#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

more.”

see their affection

I don’t blame them. If

mother what I did to

believe how quickly things have flipped upside down. A

I’m awash with shame, guilt, and despair. I’m losing them. I think forlornly, I only just got them,

A little

after all,

Jane they wouldn’t be able to

stupid. I argue back, but

the blurry

white shades of

of growth and redemption. To them I’m the evil man that hurt their mother, full

out?” I ask

why this suddenly came up

and I were both

Parker admits,

if I’ve just

I growl. To my horror,

Ryder actually flinch away

thought I felt ashamed before, it’s

caution, softening my

((

I was

murmurs, looking as though the sky is falling

hatred for the other man. “People aren’t angels or demons. Good people do bad things sometimes, and bad people do good things.”

which are you?” Ryder asks

at me.

I’m a good man who was tricked into doing

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

understand.

They don’t.

possible?” Riley demands, “you

large hand through my hair, “but people change as time passes. You’ll see when you get older, sometimes you can change so much over the

understand.”

saying he

in a stage whisper.

humorlessly, “I don’t have

just… I would never

that way today, but I can’t change the fact that I did it in the past.

})

before,

Parker

anymore, but that’s

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

gain. Was

I can

mother.” I insist.

think?” Parker asks.

whimpers, “I love Daddy,

‘I love Mommy.”

reminds

})

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

low voices, I catch the

“I think we should leave.” Riley

nicer to

agrees.

was right, Mommy’s

don’ want her to be scared. I think

we should leave.”

murmur, pulling away and looking curiously towards

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