Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Ellie POV
It was early morning, pre-dawn, by the time I entered the apartment building. I was exhausted after working a shift at the hospital.
The job was new to me and not the kind of thing I ever thought I’d be doing, but I had spent so much time in medical facilities since arriving in Moonstone-first with prenatal checkups, and then actually giving birth—that I had gotten to know some of the staff. When they found out I was looking for work, they offered me a job assisting with the older patients.
The Royal Hospital in Moonstone was a huge facility with an inpatient senior care wing.
I wasn’t a nurse or a doctor, so the job I was doing was basically what I think they used to call a candy striper. I wasn’t an actual medical employee, but I would bring patients their medication and lunches, and sit with them to keep them company if they were scared or upset.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the work, and even more surprised by how good at it I turned out to be. Advocating for what my patients needed was something I excelled at.
I couldn’t stand seeing people uncomfortable or miserable, and when they had a stubborn doctor or nurse who wasn’t listening to their complaints, I went to bat for them and made sure they got what they needed.
This also made me very popular with the patients. Suddenly, I had a little community here in Moonstone-people who knew my name, asked about the kids, and offered me advice on how to get them to sleep or deal with them when they were fussy or gassy.
I appreciated that more than I could express. I had no experience whatsoever with kids, and suddenly finding myself the main caregiver for two was overwhelming.
Of course, I didn’t have to work-Cassian had made that clear-but I wanted to. I felt like I’d go mad if I didn’t get out of the house sometimes.
I let myself into the apartment. It was dark and quiet, and I heard soft footsteps as I closed the door behind me.
“It’s hard to believe the twins are two months old already,” Claire said as she walked out of the
nursery.
Claire lived in the apartment across the hall now, and luckily she was available to babysit most evenings so I could pick up shifts at the hospital.
“I know. The time has passed so quickly, especially since I started work last month,” I replied.
“I don’t know how you manage it.” Claire shook her head. “When do you even sleep p>
“When Cassian comes to babysit.
“He’s such a softy, isn’t he p>
“I won’t tell him you said that. He’d be so offended,” I laughed.
“Only because he knows it’s true,” she replied with a fond smile.
“And I’m lucky it is. None of this would be possible without his help,” I said with a sigh. I really owed him more than I’d ever be able to repay. He was too generous for his own good.
“He’s a good guy. We’re both lucky to know him. The twins were great tonight, as always, and they should sleep for at least a few more hours,” Claire said, patting my shoulder firmly. “Which means you should catch a few
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hours yourself before they wake up and need to be fed p>
Pale sunlight was just starting to stream through the windows. If I lay down now, I might be able to fall asleep before it got too bright.
“Thank you for staying the night again,” I said sincerely. “I feel bad for disrupting your sleep all the time p>
“You’re not disrupting anything. I absolutely love spending time with them. The boys are just so sweet p>
“Thank you p>
“You’re welcome. Now go to sleep, Laney,” Claire said firmly.
I smiled at the name. I was getting used to the nickname. It was the one that
everyone at the hospital used for me,
too.
I walked her to the front door and watched as she stepped across the hall back into her own apartment. Then I locked up, grabbed a granola bar in the kitchen, and made my way to my bedroom.
The baby monitor was sitting on the nightstand. I could see both of the twins sound asleep in their little sleep sacks, nestled in their bassinets.
I stared at the image for a long moment as I sat on the edge of the bed eating my granola bar.
My entire world was in that little picture. They were everything to me now the only things that mattered. My little boys.
They looked like Nolan. I tried to deny it for the first few weeks, but they had his dark hair, his stormy eyes- though I knew that could still change as they grew.
Their soft, chubby little cheeks didn’t give a lot of hints about what their adult faces would look like, but I could already tell by the shape of their noses and ears that they were going to look more like him than me. Somehow, I found myself relieved by that. As much as I disliked Nolan, there was no denying he was attractive.
My phone started to ring suddenly, Lance’s name flashing across the screen. I’d gotten a new phone since arriving here-obviously with a new number and I only had a few contacts saved in it. Lance was the one who called the
most.
But the timing was unusual. It wasn’t even 6 a.m. An uneasy feeling passed over me as I answered.
“Lance p>
“Hey, Ellie,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I need to give you a heads-up p>
“About what?” I asked, my body tensing with anxiety automatically.
“I just overheard Nolan talking to Felicity. He’s still on the hunt. I’m sure you know that p>
“Yeah, Cassian told me the search is continuing. I’ve seen the news reports. It’s been eight months. I can’t believe he still cares p>
“Well, he does. And he’s making visits to the neighboring kingdoms again. He’s doing it under the pretense of campaigning for king, but he’s looking for you p>
“What are you saying p>
“He’s coming to Moonstone,” Lance explained, his voice even but tense. “Nolan is coming to Moonstone p>
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My heart hammered against my ribs as his words sank in. I knew Nolan couldn’t have any idea I was here-I’d been so careful, and so had Cassian and Lance.
But just knowing Nolan was going to be so close to me and the boys filled me with a tension I couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t just fear. It was almost anticipation.
I tried to push that thought aside. I shouldn’t feel any kind of excitement at the
prospect of seeing him. Having Nolan near could disrupt everything. It could throw
my whole life back into chaos-just when I was finally getting it under control.
“Ellie, are you still there?” Lance asked.
“Yeah,” I answered quickly. “I’m here. Thank you for warning me p>
“Yeah, of course. Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen. I just thought you should know p>
“I appreciate it p>
Still, the odd sensation in my chest only intensified at the thought of Nolan. I would
have to be careful and stay on guard. Otherwise, I could land myself in a whole lot of trouble again. 1
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