Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 86: Chapter 86

Lane’s eyes snapped open the moment she realized Calvin was no longer beside her. She frowned, searching the spot where he usually slept, but he was gone. He wasn’t anywhere in the bedroom either.

"Calvin? Honey?" she called out. When she didn’t get an answer, she scrambled out of bed to find him. He never usually left her side until she was awake. If he wasn’t waiting for her to open her eyes, he’d usually be the one waking her up, so his absence was starting to make her nervous.

She hurried out of the room and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight in the living room.

There was Calvin, sitting right there on the sofa with Ethan. She hadn’t expected the man to still be there. She figured he would have snuck out the moment he woke up, but she was wrong. Not only was he still there, but he was bonding with Calvin.

She paused, watching her son sit comfortably on Ethan’s lap. He didn’t seem even a little bit shy or apprehensive, acting as if they’d known each other forever. She caught the genuine smile on Ethan’s face as he looked down at the boy, his arms wrapped protectively around him.

"Don’t drink anymore, Uncle Ethan, okay? It’s bad for you," Calvin told him.

"Why’s that? You don’t like seeing me drunk?" Ethan asked softly.

Calvin nodded. "Yeah. Because if you get drunk, something bad might happen. It would make your mom really sad. She’d cry if you got hurt," he explained. "That’s why I don’t drink, Uncle Ethan. I don’t ever want to hurt my Mommy."

"You’re only four. You definitely aren’t allowed to drink yet," Ethan teased.

"Even when I grow up, I’m still not gonna do it," his son insisted.

"Alright. You win. I won’t drink anymore," Ethan promised.

She watched Calvin hold up a hand in front of Ethan. "Pinky promise, Uncle Ethan?"

Ethan mimicked the gesture with a smile. "Promise," he replied.

"Anyway, are you hungry? You want to grab some breakfast?"

"I’m waiting for my Mommy to wake up so we can eat together," he said. "You should eat with us, too. My Mommy is an amazing cook."

"I already know," Ethan said, his smile growing as if he were lost in a memory. "I know your Mommy is the best."

"How do you know? Have you actually tasted her food?"

"I have," Ethan said quickly. "Plenty of times."

"Really? She cooked for you, too?"

Ethan nodded. "She told you we’re friends, right?" he said, his voice dropping an octave, tinged with a hint of sadness. "That’s how I got to know her cooking."

"It’s delicious, isn’t it?" Calvin beamed. "Do you want to have some more? I’ll ask her to make extra so you can join us."

"Only if your Mommy says it’s okay," Ethan said.

"She will! My Mommy is super nice," Calvin insisted. "Of all the mommies in the whole world, she’s definitely the kindest one to me."

Hearing those words felt like a warm hand touching Lane’s heart.

"I already knew that, Calvin. Your Mommy is one of a kind. I was pretty stupid for not realizing that sooner," Ethan said in a low voice.

"Huh?"

Before Ethan could explain, Lane made her presence known.

"Calvin."

Both of them looked up at once. She saw Calvin’s eyes light up the second he spotted her.

"Mommy!"

He scrambled off Ethan’s lap with Ethan’s help and ran straight for her. She opened her arms, and he flew into them. She lifted him up and couldn’t help but smile when he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, Mommy."

Lane kissed him back. "Good morning, my Calvin."

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can Uncle Ethan eat with us? I told him you were making breakfast."

She glanced over at Ethan and their eyes met. He was still watching them, a lingering sadness in his gaze. She quickly looked away and focused back on her son.

"Um... okay," she managed to say.

"Yay!" Calvin cheered. "Mommy, put me down!

She set him on his feet and was surprised when he immediately ran back to Ethan.

He grabbed Ethan’s hand and started leading him toward the kitchen. "See, Uncle Ethan? I told you she was nice. She said you can stay!"

Lane took a deep breath and followed them in. "Calvin, what are you in the mood for?"

"Fish and veggies, Mommy!" he chirped. Even for breakfast, that was his absolute favorite. "Wait," he said, turning to Ethan.

"Uncle, do you want fish and veggies, too? Or maybe you don’t like vegetables?"

"Of course I’ll eat my vegetables," Ethan laughed.

"Okay! That’s what Mommy’s making, then."

Lane turned to the fridge to pull out the ingredients. As she started prepping the meal, she felt Ethan approach her.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"I’ve got it," she replied softly, just loud enough for him to hear.

"You sure?"

She just nodded. She heard him let out a long breath. "Okay. I’ll just go back and hang out with *our* child," Ethan said.

Lane bit her lip at that.

Lane bit her lip at that. Our child. Why did that sound so right? Why did it feel like her heart was melting just hearing him say it?

She shook the feeling off and focused on the stove. As she cooked, she could hear the two of them in the other room, their conversation full of laughter.

After a while, she reached for a jar in the upper cabinet only to find it was empty. She needed the new bottle of shrimp paste from the very back. She stood on her tiptoes, reaching as far as she could, but it was still just out of reach.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands grip her waist. Her eyes went wide as she was lifted right off the floor. She turned her head and saw Ethan holding her up. "Go ahead, Lane. Grab what you need," he said as their eyes locked.

She bit her lip, looked away, and quickly snatched the jar from the shelf.

"Got it," she whispered. The second the words left her mouth, Ethan set her back down. She turned around to face him, but they were so close their noses almost bumped. Her breath hitched as she realized their lips were only inches apart.

Ethan looked just as stunned as she felt.

Lane’s heart hammered against her ribs the second their noses brushed. It raced even faster when Ethan didn’t just stop at a near-miss. He wasn’t content with almost touching. Instead, he leaned in and closed the gap, pressing his lips to hers.

The kiss only lasted a heartbeat before Ethan pulled away, but the effect on her was absolute. A shiver shot straight down her spine. He, on the other hand, seemed totally unfazed. She caught a certain spark in his eyes, looking for all the world like he’d just hit the jackpot.

"I’ll go check on our son," Ethan said softly. She was relieved when he stepped away, mostly because it meant he wouldn’t see her face turning bright red.

Even with Ethan gone, her pulse wouldn’t settle down. Her heart was still thumping like crazy. She took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on herself, and once she felt somewhat steady, she went back to her cooking.

It didn’t take long to finish up. Ethan must have noticed because she saw him whisper something to Calvin, who gave a quick nod. Ethan stood up from his spot next to the boy and walked over to her.

Her heart sped up all over again as he approached. He wouldn’t take his eyes off her. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch, and when she couldn’t handle the heat of his gaze anymore, she looked away.

"Sit down, Lane. I’ve got this," Ethan said, his voice firm and steady. Since she couldn’t handle being that close to him, and was terrified he’d hear her heart pounding, she silently moved aside.

"Mommy," Calvin said as she walked over. She couldn’t help but stare at him. She’d seen her son happy a thousand times over the last four years, but the look in his eyes right now was different.

There was a glow there she hadn’t seen before, and she knew exactly why. It was Ethan. Her son had clearly formed an instant bond with him.

A pang of guilt twisted in her gut. Here he was, finally with the father he always asked about, the father she’d been too scared to introduce. Biting her lip, she sat beside him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"What’s wrong, Mommy?" he asked.

She just shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing, Calvin. I just really wanted to hug you," she replied.

"Okay, Mommy. Just hug me then," he said, hugging her back.

When she glanced up, she saw Ethan watching them. His expression had softened completely. She could see him hesitating, looking like he wanted nothing more than to walk over and join the embrace.

*I love you both so much, you and Calvin, Lane.*

The words Ethan had mumbled while he was drunk echoed in her head. Was that why he looked so longing? Because he actually loved them?

"Uncle Ethan, is it gonna be much longer? I’m hungry," Calvin called out, breaking the moment.

"Oh," Ethan blinked. "Just a second, Calvin." He started bustling around to set the table. Instead of jumping in to help, Lane stayed put, keeping her focus entirely on her son.

Once everything was ready, Ethan sat down with them. They ended up with Calvin sitting right in the middle.

"Mommy, I want to say grace," Calvin volunteered.

"Go ahead, honey," she replied. She let him lead the prayer sometimes ever since she taught him how to pray when he was three.

"Everyone close your eyes, please," he commanded. Lane closed hers, but she peeked when she heard his voice again.

"Uncle Ethan, close your eyes! They’re still open."

She looked over and saw Ethan staring intently at her and Calvin.

"Oh, sorry about that," Ethan apologized.

"It’s okay," Calvin said. Once he was sure Ethan’s eyes were shut, he started the prayer.

"Amen," they all said together.

"Let’s eat!" Calvin said happily. Lane reached for the rice scoop to serve her son, but Ethan beat her to it. He filled Calvin’s plate first.

"Thank you, Uncle Ethan," Calvin said.

"You’re welcome, buddy," he replied. She expected him to set the spoon down, but to her surprise, he started serving her next.

"I—I can do it," she stuttered. She reached for the spoon, but he moved it out of her reach.

"Let me do this, Lane," he said, looking her in the eye. "I want to take care of you. I’ve dreamed about doing this for a long time," he added in a low voice.

Lane pressed her lips together and let him have his way. He waited on her and Calvin hand and foot before finally serving himself.

"Mommy, this is so good," Calvin said a few minutes later.

She smiled at him, but then she noticed him glancing between the two of them. "Isn’t Mommy’s cooking the best, Uncle Ethan?

"

"Yeah. Back then and even now, Calvin, your mom’s cooking is amazing," he answered. Then he looked at her. "I was just too stupid to realize what I had back then," he added quietly.

She looked away immediately.

"Why didn’t you notice, Uncle Ethan? Didn’t you know my mom was a great cook?"

Ethan started to say something, then stopped himself.

"Just eat your food," she told them both.

"Yes, Mommy."

"Okay, Lane," they replied almost at the same time.

She bit her lip, trying to focus on her plate. It didn’t take long for them to finish the meal.

"Mommy, Uncle Ethan, I’m gonna go to the living room," Calvin announced.

"Okay."

"Sure thing."

They answered in unison again. She caught him glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, even though he was trying to focus on the boy.

"I’ll handle the mess," she said once Calvin left.

"I’ll help you," he replied. She didn’t argue, just quietly started clearing the table. He jumped right in to help.

A moment later, they both looked up when they heard Calvin calling for Ethan.

"Uncle Ethan! Uncle Ethan!"

Her eyes dropped to the phone in Calvin’s hand. It was vibrating and ringing.

"Someone’s calling you, Uncle Ethan,"

Calvin said, looking at the screen. He wasn’t great at reading full words yet, but his spelling was getting good since Lane had been prepping him for daycare.

"O-L-I-V-I-A is calling you," Calvin spelled out the name on the caller ID.

*Olivia.*

Lane recognized the name instantly. It was her.

When she looked at Ethan, she saw him staring back at her with pleading eyes. Lane quickly turned away, not wanting him to see the sudden pain in her eyes.

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