Neptune

Chapter 67 | The Speech

C A S S I E

Present

By the time Luke finishes his story, my sobs have become uncontrollable.

Aiden. My baby. He was suffering so much. He knows that I'm his mother.

My heart breaks even more now that the last words I said to him keep echoing in my mind.

What was I thinking? He must have been crushed.

"I never wanted you to love me and Aiden because you were forced to," Luke says, holding me close to him as we stare into each other's eyes. "I didn't want to pressure you. I wanted you to love us from the bottom of your heart. I'm sorry that I lied to you. I told you that Aiden was my nephew. I asked Langston to play along in case you asked about him. She agreed to tell you that Aiden was born when Emily and Victor had the car crash."

Now I know about that. Apparently, Ms. Langston didn't tell me the entire truth.

Luke tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"To be honest, I didn't know if you would ever remember us, but I was hoping for it," he whispers. "I didn't expect that I could help you regain your memory, but I always knew that Aiden might be able to do so. There's nothing stronger than a bond between a mother and her child. I thought that you might be able to feel it."

"I did," I cry. "I did, Luke. I always feel a strong connection with him. Every time I look at him, I feel like nothing else matters in this world. I feel so grateful just watching him, like he's the source of my happiness. At first, I wondered how I could have such a strong feeling. It was like magic."

Luke nods in understanding. "That day before the award show, when you told me that you're happy for having me and Aiden, I thought of telling you the truth once we came back from the event. And I'd told Aiden about it. I'd told him that I was going to tell you everything about us, that you're his mother."

My sob breaks again. That's why Aiden couldn't wait for us to come home. He couldn't wait to see my reaction once I knew everything.

"I never thought that he would be waiting for us that late at night," Luke says, his voice filled with regret. "Instead of having the three of us united again, he watched us having a huge fight."

"It was my fault," I cry, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces. "I said things that I didn't mean. I broke his heart. What should I do, Luke?"

More tears stream down my cheeks.

"I told him that having him in my life was a mistake." I shake my head in denial.

Luke presses his lips against mine. He pulls me into a hug and caresses my hair, soothing me. "I told him that you didn't mean it."

"But—"

"Sshhh. It's okay. We'll get to him. We'll make him understand how much you love him."

I bury my face in his chest and cry, my heart screaming for Aiden.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," Luke rasps. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there when both of you needed me the most. I'm sorry that I wasn't there during the hardest part of your life."

I pull away and stare at him, noticing so much sadness in his eyes. "It doesn't matter now."

I cup his cheeks, wishing that he knew how grateful I am that he's finally here again with me.

"You came back. You came back for me, Luke. You found our child. You found him." My voice is barely a whisper at the end of my sentence, filled with emotions that I can't control.