Chapter 153

ISABELLA

I woke up with a start, my heart immediately pounding in my chest when I realized Luca wasn’t in my arms. I’d fallen asleep in the chair again, curled up in that uncomfortable position by his crib, but he wasn’t there. The blanket I had draped over myself had slipped to the floor. My first thought was that something had happened, and before I could fully register what I was doing, I was already on my feet, rushing toward the door.

I paused just outside the bedroom, my pulse racing, but then I heard it—a soft voice singing downstairs, followed by the familiar sound of Luca’s baby giggles.

Relief washed over me like a wave, leaving me feeling shaky as I leaned against the wall. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. He’s fine. He’s safe.

The momentary panic faded, but in its place was a kind of numbness I couldn’t quite shake. I wasn’t sure what I felt anymore. After everything that had happened, after learning what they’d done, I didn’t know how to piece myself back together. I couldn’t reconcile the men I loved with the actions they had taken, and it left this gaping hole in my chest.

I made my way downstairs slowly, unsure of what I would find or how I would feel seeing them again. But as I reached the bottom step and stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted by a sight that caught me completely off guard.

Jax was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes in a skillet, his deep voice humming a nursery rhyme. And there, sitting in his high chair, was Luca, his tiny hands clapping excitedly in time with the song. His wide grin and the way his chubby cheeks dimpled as he laughed made my heart ache in the best possible way.

For a second, just one fleeting moment, everything felt normal again.

I stopped in the doorway, watching them, a small smile tugging at my lips despite myself. Jax hadn’t noticed me yet, completely absorbed in making Luca laugh, and there was something so endearing, so genuine about the scene that I almost forgot I was supposed to be mad at him. Almost.

“Jax,” I called softly, my voice catching a little. I hadn’t meant for it to sound so raw, but I couldn’t help it.

He froze, mid-flip, the pancake suspended in the air for a second before he caught it awkwardly in the pan. His head whipped around, and when his eyes met mine, there was a flicker of something—guilt, maybe—but also relief.

“Bella,” he breathed, quickly turning off the burner and wiping his hands on a dish towel. His whole posture shifted, like he wasn’t sure how to act around me, the usual confidence and ease gone. He gave me a tentative smile, though, one that I knew was meant to be reassuring.

“I made breakfast,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “Luca’s been up for a while, so I figured I’d let you sleep.”

I stood there for a moment, just taking it in. The sight of him, still in his pajama pants and a worn t-shirt, his hair a mess from sleep, standing in the kitchen with our son laughing beside him... it was everything I had dreamed of. This was the life I had wanted. The simplicity of it, the love that radiated from them—it was perfect.

But the memory of what they’d done hung heavy in the back of my mind, reminding me why I had been so distant, why I had spent another night avoiding them. I didn’t know how to bridge the gap between these two versions of them—the loving men who would do anything for me and Luca, and the ones who had made a terrible decision in the name of protecting me.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to stay angry in that moment. Not when Jax was looking at me with such hope, such quiet desperation to make things right.

I walked over to Luca, brushing a hand over his soft hair as he grinned up at me, babbling in his baby talk as if the world hadn’t shifted beneath our feet. “Hey, baby,” I murmured, bending down to press a kiss to his forehead. He giggled, reaching out to grab my finger, and I couldn’t help but smile again, my heart swelling at the simple joy of his presence.

Jax stood there, watching us, his hands fidgeting with the edge of the towel. “I made pancakes,” he said again, almost awkwardly this time, as if he wasn’t sure what else to say. “Your favorite.”

I glanced up at him, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw the vulnerability in his eyes. He was trying. He didn’t know how to fix this, but he was trying in the only way he knew how. And for a moment, I allowed myself to soften.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down. Jax quickly plated the pancakes, setting them in front of me with an almost nervous energy. He poured me a glass of juice, the same way he always did, and then he hovered there for a second, unsure of whether to sit with me or give me space.

I picked up the fork and took a bite, the familiar taste of the pancakes bringing back memories of lazy weekend mornings when everything was simpler. For a brief second, it was like we were back to normal.

Jax finally sat down across from me, watching me eat in silence. Luca continued to babble happily, oblivious to the tension, and I looked between them—the love I had for them both warring with the hurt and confusion that still weighed heavily on my heart.

“I don’t know if things will ever be the same,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I know... I’ll always love you. And I’ll always want us to be a family.”

Jax’s expression softened, and I saw the faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. “That’s all I want too, Bella,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I swear.”

For a brief moment, sitting there with Luca laughing between us and Jax’s quiet, earnest promise hanging in the air, I almost believed we could make it through this. Almost.