I take a step back and run a hand through my hair. “Don’t do this, Zara.”
“We were good together, Jack. We could be a family again.” I can hear the pleading tone in her voice, and my eyebrows pull together in a frown.
“We were a family until you decided we weren’t worth the effort.”
“It wasn’t like that—”
“It felt like that,” I say, cutting her off.
She reaches for my hand. “I was scared. I didn’t plan on getting pregnant, and I had no idea what I was doing.”
“You don’t think I was scared? I didn’t plan for Jacob either, but he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We could have learned together.” I shake my head. “I really thought we could have had something good, the three of us.”
“And now?” she asks, her voice breaking.
“Now it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late. We could try again.”
“I’ve moved on.”
“Aria?” I nod.
She holds my gaze, and I can see what she’s thinking. She doesn’t voice it though. It’s what I’m thinking too. Maybe before Zara had shown up, I could have considered staying in Marble Falls and making a life here, but now, that seems impossible. I can’t imagine a life without Aria in it, but Jacob can’t have a relationship with Zara if we’re living in the US, and he comes first. He has to.
Aria
All I can hear is the pounding of my heart as I peek around the partially closed doorway of the stables. I know I shouldn’t be spying on Jack and Zara, but I just can’t tear myself away from the door. There is no way she is just here for Jacob. She was threatened by me, and for someone who’s traveled fourteen hours on a plane to see her son, she’s barely spoken to him.
My heart twists in my chest as she throws her arms around Jack. He’s facing away from me so I can’t see if he’s hugging her back, but it’s not a long embrace and he’s the one to step away. Despite knowing Jack will likely tell me what they’re talking about later, I wish I could hear what they’re saying. He drags his hand through his hair, and I gasp as she steps closer toward him and takes his hand in hers.
“What are you doing?” Elijah asks from over my shoulder. “Who’s that?” I jump and quickly close the stable door, my cheeks flushing as I realize I’ve been caught spying.
“Erm… I was just…” I trail off and groan as Elijah opens the door and looks out.
“Isn’t that the guy who was waving at you earlier? Ryan’s nephew?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“And the hot blonde?”
“You think she’s hot?” I ask, looking past him to where they’re still holding hands. Who am I kidding? She’s definitely hot. Beautiful, in fact. “You know what, don’t answer that.” I turn and walk away from him, picking up the pitchfork to carry on mucking out the stalls.
“Want to talk about it?” he asks as he begins cleaning out the stall next to me.
“There’s not much to say. Seems I’ve fallen in love with someone who not only lives on the other side of the world, but has an ex who looks like a supermodel, is also the mother of his child, and from the looks of things, wants them to try again.”
“You got all that from spying on them through a half-closed door?” He leans on the wood dividing the two stalls.
I shrug. “Just saying what I see.”
“Looks can be deceiving, and from past experience, an ex is an ex for a reason.”
“Maybe.” I hardly know Elijah and don’t feel totally comfortable talking to him about my relationship, as much as he seems like a nice guy. He must sense I’m done talking, and we spend the next twenty minutes in silence as we finish up our stalls.
I’m in the tack room when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I slide it from my jean shorts and see Jack’s name flashing up on the screen. Hitting the answer button, I bring it to my ear.
“Hello.”