I didn’t catch anything Jace said after that. What I’d just found out hit me like a truck.
All the questions I’d had were finally answered, but I never saw thising.
Desmond had been someone I knew pretty well–thin, always smiling, the kind of guy who’d look out
for everyone. I never imagined his death was because he couldn’t deal with his wife hooking up
with Jace.
No wonder Jace was a total wreck after Desmond died… because it was his fault.
Suddenly, everything made sense–why Desmond’s parents treated Tanya like dirt, why they didn’t
want anything to do with the baby she was carrying. They probably didn’t even think it was
Desmond’s kid.
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I wasn’t even that mad at Jace for cheating on me before, but now, standing here, I realized just
how low he’d really gone. He was the reason his so–called best friend was dead.
Lena must’ve seen the change in my face, because she pulled me aside.
Once we were in her break room, I just sank into a chair, totally silent for what felt like forever.
I hadn’t been super close to Desmond, but thinking about how desperate he must’ve been in those
last moments made my skin crawl. It was like I could feel the weight of everything crushing him.
“Jace is… unforgivable,” Lena spat, her voice tight with anger. “And now Tanya’s got him wrapped
around her little finger. Even if he doesn’t want her, he probably feels like he owes her.
“And honestly? He deserves it. And Tanya… ming Jace now, like she didn’t send him signals?
Please. If she hadn’t led him on, none of this would’ve happened,
“It takes two to tango, and now she’s pinning everything on him. And the worst part? She’s ready to
throw Desmond’s only kid under the bus just to wiggle her way into the Johnston family.
“She’s disgusting.
Lena’s words were sharp, filled with rage, but I just sat there, picking at my fingernails, barely
hearing her. Finally, in a quiet voice, I murmured, “Lena, try to save the baby.”
I knew I had no right to tell Tanya what to do, but this wasn’t about her anymore. This was for
Desmond. She owed him that much.
Lena gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I get it, but even if we stop her now, she could still go
somewhere elseter, if that’s really what she wants.”
She paused, her voice softening. “Tanya’s focused on marrying Jace. As long as that’s her n,
she’s not keeping the baby. And honestly? Even if she did, what kind of life would that kid have,
caught up in all this?
A quote popped into my head: ‘No one has the right to decide someone else’s life‘
Yes, I had no right.
But the baby growing inside Tanya was already a life–and it was Desmond’s legacy. If it was gone,
Desmond would bepletely erased from this world
A wave of helplessness and sorrow hit me hard.
This hurt even more than when I first found out about Jace and Tanya.
“If Jace has even a shred of conscience left, he won’t let her go through with it,” Lena said, fully
understanding how much the baby meant.
I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. “Let’s hope he’s got some conscience left.”
As I sat there in Lena’s break room, trying to make sense of everything, my phone buzzed. Jace’s
name shed across the screen. I answered, and before I could say a word, he started talking.
“Can you ask Lena to hold off on the procedure? Don’t let Tanya go through with it.”
For once, he actually sounded like a decent human being.
I repeated what Lena had said earlier. “Jace, Tanya’s been using the baby to keep you close, and
now she’s ready to get rid of it just to be with you. Whether the baby stays or goes? That’s not up to
Lena–it’s up to you.”
Jace froze for a second. “You knew?”
“Tanya came to me. She asked if Matthew and Lindey would ept the baby,” I said, not bothering
to hide the truth.
Jace stayed quiet. He probably knew exactly how I’d answered.
After what felt like forever, he hung up, and I left the hospital.
When I got to Steve’s pool hall, he greeted me with a grin. “Wanna shoot some pool?”
“Do you know where Desmond’s grave is?” I asked,