Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Aaron’s POV

“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning into the back seat to snap the seatbelt across Adrian’s chest.

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He looked up at me, a massive grin splitting his face, making my own lips twitch into a smile despite the storm inside me.

“Yes, Superstar!” he chirped.

I just stared at him for a moment. My heart was thumping against my ribs, screaming, No, call me Dad. I wanted to say it so badly the words felt like they were burning my throat. But I held back.

I had given Jessica my word. As much as she had gutted me, as much as the last six years felt like a hollow void-I wouldn’t. be the one to shatter the boy’s world before she was ready to glue the pieces back together.

The regret I’d seen in her eyes back at the hospital haunted me. It made my heart feel dangerously soft, like wax near a flame. But I couldn’t give in yet.

She needed to feel the crushing weight of what she’d stolen from us.

Truth be told, her flight made a twisted kind of sense, a panicked reaction to a perceived betrayal. But Adrian changed the math entirely.

If it were just me she had walked away from, I would have nursed the wound and eventually let it heal. I would have forgiven her in a heartbeat.

But she didn’t just run from a lover; she ran with a son.

Staring at him now, it felt like a dream I was terrified to wake up from. He was mine. My blood.

“Superstar? You listening?” Adrian’s voice yanked me back.

I smiled to cover the whirlwind in my head.

“What’s up, buddy? I’m all ears.”

“Would Momma tag along?” he asked. His eyes were wide, shining with that pure, uncomplicated hope only a child can

carry.

The guilt pricked at me again. “Not today, bud. She’s looking after Auntie Lydia. Maybe next time, okay?”

The light in his eyes dimmed for a split second, a shadow passing over his face, but he was resilient.

He gave a small, quiet, “Okay.”

“You really love your momma, huh?” I asked, watching him closely.

He nodded like his head might fly off, grinning ear to ear.

“Okay, tell me everything you love about her,” I prompted, leaning against the opened door.

Adrian didn’t hesitate for a second. He launched into an endless, breathless list of everything he loved about her.

As he rambled on, I realized he was describing the exact woman I had fallen for years ago. Kind, fiercely protective, a bit messy, but vibrantly alive.

I’d been so blinded by my anger at her cowardice that I’d forgotten she was still that beautiful soul.

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Chapter 116

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“Momma makes the best pancakes! With smiley faces and chocolate chips. She reads me stories every night, even when she’s tired from work. And she hugs me super tight when I’m sad. Oh, and she sings silly songs to make me laugh. She’s the best, Superstar!”

When he finally paused for breath, that question I’d been chewing on clawed its way out. It was an answer only he could give

“And your dad?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual. “What do you know about him?”

The change was instant. Adrian’s expression faltered. His small shoulders slumped just a fraction, and it felt like someone had dragged a blade across my heart.

“Momma says he’s handsome and a really good man,” he said softly, fiddling with the seatbelt.

“She told me we’d meet him someday. He’s not with us because of some big misunderstanding. But she says he’d love me lots if he knew.”

I swallowed hard, my eyes stinging. I had prepared myself for the worst.

I thought she would have painted me as a villain, or worse, a deadbeat. But she hadn’t.

She had protected my image in the eyes of the one person who mattered most. Even through her fear, she’d been honest.

Despite my rage, I found myself falling for her all over again.

“Do you want to meet him?” I asked, my voice barely a murmur.

Adrian nodded so hard his hair flopped over his forehead. “I can’t wait. I want to show him my basketball moves.”

I couldn’t wait either to tell him I’m right here, buddy-your dad’s found you. But I kept it locked down.

Instead, I reached forward and gently pinched his nose, my heart aching with the secret-I was forced to keep.

“Your wish will be granted soon, champ. I promise.”

His grin exploded back to life. “Really?!”

“Really. Now, let’s go. We have a long day ahead of us.”

I climbed into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine, the low purr of the car filling the cabin.

I queued a playlist of soft instrumental jazz-smooth saxophone and gentle piano, perfect backdrop for chatting with a five- year-old without overwhelming the moment.

As we pulled away from the curb, I caught his gaze in the rearview mirror,

His eyes were glued to me, brimming with a level of hero-worship I hadn’t earned yet.

“So, Adrian,” I started, keeping my voice casual. “What’s the best color in the world? Settle a debate for me.”

“Blue!” he shouted without a second of hesitation. “Like the deep ocean! What’s yours?”

“I’m more of a forest green man myself,” I said, catching his reflected grin. “What about the big day? When’s the birthday?”

“July 20th,” he said proudly.

I felt a jolt go through me, my grip tightening on the steering wheel.

“July? You’re kidding. Believe it or not, that’s my month, too.”

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Chapter 116

“Whoa!” He leaned as far forward as his seatbelt would allow, his face lit up with pure wonder.

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“We share the same birth month? I wish it was the same day-we’d be twinning! I’m gonna tell everyone at school I share a month with a superstar. Do you think… maybe we could celebrate together?”

I felt a lump the size of a stone form in my throat.

I’ve stood in the center of arenas with tens of thousands of people chanting for me, but that was just noise-a collective echo of people who loved an image, not the man. It couldn’t compare to this.

All the love from every fan I’ve ever met felt void next to the warmth blooming in my chest as I looked at my son.

For the first time, I wasn’t a superstar; I was just a father, and that was a bigger title than I ever dreamed of.

He didn’t just admire me; he was looking for a place in my life.

I wondered how that wide-eyed excitement would shift once he realized this ‘superstar’ wasn’t just a guest in his day-but the man who contributed to his existence.

For now, I just smiled and kept it rolling.

“Count on it, buddy. We’ll make it epic.” I grinned at him in the mirror before sliding to the next question.

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