Forever You - Evening the Score // Book Two

Chapter 21

"This is my fault. What has happened is my fault. I should have told him. I should have told everyone. I was so scared..."

Anne shook her head in response,

"Sweetheart you did what you thought was right. I can't fault you for being scared."

Elena lifted her eyes to meet Anne's,

"But you can fault me for lying to your son. And for almost aborting his child. And for keeping him and you out of all of this."

Anne sighed. She covered Elena's hands with her own again,

"Honey, I don't fault you for any of that."

Elena was dumbfounded and quite speechless as she stared back at the woman in front of her,

"H-how?"

Anne smiled a smile so warm that Elena swore she could actually feel it. She reached up to tuck some of Elena's hair behind her ear,

"I will never believe you did anything on purpose. Least of all hurting my son. Both of you have made mistakes."

Elena's lip trembled,

"I let him go. I had to. He doesn't deserve what I did to him."

Elena watched as Anne's eyes filled with tears,

"He told me." She said in a whisper.

"I'm sorry." Elena responded.

Anne shook her head,

"I'm not." She squeezed Elena's hand, "I will never be sorry he met you or loved you. Either will he. You are and always will be the best thing that ever happened to him. And maybe one day when all of this dies down...he might listen to his heart again."

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Due to their new found attempt to try to be civil to each other, Harry picked Elena up for her doctors appointment. It was then that he noticed her baby bump, quite pronounced now and hard to hide. Elena had long since abandoned jeans for yoga pants and her walk now incorporated a slight waddle. He couldn't help but smile as he walked behind her. She looked adorable.

They made small talk on the ride over. Discussing Elena's movie which was on hiatus now that she was showing and Harry's movie which was also on hiatus until the next segment started filming.

"When is the next game?" Harry asked as he pulled up to a stop light.

"Tonight." Elena answered, "In an hour."

Harry raised his eyebrows,

"Y-you're not playing."

Elena shook her head,

"I played my last game a couple weeks ago. I'm too far along to keep playing." Elena looked down at her protruding belly, "And too fat."

Harry shot her a look,

"You are not fat."

"I am fat. Fat with a purpose but still fat."

"You look beautiful." Harry said without thinking and before he could stop himself.

Elena didn't seem phased. She shrugged,

"People have to say that to pregnant women."

"No they don't." Harry protested.

Elena nodded,

"Yes they do. Who tells a pregnant woman she's fat and ugly? No one that's who."