The Billionaire's Substitute

Desired and Loved

"So you ran?" He asked her.

"Ethan, I tried. You just wouldn't listen."

He nodded, the way he clenched his jaw told her it wasn't going well for her. He was trying to keep his anger in check. She just didn't know if he was that furious with her or with their situation. She shouldn't have run away from it all, but he shouldn't have treated her the way he did either. They were both at fault. She wasn't sure if he'd see it that way though.

"I know." He met her gaze for the first time, heat building up in her stomach when those intense eyes fixated on her, "There were a lot of things going on at the time if you had stayed and waited for me I would have explained it to you."

"You hurt my feelings." She breathed.

A soft chuckle left his lips, "And you acted on a whim, I can now understand why." He said as he glanced down at the little girl in his arms, "Shall we call it you acting out because of the hormones?"

She folded her arms across her chest, "At the time I figured I was doing the right thing." She inhaled deeply and told him the truth, "Now I feel like it was a mistake."

Ethan brushed his lips against the little girl's forehead, making Rachel laugh when Ava frowned like a little prune and moved again. Her hands rubbing over her face.

"You two are coming back home with me."

She stared at him in disbelief, "Excuse me?"

He looked up, the look in his eyes telling her he was deadly serious about it, "You two are coming back home with me." He repeated.

There it was the life-changing decision Ethan made for her, she prepared for it while he was heading their way but now that he stated his decision out loud it still caught her by surprise anyway. He wanted them to come live with him while he was engaged to another woman? That was not going to happen. She wasn't going to follow him even though she was happy with him being there and holding Ava like she was the most precious thing ever.

"That's not going to happen." She told him, "In case you forgot about it, you're getting married. Ava and I are doing fine here with mom and dad. You can always come visit us." She told him, "Us moving back to the city with you, that is just not going to happen."

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking at her like she spoke a different language. It was obvious to her though, him getting married to a girl like Lucille meant that she and Ava couldn't be a constant presence in his life. No doubt Lucille was like a second Tiffany, apparently his type.

"Me getting married isn't changing anything."

"It changes everything." She told him, "How do you think this is going to work out? You put us in some apartment close to yours and visit us whenever you feel like while you start your new life with your wife? Do you think it would be fair to Ava or to me? Not to mention that your wife probably won't like it? Us staying here is the best solution. You know you're always welcome here, that has never changed."

He held her gaze for a while, she could tell he was already coming up with another solution since he didn't like hers.

"You two stay here for a while." He told her, "I'll take care of things back home."

She didn't like where he was going with this, "What do you mean?"

He didn't elaborate on that one, "Don't worry about that, you and Ava are coming back to live with me. There is no scenario where I only come pay her a visit whenever I get the time. She's my girl and she should be staying with me. With us."

"Ethan."

He gently placed Ava back in her crib, shushing her when she stirred. Once she settled in he turned around to face her. She didn't expect him to close in on her, but he stepped to her and pulled her close. It was odd how it felt like they never parted. He was familiar and he wasn't screaming at her. It was like they both grew up.