Chapter 91

Chapter 91
When the call ended, Quinton immediately dialed Isaiah, pacing again. “I need a favor,” he said quietly when Isaiah answered. “There’s a situation with Nevaeh. Jacqueline’s left her alone again. I need you to contact child welfare, anonymously. Have them check in. It has to be right now before she gets back and pretends nothing is wrong.”

Neema listened silently as he spoke, her heart aching for him. After hanging up with Isaiah, Quinton moved to the door and called for her bodyguard, who had been stationed outside her hospital room despite all assurances from the hospital that nothing bad could happen there. Quinton wasn’t taking chances..

Kaleb appeared almost immediately. “Sir?”

“I need you to pick up some food… Something warm and kid-friendly. Take it to Jacqueline’s address. Drop it off for Nevaeh and stay nearby until the authorities show up. Don’t leave her alone, understood?”

Kaleb’s brows furrowed, but he nodded. “Understood, sir.”

When the door closed again, Quinton stood there for a moment, one hand braced on the doorframe. The tension seemed to drain out of him all at once.

Neema’s voice came softly. “You did the right thing.”

He turned, his expression tired and pained. “I know. But I still feel like I’ve failed her again.”

“Don’t,” Neema said firmly, pushing herself into a better sitting position with her back against the pillows. “I’m sure that you did what you could. That little girl knows you care about her.”

That put a small, grateful smile on his face. A beat passed, and then Quinton walked back toward the bed. His shoulders sagged as he sat down beside her with a heavy sigh.

Neema observed him for a second. “You look like you’re about to fall over,” she said gently.

He gave a dry laugh. “Feels like it.”

Making a quick decision, she shifted slightly to the side, creating space for him, and then patted the space. “Lie down for a bit. The chair doesn’t look comfortable anyway.”

He hesitated. “Neema…”

“Just rest for a minute, Quinton,” she said softly. “It won’t kill you to let your guard down and relax for a second.” 

It took a long moment, but finally, he gave in and eased onto the bed beside her, careful to avoid her injured ankle. The bed dipped slightly under his weight, and for a while, neither of them spoke. The quiet between them wasn’t awkward, just full of things unspoken, like the questions Neema’s mind refused to let go of.

Finally, Neema broke the silence, unable to hold back any longer. “Can I ask something?”

Quinton had to have a clue of what she was about to ask because he immediately tensed. Still, he swallowed his apprehension and said, “Anything.”

Neema watched him for a beat. “What really happened between you and Jacqueline?”

He sighed deeply, staring up at the ceiling. “That’s a long story.”

Neema had already guessed that. But she needed to know. How could they build anything if he couldn’t tell her about his ex-wife and what she did to make him so wary of trusting a woman? Because that was what was at the root of Quinton’s ten-foot-tall walls around his heart. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said softly, meaning that in more than one way.

Quinton’s jaw flexed. He obviously wasn’t happy about being put on the spot. For a moment, Neema feared he would just shut down, but he surprised her by answering her question. “We met when I was twenty-three. I thought I was in love. Or maybe I was just desperate to be loved. I can see that now. Hindsight… And Isaiah forcing the truth down my throat mostly. Anyways, my parents’ divorce left… a hole, I guess. Jacqueline was beautiful, magnetic, and exciting. I thought she’d fill that emptiness.”

He paused, his voice thickening. “We got married after she told me she was pregnant. I thought it was fate. I was excited to be a father and start a family of my own. I was going to do it right, not like my parents.” He let out a humorless chuckle. 

“But not long after Nevaeh was born… Something felt off. I can’t even explain it. Just… Little things like the way Jacqueline would cringe when I mentioned the baby had my fingers or nose. Then there were the mysterious calls in the middle of the night. So I followed my gut and I did a DNA test.”

Neema’s breath caught.

“As you can probably guess where this is going… She wasn’t mine,” he said quietly. “None of it was real. Jacqueline had lied. But by then… It was too late. I’d held Nevaeh in my arms, fed her, sung her to sleep. I couldn’t just walk away. So I filed for divorce but stayed in her life as her father, even though Jacqueline has resented me for my decision and has tried to make it almost impossible for me to form a bond with the girl.”

Neema’s throat tightened. “Quinton… I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be. Nevaeh’s the best thing that ever happened to me. None of this is her fault.”

Neema’s heart ached for him. She heard the quiet strength in his voice, the pain he carried behind every word. But she also heard the need. Neema bit her lip. Did she dare ask? After a beat, she knew she had to. “Do you ever… wish you had a child of your own? Someone with your DNA?”

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Someday. I’d like that.”

Neema’s chest grew heavy, a strange ache blooming deep inside. She smiled faintly, forcing her tone light. “You’d make a good dad,” she managed.

He turned his head toward her, his gaze soft. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she said quietly.

For a long while, they lay there in silence, the hum of the hospital machines filling the air. His breathing evened out, slow and steady, his hand resting just inches from hers.

And though Neema tried to relax, her thoughts drifted. Now that she knew, she couldn’t help thinking about the little girl who was currently alone in her house, scared and hungry, Jacqueline’s cruelty, and the man lying beside her, who deserved more than the pain he carried.

Her heart ached for him. But it ached for her too. She could never give Quinton his desire for a child. Where did that leave them?