The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 307

Just as she turned to leave, Rhys suddenly called out to her. "Clara."

He shifted in the bed, making the IV line sway.

From last night until now, for as long as he had known the truth, he had been struggling.

At the airport, he'd had so many questions but had only managed to choke out a "goodbye," not wanting to cross the line.

This time, the words tumbled in his mind before he finally asked.

"You two aren't together, are you?"

Clara's fingers tightened on her purse strap. She turned partway, her gaze cool and distant.

He was half-dead, and this was the kind of question he was asking.

"Is this an occupational hazard for SWAT officers? Spend one night at someone's house and you have to know all their secrets?"

Rhys ignored the barbed comment.

No one knew better than him what Clara was like when she was in love.

She was like a moth to a flame, reckless and all-consuming. She would carve out her entire heart and offer it up with a blazing passion, the kind of joy that made her want to shout from the rooftops that this man was hers.

Even if she just happened to see him on traffic duty, she would roll down her car window and yell, "You look so handsome, Rhys!"

While Noah acted the part of the man of the house, thoughtful and considerate in every way, he was also restrained and polite.

Whether he was family or a friend, he was definitely not her lover.

"You two aren't together."

He repeated it, the tentative question now a firm statement.

Clara found it laughable, yet a bitter sadness washed over her.

"Rhys, you've missed one crucial point."

She said, "Whether we're together or not, whether we have a marriage certificate or not, none of that matters. What matters is that for the past four years, the person by my side has been him."

Each word was a slow, deliberate cut to Rhys's heart.

He felt a pang of jealousy, but he also understood her feelings.

Still, the first part of her sentence was like a shot of adrenaline.

Noah was quiet for a moment. "Think of it as a good deed. Paying it forward for Felix's sake."

The sound of chewing came from the back seat. Felix's cheeks were puffed out, his big eyes darting between the two adults in the front.

He swallowed the last of his orange and his little hand snuck into his pocket.

The drawing was delivered. When he saw it, he'd probably feel a little happier, right?

And once he wasn't in pain anymore, he'd get better faster, and then... then he could leave Heron Bay and go back to Brighton City.

And then Mom wouldn't stare out the window all the time, and she wouldn't be sad anymore.

Felix decided he was a very smart and considerate little man.

...

Daniel made another trip to the inpatient department and pulled some strings, managing to secure a private room. When he returned, he saw Rhys from a distance, sitting on the bed in a daze.

He was holding the drawing with both hands, which were trembling slightly. He hadn't even noticed that blood had backed up halfway into his IV tube.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. He waved over a passing nurse to deal with the IV, then walked to the bedside.