CHAPTER 102: GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

He looked away, jaw tightening. "Why not? Maybe they just loved me because they needed someone to fill the hole their real kids left behind."

There it was, that raw, wounded bitterness that made Bella’s chest ache. She understood that pain too well.

"Jake," she said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "Listen to me. Whether you were adopted or not doesn’t change the fact that they raised you. That they chose you. That’s what love is."

"Even if it feels like I was just a replacement?" he muttered.

Bella shook her head and then took a slow breath, her gaze steady. "It’s fine to feel that way. You’ve just had your whole world turned upside down by one truth; anyone would question everything after discovering something like that. But Jake..." She stepped closer, her voice low and full of quiet conviction. "How about you ask yourself this; in all your time with them, did they ever treat you like a replacement?"

He didn’t answer. His silence said enough.

Jake’s gaze dropped to the floor, Bella’s words echoing in his mind.

The question hit deeper than he expected. He wanted to argue, to say yes and find something that proved Bella wrong. But as the silence stretched, memories began surfacing, one after another, crowding his thoughts.

He remembered being eight, standing in the backyard, clutching a baseball bat almost as tall as he was. He’d missed every swing that afternoon, frustration tightening his throat until he threw the bat aside and shouted that he never wanted to play again.

Charles hadn’t scolded him. He hadn’t told him to toughen up or to make him into something he wasn’t. He had simply crouched beside him, voice soft but firm, saying, "Then find what makes you happy, son. The world doesn’t need another baseball player. It needs you."

He swallowed hard, his fingers twitching at his sides.

He remembered another time when he was barely fifteen years old, when he’d told Evelyn that he didn’t want to take over the family business, that he wanted to travel, to design, to build something of his own. He’d expected disappointment, even anger. But Evelyn had only smiled through her worry and said, "As long as you’re building a life you’ll be proud of, that’s all that matters to me."

But that decision of his had changed after experiencing his fathe’s authority in the company. He’d thought they’d also scold for not knowing what he wanted but then, they’d been just as supportive without pressure. He’d only pressured himself to show him he wasn’t going to change his mind again.

And then there was Helena.

Jake’s throat tightened. His mother could’ve easily insisted on the match. Helena was the kind of woman society approved of. She was graceful, educated, and a perfect fit for the Stones’ reputation.

But then, he’d said he didn’t want her and Evelyn though disappointed had never brought it up again.

If he were just a replacement, if she’d truly seen him as a shadow of the sons she lost, she could have forced the illusion of a perfect life for him. She could have tried to script every step, just to fill the void left behind. But she hadn’t. She’d given him space to fall, to fail, to find himself.

Jake’s lips parted, his breath shaky. His mother hadn’t clung to him out of control some mothers would love to have over their child. Though she’d loved him out of fear, yes, but also out of hope. And most importantly, out of choice.

Even as a child, when he’d wake up crying from nightmares, she’d gently whisper, "It’s okay, Jake. I’m here. I’ve got you."

And she had. Every time.

He pressed his palm against his chest, as if trying to quiet the ache.

Bella’s voice softened beside him. "You see it, don’t you?"

She took a small step closer. "I know you see it. They gave you their name, their love, their home. They protected you, let you be who you wanted to be, and never once made you feel like a burden. That’s not what people do for replacements, Jake. That’s what parents do for their child."

He swallowed, his throat tight, already seeing the truth and feeling bad he’d spoken to them so harshly.

They’d lost their child yet had chosen to love him. Why didn’t he think of that first before letting his emotions get the best of him?

Bella continued softly, her voice trembling but steady. "They probably gave you and Raymond those names not to replace their dead children, but to console themselves and to believe that life hadn’t completely taken everything from them. Maybe it was their way of saying, we still have something to live for. Stop thinking you were a replacement because you weren’t a stand-in," Bella whispered. "You were a second chance. A miracle they didn’t see coming. And I know that because..." Her voice cracked faintly. "...because although Timothy is my nephew, I can’t even imagine losing him. If something ever happened to him, I don’t think I’d survive either. But if someone placed a crying child in my arms when I’d lost everything, I’d love that child with all I had left. That’s what your parents did."

Jake’s jaw tightened as his eyes glistened. He turned away, exhaling shakily, trying to blink the tears back. "You just made it sound simple."

"It’s not simple," she said softly. "It’s painful. But it’s love, Jake. And real love doesn’t care about blood."

The silence between them was long, thick with emotion.

Finally, Jake looked back at her, his expression raw and fragile. "You don’t know how much I needed to hear that."

Bella managed a faint smile. "Then I’m glad you came."

He nodded slowly, his voice a low whisper. "Yeah. Me too."

And for the first time that night, Jake let himself breathe knowing that even in the ruins of everything he thought he knew, there was still someone who saw him for who he truly was.

Jake stood there, still looking at her, and for the first time that night, the air around them felt a little lighter although slightly fragile but calm. Bella’s words had done what nothing else could: anchored him back to himself.

He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. "Bella..." he began quietly. "Thank.you for tonight. For listening to me and about last night...."

She looked up at him, her expression cautious but open. It was her that had wanted to tell him something but now, she wasn’t so sure if she wanted to tell him about Timothy’s paternity.

He took a step closer, his voice low, heavy with guilt. "About last night, I’m really sorry for all the pain I caused you. For not fighting harder to explain this morning, for letting you believe something I didn’t even understand myself. And—" his throat tightened, "—for dragging you into this mess. If I hadn’t liked you, maybe Raymond wouldn’t have done what he did."

Bella nodded, glad that it hadn’t been what it seemed. "So... you and Helena aren’t really an item?"

He shook his head immediately. "No. We’re not and we’ll never be." His voice was firm now, certain. "I don’t even like her, Bella."

Bella tilted her head slightly, still searching his face. "But whyy? She isn’t exactly a bad person and she seems... perfect for you. Beautiful, elegant, smart. Everything people expect you to want."

Jake’s lips curved into a faint, wistful smile. "Yeah," he murmured. "That’s what everyone says. But the truth is, she’s not the one. I already found the perfect fit for me five years ago."

Bella blinked, her brows drawing together. "Five years ago?" she asked, barely concealing her disappointment.

He nodded, his gaze soft but intense, fixed on her. "Yeah and I’ve been searching for her since then." He took a slow breath. "And now that fate has brought her back into my life, I’m not letting her go again. Not this time. If she’ll let me, I’d really love to make her mine in every sense of the word."

Bella froze, her heart skipping a beat. His words sank in slowly, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to do. How could he be telling her about the girl he liked when he knew she was obviously mad at seeing him with Helena after leading her on.

If he had someone he liked, then just why had he been trying so hard to get her to understand he wasn’t dating Helena?

Was he saying all that to get a reaction from her? She thought and then decided to give him what he wanted.

She nodded then looked away. "Well, then I wish you good luck with that."

When he simply nodded without saying a word, she scowled. "I should probably go to bed," she said quickly, taking a small step back. "It’s been a long—"

Before she could finish, Jake reached out and caught her wrist.

Bella gasped, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers.