Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Chapter

800

"It's nothing!" Lena said, shoving her phone away.

Which, of course, meant it was definitely something. But if she wasn't ready to talk, I wasn't going to push. Probably something to do with Nate.

That lingering connection-the one where things are over but not really over-was something I understood too well.

Like me and Jace. Even after all this time and starting over, there were still threads that tied us together. It wasn't love anymore, but the history, the complications... those don't just disappear.

***

When Lindey found out I was pregnant, she showed up with a basket of supplements.

is wonderful! You're going to be a mom!" she gushed, her

the room.

stay. You're not eating right here. Come

though this child had nothing to do with the Johnston family. Yes, they were involved in my parents' deaths-I'll never forget that. But I also can't deny the care they gave me during the ten years I lived with them. Guilt-driven or not, it was real, and I benefited from it. "Lindey, you

still lingered, and Wayne's... well, they were way too intense. Moving back into their home would've been a disaster waiting to happen. But honestly, the past had left scars I couldn't ignore. There was a wall between me and the way things used to be-a line I

her expression. The gray at her temples seemed starker under the harsh

soft sigh but managed to pull together a smile. "You're right.

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Chapter 200

+25 BONUS

her gaze begged me not to push her away completely.

lit up instantly, her smile so wide it deepened the wrinkles around her eyes. I stared for a

having a baby," she said, her tone brimming with excitement. "His spirits lifted so much, he even ate a few extra spoonfuls

Spoonfuls of soup? Was his condition really that bad now? I wanted to ask, but the memory of what he did to my parents stopped me cold. The words caught in my throat, and I stayed silent, my gaze dropping to the floor.