Chapter 59

Aria

Tracy smiled warmly, although there was a sense of humor behind her words.

“Oh, I’m, uh, Lucas’s part-time nanny,” I said, a little flustered, as I gestured vaguely in Lucas’s direction. “It’s sort of an arrangement Darren made with me on the side. And, well… Lucas likes calling me ‘Mommy’ sometimes. He just… started doing it on his own.” I gave an embarrassed laugh, my cheeks flushing. “I’m not really sure why.”

Tracy kept her expression smooth and sympathetic.

I was surprised that she didn’t seem to be judging me. Many people would, if they found out that I’d basically only been hired in this position because Darren originally needed someone to babysit Lucas.

Finally, after a few moments of thinking, Tracy nodded.

“Lucas’s mom walked out when he was very young, so… he must be a bit confused,” Tracy said, waving a hand with a sweet smile. “It’s understandable why he would start calling you that. I’m sure it must mean a lot to him to have you around.”

My face reddened a little more. I wasn’t sure why I felt so flustered around her—maybe it was her steady, dark gaze or the way she smiled so warmly when she spoke.

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” I said, smiling a little myself.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Tracy replied.

With that, we said our goodnights and I watched Tracy walk away. Maybe Lily was a little upset with me, but not all was lost. The woman replacing Arthur was far kinder and sweeter than I had expected.

That evening, after everyone had gone home, I found myself back at Darren’s place, as usual, with Lucas pulling me into his room for “one last game.” I couldn’t resist his begging, especially when he was so eager.

“Come on, Mommy!” he laughed, scrambling up onto his bed with his stuffed shark tucked under one arm. “One more story! Pleeease!”

I grinned, following him onto the bed. I picked up a book about a knight and a dragon and began reading it to him, feeling strangely content as he nuzzled up against my side.

But I was only about halfway through the story when Lucas’s eyes finally started to close. Setting the book aside, I whispered, “Alright, little guy. Time for bed.”

Lucas yawned, stretching out beneath his blankets as I tucked him in properly. “Goodnight, Mommy,” he murmured, his little fingers coming up to touch my cheek. “I love you.”

I felt my heart tighten again at those words. I knew he was just a kid, and kids said stuff like that like it was nothing, but… I couldn’t really help the tears that sprang to my eyes.

Of course, Lucas wasn’t my son. I knew that. But hearing him call me that—‘Mommy’—and tell me he loved me left my chest feeling warmer than I’d ever expected. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that we weren’t really related. He was so relaxed around me, and I felt just as relaxed around him.

Maybe it was just because he was such a good kid. Or maybe it was what I had told Darren before—that I associated him with his adorable, fluffy pup form and it made it easier to connect with him than with human kids.

Or maybe it was the mate bond that his father and I shared that had Lucas so attached to me.

That thought just made my stomach sink. Because it meant that, if Darren broke our mate bond, he would also be breaking the bond between me and Lucas.

Heartbreak over a man was something I could move on from. I’d dealt with it plenty of times before.

But to lose Lucas, the little boy who I’d developed such a close relationship with over the past months…

I didn’t want to think about it. No, I refused to think about it.

And yet, thinking about this made something else creep back into my mind.

Tracy’s words.

Lucas had told me once that his mother had died. And yet, Tracy was so sure that she’d simply walked out, abandoned him. I looked down at Lucas, wondering what the truth was, and why he seemed so certain that his mom was gone for good.

No wonder he called me ‘Mommy’. He sounded just as confused as I was starting to feel about the whole situation.

“I love you too, Lucas,” I said, managing a smile as I leaned down to kiss his forehead. “But… Can I ask you a question?”

“Mhm,” he replied. He was hardly keeping his eyes open.

I lowered my voice. “Did you tell me once that your real mommy died?”

Lucas’s eyes fluttered open a little at that, and he furrowed his brow. “Well… Yes.” But then he crooked his finger at me, urging me to lean closer, and whispered in my ear, “But my daddy said that I have to tell people that she left. Isn’t that funny?”

My eyes widened. I leaned back, my mouth hanging open, but Lucas was already nodding off again.

Did I just hear him right, I wondered? Darren wanted Lucas to… tell people that his mom had abandoned him instead of dying? Why?

Once Lucas was asleep, I left his room and started down the hall. As I passed the kitchen, I noticed Darren sitting at the kitchen counter with his laptop open in front of him and an open book beside him.

I poked my head in to say goodnight, but stopped when I saw the chapter title at the top of the page.

“How to Reject a Mate.”

My chest tightened at the sight, and I felt a pang of something I didn’t want to feel—a strange, hollow ache in my throat.

Darren looked up suddenly and snapped the book shut when he saw me standing there. I nearly flinched at the sound of the thick tome slamming. “Aria. How was your first day with Tracy?”

I forced a smile and pushed my ache down. “It was good,” I replied, leaning against the doorframe. “She’s… really nice.”

Darren nodded, seeming pleased. “I’m glad. I know Tracy can come across as intimidating, but she’s a good person. She’ll treat you well. We grew up together,” he added with a faint smile.

I nodded, but I wasn’t really listening—my mind was too occupied with thoughts of what Lucas had just told me. The curiosity just kept gnawing at me, and it was getting harder and harder not to ask about it. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

I took a breath. “Lucas told me that his mom died. But he just told me that you want him to tell people that she abandoned him. Why?”

For a moment, Darren didn’t answer, just… stared at me. I became worried that I had pushed him too far, that I had hurt him somehow by bringing it up, or that Lucas might get in trouble for telling me.

But to my surprise, Darren shook his head, rose from his chair, and strode over to the liquor cabinet. I watched in mild confusion as he poured two servings of whiskey into a couple of glasses.

“It’s a long story,” he said with a sigh as he poured the drinks. “I’m not even sure where to start, actually.”

He crossed the room and handed one to me. Our fingers touched and nearly intertwined as I took it from him, but I hardly felt it. There was something about his gaze—something that was silently telling me to drink because I might need it for whatever he was about to tell me.

Then, when he finally uttered his next words, I realized why.

“I’ll start here: Both of Lucas’s parents died. Not just his mother.”