#Chapter 83 – Ethan’s Confession

How did it come to this? I think morosely. How did everything go so wrong so quickly?

I’d like to think I’ve been shielding the pups from the truth about what happened between Jane and I all those years ago for their own safety and peace of mind, but if I’m honest, I think I’ve been protecting myself. I know how horribly I messed up with Jane, and as badly as it hurt to see my former mate looking at me with that expression of utter betrayal, seeing it on the faces of my innocent pups is worse. When I left the house this morning I was their hero,

now I’m their villain.

“Why don’t you come sit down.” I suggest to the pups, hoping they’ll agree. How am I ever going to explain this to them? They’re too young to even understand a fraction of it.

Despite my tormented thoughts, they obey. One by one they toddle into the living room,

settling on the sofa while I take a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of them. I search their young faces for any hint of

openness, but they all seem completely

closed off.

“Listen.” I begin, not even knowing where I’m going with this. “I made a lot of

mistakes in the past, and I did a lot of things

I’m not proud of, but I love you and I love

your Mommy more than anything.”

The quadruplets exchange meaningful glances, “what does that mean?” Ryder

questions.

“It means that it’s true. Eve tricked me into

believing something terrible about Mommy,

and… I punished her.” I confess, “I put her

on house arrest.”

“But how could you b’lieve Eve?” Riley

demands, clearly affronted on her mother’s

behalf.

“Because I didn’t know how evil she was

then.” I explain, “I don’t have any other

excuse. I was a fool – I let her make a fool of

me, and believing her is the biggest regret of

my life, second only to how I treated your Mommy afterwards.”

“Wha’s house arrest?” Parker inquired,

clearly distracted by my previous choice of

words.

“It’s like what Paisley said, a permanent

time out.” I share.

“So you made Mommy a prisner,” Riley

summarizes, “for something she didn’ do.’

“Yes.” I concede. “That’s right. I made her

and I’ll never

more.”

affection for me evaporating,

them. If someone did to

did to Jane,

quickly things have flipped upside down. A

losing them. I think forlornly, I only just got them, and

your own fault. A little voice

head, after all,

Jane they wouldn’t be able to hold it

stupid.

understand the blurry black

white shades of youthful

them I’m

you find out?” I ask them,

suddenly came up after

and I were both out all day.

us.” Parker admits,

if I’ve just

To my

and Ryder actually flinch away

at them. If I thought I felt ashamed before, it’s nothing compared to how terrible

caution,

((

I was

a monster.” Paisley murmurs, looking as

“People aren’t angels or demons. Good people do bad things sometimes, and bad

which are you?”

over at

to think I’m a good man who was tricked into doing something terrible, but I don’t know if your

is that I’m not the same man I was then.” I proclaim, praying

understand.

They don’t.

demands,

change as time passes. You’ll see when you get older, sometimes you can change so much over the years that you don’t even recognize the person you

understand.” Ryder admits.

saying he

in a stage

I chuckle humorlessly,

I just… I would never treat

the fact that I did it in the past.

})

bad before, but you’re not

now?” Parker

confirm, “And I’d like to think I’m not anymore, but that’s

once, he could do it ‘gain.” Ryder contributes,

trouble’ gain. Was

doing everything I can to help your

mother.” I insist.

you think?” Parker

whimpers, “I love

‘I love Mommy.”

hurt Mommy.” Riley reminds her, “He locked her up.’

})

Riley, Parker and Ryder put their heads together, murmuring to

towards their low voices, I catch

we should

nicer to

agrees.

was right, Mommy’s

don’ want her to be scared. I

we should leave.”

two murmur, pulling away

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