Inferno Part 2

~134~ Nolan

Ellie's POV

I'm literally standing here, crying, while Taylor silently sways us back and forth.

I have been raising children for almost 40 years. I don't want to do this anymore. I want my freedom. I want to enjoy my grandkids. Spoil them and send them back to mom and dad. I don't want this.

He's my nephew. How can I be so selfish?

"Why are you making us do this?" I sob.

"Ellie, you're just in shock. You will fall in love with this kid. You always do."

I look at him, with tears still falling down. "You can't honestly tell me you want this."

"Right this second? No. I don't want this. What other choice does that kid have?"

I sniff and wipe my eyes.

"Jake, can't you just take him?"

Jake looks at me hard and sighs. "If Justin would have asked me, I would have taken him in a heartbeat. No, Ellie. He doesn't want me raising his son, I have to respect that."

"That's crap. You'd make a great dad."

Jake shrugs. "If I would have gotten my shit together in my 30s, I could have had the life I've always wanted. I didn't, so I have to deal with the consequences."

"This isn't fair," I say, crying again.

"Life isn't fair, Ellie. I want him, but my brother doesn't want me to raise him. He wants you to, and you don't want to. Suck it up and be grateful you get to have another kid. You've been whining for two years about the twins never being home and now Sasha and Mason being gone. Quit finding things to cry about," he snaps.

"You don't have to be an ass," I snap back.

Jake sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm just upset."

"I'm sorry he said that to you. Taylor is right. Emma is how she is because of you. You did what we couldn't."

Jake gives me a small smile.

"Go upstairs and freshen up. We've got to go get him," Taylor says after a minute.

I just nod and do what I'm told. How am I going to care about someone that I don't know? Someone who's dad I'm so mad at? This is awful.

About twenty minutes later I come back down.

"Ready for me to call Liam?" Taylor asks me.

I just nod.

Taylor gets on the phone, and Jake comes over and hugs me.

"I'm sorry we have such a lousy family."

"You're my family," I whisper as he hugs me tighter.

"Will you at least be a huge part of his life?"

I can feel Jake nod as he hugs me even tighter. "Of course I will. He really does look just like me," he chuckles.

"Yeah, it's like I'm looking at you. It's how old you were when mom left."

I can feel him nod again. "You get to raise a Jake," he says as he pulls away and smirks.

"Heaven help me."

Jake cackles as he kisses my cheek.

"They're on their way over," Taylor says as he takes a deep breath, nervously.

I just nod. "Call Sarah and have her come over for dinner. Let's get to know him together."

Jake nods as he gets out his phone.