photo slipped from his small fingers.

It fluttered through the air, flipping over and over, before landing face-up right at my feet.

“Careful, butterfingers,” I teased, my voice light and honeyed. “If the superstar saw you dropping his autograph, he might take back that fist bump.”

I laughed, a soft sound that died the instant I flipped the Polaroid over.

The oxygen in the room didn’t just vanish; it felt like it had been sucked out of my lungs by a vacuum. My heart stopped. My skin went ice-cold.

In the photo, Adrian was grinning, his chest puffed out with pride. Standing next to him, with a hand resting firmly and protectively on my son’s shoulder, was Aaron.

He wasn’t looking at the camera. He was looking down at Adrian with an expression I had never seen on his face—a look of profound, haunting recognition.

I dropped the photo as if it had turned into a burning coal. He’d found him. Aaron had found my son.

4/4

AD