Seeking Happily Ever After (Ever After #8) - Elena Aitken Page 0,60

we have to do it by the book.”

By the book.

Nothing about this situation was by the book. They were rewriting the whole goddamned book, and there was nothing he could do.

“I’ve put in a call to your caseworker,” Chris said on their last call. “Susan Johnson. To see if there’s anything else we can do. Something I missed. I’m still waiting for her to call me back. But, Nick? I didn’t miss anything. You’ll have to let her go.”

Finally, he couldn’t put it off any longer. It was getting late. Jessica was getting restless. She was ready to go.

“Don’t do this, Jessica.” He tried one final plea. “Let’s talk about it and—”

“She’s my daughter, Nick. Thank you for taking care of her, but I’m better now and I want her back.”

Want her back? She wasn’t some thing that could be cast aside and called back on a whim. She was a child. This wasn’t right.

Nick bit back his words and swallowed hard.

“There’s a reason you left her with me, Jessica. You know I can give her a good life. I can give her—” His voice cracked with emotion. “Don’t do this.”

She didn’t even have the decency to look remorseful. Instead, she just shook her head sadly. “I’m doing this, Nick. I’m her mother. She belongs with me. Are her things packed?”

“I didn’t have a chance to—”

“Never mind.” Jessica walked past him to where Amelia was playing. As Jessica grew closer, the baby started to fuss. “I’ll get new stuff. I just want to get out of here.” She turned to the little girl. “Come on, kiddo. It’s time to get out of here.”

Panic filled Nick. A helplessness like nothing he’d ever felt before rose up through him. His heart raced. Sweat beaded along his hairline. “Where are you staying? Do you have a place nearby? It’s getting late to go to—”

“I got a place, Nick. It’s fine.”

“Where is it? I can—”

“I told you.” She glared at him. “It’s fine.” She swooped Amelia up out of the play saucer and Amelia started to cry almost at once.

Nick winced and moved to grab the baby. “Just let me—”

Jessica swung around to keep him away. “No.” Her voice was firm, with an edge that hadn’t been there before. “Look, Nick. I know you got attached to her, but she’s not your daughter and you know that. Legally, I can do this. And I’ve been more than patient about it. Let it go.”

Let it go?

He couldn’t just let it go. Let her go.

Amelia’s cries grew louder, as if she sensed that what was about to happen was not okay. It wasn’t. Nothing about it was okay. Jessica pushed past him to the door. It took every bit of self-restraint not to stop her.

It will only make things worse. Play nice.

Nick swallowed hard. He’d do things by the book. He wouldn’t do anything to screw up his chances at getting custody.

He followed her outside. “I’ll fight you, Jessica,” he said as she buckled Amelia into the car seat. His heart was being ripped out of his body with every cry. He clenched each hand into a tight fist and willed himself not to cry. Or throw himself on the car. “I love that little girl, and I will do everything in my power to get her back.”

She finished strapping in the baby and looked Nick in the eye.

“This isn’t over, Jessica.”

She didn’t say a word as she got in the car and drove away with a piece of his heart, crying in the backseat.

Despite his vow, he couldn’t help but feel that he’d been wrong. Because it very much felt over. All of it.

Chapter Sixteen

He stood in the dust cloud Jessica’s car left behind long enough for the dust to settle and erase any traces of the car that had just taken his little girl away. Never in his life, in all the times he’d been on his own, had Nick ever felt so completely alone. In one afternoon, he’d lost both Charlotte and Amelia.

There was nothing left.

“Fuck!”

Anger washed through him with such a force, it took him completely off guard and left him dizzy with rage. He strode toward a pine tree, pulled back, and punched it as hard as he could. The pain screamed through his fist, but he ignored it and hit the tree again.

“Nick!”

Damon grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back, away from the tree, but the anger wasn’t yet satisfied. He spun to throw a punch at Damon.