Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 92: Chapter 92

"Stay here for a second, okay? Mommy’s just going to take a quick shower," she told him.

He nodded, and she hopped in the shower. She didn’t stay in long, quickly getting dressed and packing a small backpack with extra clothes for him.

"Mommy, can I have my bag now?" he asked when he saw she was ready.

Lane helped him into his backpack, grabbed her own purse, and headed for the door. As she reached for the handle, she paused, thinking about Ethan.

Is he out there?

It was becoming a routine. Every morning, she’d open the door to find him leaning against the wall, waiting for them.

No matter how many times she told him to stop, he just wouldn’t listen. She’d realized it was a waste of breath to try and talk him out of it. Besides, he’d promised to come back and talk to Calvin.

Sure enough, the second she opened the door, Ethan was standing right there.

Her heart did a little somersault at the sight of him. When he saw them, he straightened up and walked over.

Lane couldn’t stop herself from staring. He had dark circles under his eyes like he hadn’t slept a wink, and there was a bit of stubble on his jaw, as if he’d rushed out the door without even having time to shave.

Ethan, for his part, couldn’t take his eyes off her either. He looked almost pleading as he watched her.

Lane eventually looked away when she felt Calvin tugging on her hand.

"Mommy..."

She didn’t need him to say anything else to know what he wanted. She smiled, gave his hand a little squeeze, and let go.

As soon as he was free, Calvin marched up to Ethan. Ethan looked down at him, curious.

"U-Uncle Ethan," Calvin started. Lane could tell he was nervous, unsure of how to get the words out.

"Yes, Calvin?" Ethan encouraged him softly.

Calvin looked back at Lane for a second. She gave him a small nod, telling him it was okay to speak his mind.

He turned back to Ethan.

"I’m s-sorry for hating you last night, Uncle Ethan. I’m sorry I was angry and I’m sorry I hit you," Calvin said, his voice soft and small. "I hope you aren’t mad at me for being mean."

Ethan looked stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected an apology. He probably thought the kid would still be furious with him. For a moment, he just stood there, speechless.

Then he snapped out of it and knelt down so they were eye-to-eye.

He reached out and gently touched Calvin’s cheek. The love in his eyes spoke volumes.

"You don’t ever have to apologize to me, Calvin," he said gently.

"But I was mean. That’s bad, right?"

"I get it, Calvin. I understand why you felt that way. Because just like you, I never want your Mommy to be hurt either. I promise you, I’m never going to make that mistake again."

"Huh?"

Instead of explaining further, Ethan just ruffled his son’s hair. "And just so you know, Calvin, I’m not mad. I could never, ever be mad at you."

"Not even because I fought with you?"

"Never," Ethan replied instantly. "And always remember, I’m not going to hurt your mom. And I’m not going to hurt you, either." He sounded so serious, like it was a sacred vow.

Calvin held out his hand. "Promise?"

Ethan held up his own hand. "Promise."

Ethan definitely didn’t see what was coming next. A second later, Calvin lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Ethan almost lost his balance but caught himself just in time.

Lane watched as a look of pure joy and relief flooded Ethan’s face. They were finally okay.

He hugged Calvin back, kissing the top of the boy’s head before looking up at Lane. He held her gaze with an intensity that made her breath catch.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she watched his lips move. He didn’t say it out loud, but she saw the words clearly as he silently mouthed them to her.

I love you.

____________

"Uncle Ethan."

Lane looked away from her computer the moment she heard Calvin call out to him. She watched as Ethan turned toward the little boy sitting beside him.

"Yes, Calvin?" he asked gently.

Calvin held up the coloring book in his hands. "Uncle Ethan, look. Do you think it’s good?"

Ethan looked down at the page. "It’s beautiful. You’re really good at that," he said.

"Really, Uncle Ethan? Am I actually good?"

"The best," he replied with a smile.

"I’m gonna be a pro because Mommy says I have to study hard and I want to be good at colouring and drawing."

Calvin was right. She was already planning to enroll him in daycare. Back when they were in Virginia, she’d already picked out a spot, but since they were staying in New York now, she’d shifted her search to places near the condo or her office.

She heard Ethan ask, "So, you’re starting school soon?"

"Yeah, Uncle Ethan. Because I’m a big boy now. I gotta study."

"Don’t grow up too fast, Calvin," Ethan said softly.

"Why?"

"Just enjoy being a kid while you can."

She saw Calvin’s lips twitch at that. "But that’s one of my biggest dreams, Uncle Ethan."

"Oh yeah? What dream is that?"

"I want to grow up fast," Calvin insisted.

"And why is that?"

"Because I want to protect Mommy from the bad guys, Uncle Ethan."

Lane’s eyes went wide, and her heart started racing with a sudden surge of anxiety. She knew exactly where this was going.

She had a pretty good idea of who he was talking about. She opened her mouth to interrupt and change the subject, but she wasn’t fast enough.

"Because I think someone hurt my Mommy," Calvin continued.

Since she was watching them, she saw Ethan’s eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean, Calvin?"

"Whenever I’m not right next to her, I always catch her crying. Even when she thinks I’m fast asleep, she cries," Calvin said, his voice dropping into a sad whisper.

Lane’s breath hitched when Ethan suddenly looked up at her. Their eyes locked instantly. His expression was a heavy mix of guilt and sorrow.

Looking at him, she knew he realized exactly why she’d been crying and that *he* was the bad guy her son wanted to protect her from.

She discreetly looked away, pretending to focus on her computer screen, but her ears were still glued to their conversation. She could still feel Ethan’s eyes on her.

"I don’t want my Mommy to cry, Uncle Ethan. It hurts my heart," Calvin added.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan look back at the boy. She turned her head just enough to see him cupping Calvin’s cheek.

"I’m here now, Calvin. I can protect both of you. I promise, no one is ever going to hurt you or your mom again," Ethan said, his voice thick with sincerity.

Calvin went quiet for a moment. Being his mother, she knew that silence meant he was thinking hard. Sure enough, he spoke up again a second later.

"How can you protect Mommy and me, Uncle Ethan, when you already have to protect your own son and his Mommy?"

Lane bit her lower lip. Ethan didn’t have an answer right away. Finally, he spoke up.

"Your Uncle Ethan is strong, Calvin. I can take care of him, you, and especially your mom."

"What about Tyler’s Mommy?"

"Someone else is going to look after her now, Calvin," Ethan replied quickly.

"Why someone else? Don’t you love her?"

At that point, Lane had to look away. She didn’t want to hear the answer. She couldn’t explain the sharp pang of anxiety she felt, fearing he might actually say yes.

"I don’t love her."

Lane’s heart hammered against her ribs at his words.

"You don’t love her? But isn’t she your wife?"

"She isn’t my wife, Calvin."

"But why do you have a kid if she isn’t your wife?" Calvin asked, sounding as confused as any kid would when things don’t add up.

"When you’re a little older and understand how things work, I’ll explain everything,"

Ethan said, dodging the technicalities. "But what I can tell you right now is that there’s only one person I truly love. I fell in love with her a long time ago, and I’m still in love with her today."

Lane felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

"If you don’t love Tyler’s mom, then who is it? Who do you love, Uncle Ethan?" Calvin asked, his curiosity peaking.

Lane had to admit she was dying to hear the answer too. Whose name would he say? Would he actually say hers, just like he’d told her privately?

Her heart felt like it was going to explode when Ethan finally answered.

"Your mom, Calvin," he said, his tone dead serious. "I love your mom very much."

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