I'm Theirs (Book 2/2 of the Desire Duet)

Chapter 26: Nate

"Annie, you don't need to bother them." A guy walked in and Rya sighed. Annie turned she looked exactly like Grace and me and Mateo gasped. Taylor looked at her and I saw a tear go down her face before quickly wiping it away.

"Drew." Rya sighed and I looked up clocking eyes with the guy who saved my girl.

"About that, my real name is Austin." He spoke and she nodded.

"Okay." Rya looked at him and he looked back at me.

"I can leave if you want. I don't want any trouble." He said, and looked at Mateo.

"Explain what happened then we will decide." Taylor spoke and he nodded rubbing the back of his neck. He gestured to Rya's bed.

"Can I?" He asked and she looked at him and slowly nodded. He walked slowly until he got to her side and she grabbed his hand taking deep breaths. Taylor pushed over a stool and he sat down looking at all of us then at Grace.

"Start at the beginning." I said and he sighed, the little girl walked up to Taylor raising her arms up and Taylor picked her up smiling at her.

"Her name is Annie, and ever since she has been born Blake has wanted her. There is no record of her anywhere, I made sure of that but apparently, I didn't hide her good enough. There is another guy that wants her who is worse, much worse, a guy who works with my dad who saw Grace in sick ways growing up." He shook his head and smiled at Rya before turning back to us. "He wants her, in that way..." He trailed off and all of us looked at Annie who was playing with Taylor's hair absently.

"She doesn't know what any of this means." I looked at him and he nodded.

"She doesn't." He sighed. "This guy was tracking down Grace until they found out about my secret, then they realized they could take her, raise her and groom her." He finished gagging.

"Question." Taylor chimed in and he looked at her. "How is this beautiful little girl alive right now?" She said smiling down at Annie who laughed at her.

"My mom had her before she died in the wreck my dad caused. She gave birth when I got to her, gave her, her name and promised that I would hide her, her last words. I left before the police got there." Taylor looked up at him eyes wide.

"What do you mean?" She trailed off.

"That is the product of the affair between Grace's dad and my mother. Payback for having me." He pointed at Annie then himself.

"Wait. That's not possible. Grace's dad died almost 7 years ago." I added.

"My dad was forced to have a vasectomy by my mother and she wanted another child. She didn't want him wondering around though, so he gave her what she wanted, him. They went to a doctor's office and he donated some sperm before he died. They were romantic but she wanted to have children when she was ready, that was her solution." He explained and he looked at Rya.

"So, I am looking at Grace's baby sister?" Taylor said putting the girl down who turned around and smiled at all of us.

"Yes." He answered. Rya seemed to be relaxed with his hand in hers maybe that was because he protected her like he did Grace. JJ rose up finally and ran to Austin.

"Hey buddy." Austin brought him up and hugged him. Austin got up and rounded the bed reaching for Grace's hand. "I am so sorry." He whispered.

"Listen, I don't know you. This feels really weird but I'm sure you did the best you could." I offered him and he looked at me.

"I could've stopped this." He gestured to Grace.

"How?" Taylor asked and stepped forward.

"I don't know when it happened." He sighed. "I should know when it happened but I don't." He answered looking at Taylor.

"What do you know?" Mateo asked.

"Skinner told me it was a brain bleed caused by injury. I should have seen it when I checked her eyes." He answered. "The doctor told me it could have been the stress and adrenaline letting me see what I wanted to see." He explained.

"Then we trust that." Taylor stepped closer to me sitting down beside me and she grabbed my hand.

"My whole life, I dreamed of being in her life. Of knowing her, growing up with her. I watched from the sidelines as she grew up thinking she was alone when people bullied her." He ran his hands over his face. "And because of a little adrenaline and stress I didn't see she had a dilated eye." He sighed and I saw tears forming.

"Why didn't you try? I remember you watching us in the library." Taylor asked him, he turned and looked at her.

"So many people were entranced by her, if I showed that I cared, my mom would have shipped me off to another school. I just wanted to be there to see her grow up, my mom hated me for that." He looked at Annie and JJ who were sitting by Rya who was talking to the silently.

"Can we prove anything you say is true?" Mateo asked and then put his hands up. "I know you care, you got her out, but it would be nice to know we are not dealing with another crazy. We've had enough to last a lifetime." Austin chuckled looking back at Grace.

"We gave blood, they are testing it now. Skinner didn't really believe me, so." He shrugged.

"Can you put her on my bed?" Rya asked and gestured to Annie. Austin nodded and rounded picking her up and put her on the bed.

"She doesn't talk much." He said and Rya smiled.

"We'll manage." She whispered, smiling down at Annie. JJ ran back around to Mateo.

"Will Grace be, okay?" JJ asked looking up at him, and my heart dropped. I don't want to feel this whole in my chest. I ran my hands down over my face and started taking deep breaths, I need her back. I need her.