Chapter 3
Aurora's POV
The air between us turned to ice the second Jace's gaze landed on the photo.
His jaw tightened until it looked almost painful. "What the hell is this, Aurora?" He growled out. "Did you come here to show off how perfect your life is? Is that it? To flaunt everything you have? To show me your child?"
What the fucking hell? Has Jace always been this dumb? This wasn't about us at all.
"Jace, calm the fuck down." My voice was harsh like his and steely. "That's not a family photo as you can see very well. That's your son. Our son. His name is Alex. And he needs your help. He's very sick, he needs a bone marrow transplant. I'm not a match."
He slammed the phone down with a scoff, disbelief painted on every part of him. "My son? Yeah…that's not fucking possible. You know why? It's because we haven't had contact with each other for years We haven't spoken in years. You vanished, Aurora, you slipped out of my life without a trace and never looked back. Do you expect me to believe you just kept my child secret all this time?"
"Did I ever tell you I kept him a secret?"
"Then why am I just finding out about him now especially when he is sick huh?" He asked me.
"Oh mighty one, why don't you ask yourself that question? I called you, idiot. I reached out to you. I sent emails to you so you could learn about your son." I screamed at him.
That's a lie. I mean not really a lie since I only sent one email after all my calls left unreturned with only one answered. But he had no fucking right to be mad at me when he was the one who wanted nothing to do with us.
"You can stop with the lies, Aurora." be told me. "I did every fucking thing for you and you just left. So stop the lies."
"And you can stop with the stupid matyr act. You were never hurt. You did everything the way you wanted to. Everything you did…"
He surged to his feet, rage simmering hotter than before. "Every fucking thing I did was for you!"
"Cheating wasn't for me!" I screamed at him. "That was for you."
He stared at me with a frown. "What the fuck are…" but I didn't let him speak.
I couldn't even bear to listen to his pathetic excuses whatever they may be.
"You did everything you wanted. Not what I needed. Not once did you ask what would make me feel safe. All those parties, events, headlines…you mean to tell me you did all those for me? Who the fuck are you kidding?"
He braced his hands on the desk, knuckles white. "Everything I did was to protect you. Every thing I did was for you. I did it to protect you."
I laughed manically. He really was insane if he thought I was going to fall for his stupid tricks. There was no way that was going to happen.
I took a slow breath, pushing down the tide of old, aching memories. "That's not what this is about," I said, more tired than angry now. "This is about Alex. He needs your help, Jace. He has leukemia. The doctors said his only hope is a bone marrow transplant. We're running out of time, and you're his father. You're his only chance."
He shook his head once, hands trembling before he hid them behind clenched fists. "Go to your husband, then. You look like you're doing fine. Your rich, perfect man can buy any treatment. Why come here?"
I paused. God knows where he got the gist that I was married…oh, I turned to the ring I always wore on my finger. It was a way to make men stop coming after me especially since I only needed to care for my son. I didn't need another man who would wreck my life. It wasn't real. I was not married but Jace didn't need to know that.
I let out a bitter laugh. "That's not how this works, Jace. Alex is your son. Money can't buy a matching donor. If you don't help, and something happens to him, it'll be your blood I wipe off my hands. Your legacy, your pain, not just mine." I slid a slip of paper with my number across the desk. "If you care about anything, you'll call. Get tested. That's all I need from you now."
"Get out, Aurora." he growled out in anger.
"Oh, and just so you know, we are not on any terms where we call each other by our given names. You refer to me as Miss. Thompson." I said to him cooly, walking out of his officem
I didn't look back. As I reached the door, I paused, there was no way I was going to leave things as they are. So I gave him the middle finger. Petty, yes but I wasn't going to cower in his presence. If he wanted to be an ass then that's on him.
The elevator doors closed around me, and by the time I'd sunk into the backseat of a cab, the tears came, silent, hot, unstoppable. I pressed a shaking hand to my mouth, willing my body to stop gasping with grief.
Nothing has gone as planned. Not even a little bit. I mean I knew we were going to exchange words. I knew this was fifty-fufty but I never thought that it would end up like this. Seeing Jace reminded me of what was. What had been and was no longer and I was disgusted with myself for even feeling something for him when he had behaved like I hurt him. But that was all a lie. I could never hurt Jace. When it came to our relationship, I was the only one hurt. It was always me never Jace.
I had failed Alex. I should have at least gotten him a father that loved him not one that wanted nothing to do with him.
Fuck.
If Jace wanted nothing to do with our son, if he didn't want to get tested, then how was I going to save my son? I couldn't go back to my family because they didn't want me. They disowned me when I divorced Jace. And with the attitude I received back when I called them…no. I couldn't even think about it.
What the hell was I going to do now?