Chapter 25: Chapter 25

SHAY

^SEVEN YEARS LATER^

“Could you guys please stop running?” Shay yelled as she made dinner.

She sighed. Her boobs were leaking milk, and she was feeling frustrated.

Using a kitchen towel, Shay dabbed at the milk leaking out of her left breast. She was wearing loose jogger pants rolled down at the waist, and her shirt was completely unbuttoned, allowing her sports bra to hang free.

She could already hear the baby crying, so she turned down the flame on the stove, allowing the meat to tenderize. Her breast was filled with milk, waiting to be drained, and she was uncomfortable with the size it had grown.

Taking a peek into the living room, Shay spotted Elijah and Liam chasing each other. Sighing, she shook her head as she headed into her office.

Picking up baby Nate and making hushing sounds, she threw the kitchen towel to the side and positioned Nate to latch on her breast as she lowered the zipper on her sports bra.

He instantly started sucking, and feeling a slight relief, she relaxed her shoulders.

“I’m home,” she heard Adam yell as he walked through the door.

She smiled, glad that he came home early today. “In here!”

When her husband walked through her office, she said, “Hey, handsome.”

He kissed her and she smiled against his lips, grateful that he loved her for who she was and didn’t judge her past.

“How were the twins today?” Adam asked, placing his bag down as he removed his coat.

Sighing she hung her head and shook it. “I love them, but I swear they’ll be the death of me.”

He chuckled as he squeezed her sides, then looked over her shoulder and watched their son breastfeeding.

“And how’s this little one?” He gently caressed Nate’s cheek.

“He’s good,” she said as she rocked Nate lightly. “But could you take him after he’s done? I need to finish making dinner.”

“Let me shower, and I’ll take care of the kids,” he offered.

She nodded, and Adam disappeared behind her.

She’d met Adam many years ago, back when he was a police officer. He was the one who had arrested her the night of the accident.

Although their paths had separated back then, they found each other again four years ago. Adam had been going through a messy divorce, and he’d told her that running into her again was the highlight of his year.

Shay already had the twins, and though taking care of them was a huge task, she’d dedicated everything she had to raising them.

Shy Wear was still doing well, and interest in her sex tape had died down long ago. However, she’d become more silent, reducing her content on social media and only posting about her clothes and her collaborations.

Since she’d hired a larger team and appointed Dario her right-hand man, giving him a share of her company, her business had run smoothly and successfully, with no hiccups.

Leaving the Upper East Side and moving to Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, was one of the best decisions she’d made. She lived a quiet life here. Not many people knew who she was, and those who did were very supportive of her journey.

Running into Adam was pure coincidence. He’d moved back to Mountain Lakes when his father passed away and had taken over the family business—they owned a few grocery stores in New Jersey.

Shay had surveyed the area for a few months before buying the house that was their current home. The three-acre property was secluded, and the house sat right beside a beautiful lake.

Adam had approached her in the grocery store, recognizing her from the arrest and the media storm surrounding the sex tape. They talked for a few minutes before he got up the courage to ask for her number and ask her out.

Soon after, they went on their first date and many more followed. Falling in love with Adam was easy, and he proposed to her on their seventh date. Saying yes also came easily, but they took their time before getting married.

“Mama! Mama!” Liam called, running over to her.

“Yes, my love?” She ran her fingers through Liam’s hair. His eyes were wide open, staring at her intently. “What is it, baby?”

“Can I have a brownie?” he asked, pouting his lips.

“~Mom~,” Eli whined, running up to her as well.

“Brownie?” she asked him. Both boys nodded their heads, and she chuckled. Did she know her kids or what? “There are two small slices of brownie on the kitchen table. One for each of you.

“But if you finish your dinner, I’ll give you guys an entire slice each, okay?”

“Thank you, Mom!” Eli screamed, running to the kitchen.

“Thank you, Mama!” Liam yelled, following right behind.

Shay smiled, her heart warming at the sight of her kids. Elijah and Liam had recently turned six, and they looked exactly like Ethan. It had been seven years since she’d seen him, but she thought about him every day.

She missed him, but that was her little secret. She knew there was no future for them.

He didn’t even know their children existed. She’d made her family promise not to tell him anything, and they’d begrudgingly agreed to her terms.

Her relationship with her family had been rocky for a while after the leaked sex tape—and then she’d confessed she was pregnant. That was probably the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.

Though after the shock wore off, her parents were supportive of her decision to keep the twins and raise them on her own.

And her brothers took turns driving to her place every other weekend to spend time with her and their nephews.

As to her sister, Shay hadn’t seen Sky since the accident and never planned to. Things between them were strained, but she didn’t mind.

Some time after her confrontation with Asher Price, he found her and begged for her forgiveness. It took her a while, but she did eventually forgive him. It helped that he did what he could to make things right.

He reported what he’d done and issued a public apology, which he faced backlash for. He also apologized for choking her in the heat of the moment.

The recording she’d given to Dario had been saved to a thumb drive and then couriered to Ethan’s office. She thought he should know the truth if he didn’t already. And if he did, then shame on him.

Shay hadn’t made a public appearance since her last video, skipping all social events and only appearing in photo shoots occasionally when Dario could drive himself over.

She’d initially gone into hiding because she was embarrassed by the video of her and Ethan, but as time went by, she found she preferred living a simple life. And Mountain Lakes was perfect for her.

When she heard tires on the gravel, Shay peeked through the window and noticed a car parking in her driveway. Unsure of who it was, Shay looked into the kitchen, where her twins were still enjoying their tiny slice of brownie.

Rocking Nate in her arms, she went to the front door. She didn’t care that her boob was still out. Her husband was upstairs, and he had a gun.

Standing behind the door as she waited for the visitor to knock, she stared down at her baby, still peacefully drinking, and smiled. She loved her kids so much.

She gently rubbed her thumb over Nate’s downy cheek. He looked like Adam, had his piercing eyes. She was proud of herself for producing such gorgeous babies.

~Knock knock.~

Shay swung the door open, but looked away momentarily when she heard footsteps running up behind her. “Yes?” she said as she turned back to greet the person at the door.

When her eyes connected with his, the first time in seven long years, her heart started to race and her throat went dry. “What are you doing here?”

As he stared at her, she was instantly flooded with memories. She missed him even more than she’d realized.

He looked a little older, more mature—his eyes had small lines at the corners now—and it suited him very well.

“Shay,” he breathed.

“Mama!” Liam called as he ran up to her and hugged her leg.

Her eyes widened, and she instantly avoided Ethan’s gaze.

“Go inside and play with your brother,” she said, patting Liam on the back as she shooed him away.

“Are they mine?” he asked carefully.

Scrunching up her face, she sighed. “What are you doing here, Ethan?” she asked again, saying his name for the first time in a long time, enjoying the way it rolled off her tongue.

“Who’s at the door?” she heard Adam ask as he came down the stairs.

She tensed as her husband placed a hand on her back, and the man on her doorstep held out his hand.

“I’m Ethan.”

^End of Book 1^