Where We Belong

Chapter 22

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Ashley's POV—

I'm on edge until I finally see Evan stepping onto the elevator to leave Eden Media. Sighing in relief that she didn't find out about Jaxon—who's just one floor above us.

Part of me feels bad for him. His biological father is doing drugs, and because of that, I don't want Evan anywhere near him. Meaning he may never meet her.

Well, at least for a while. Because I doubt I can keep him from her forever, despite what I want and what I think is best for my son. And Evan isn't it. Not with her being a drug addict.

The second she's out of the room, I tell my coworkers I'm going to the bathroom. And the second I'm in the bathroom and make sure I'm alone, I call Caleb. Being nothing but pissed at him too.

After Evan blocked me when I was trying to tell her about our son, I had caved and went to Caleb. Bringing Jaxon. And told him that Evan was his biological father.

Caleb was taken aback by it, and wasn't sure how he should respond at first. But then he looked at Jaxon, saw his bright green eyes and that was it. Caleb was nothing but happy and thrilled about having a grandson.

About being a grandfather for the first time.

And then he asked if Evan knew. I told him she didn't and that I've been trying to contact her, but she wouldn't answer me. So I thought I'd try calling her on his phone to see if that'll get her to listen.

Caleb agreed to let me use his phone and Evan picked up.

And hung up barely even a second after she heard my voice.

And then Caleb tried calling her again to get her to answer, but she wouldn't answer his calls. She ghosted him for a while after that too. And that was the last straw for me.

Caleb was unsure about my decision to cut Evan out of Jaxon's life. Said that the next time Evan answered his call, he'd just tell her. But I convinced him not to. Because all Evan had to do up until that point was answer the phone and listen to me for a couple of minutes. If she had, she'd know that Jaxon was hers.

But she didn't.

Caleb decided to respect my decision but then he went and invited Evan to Thanksgiving dinner while being fully aware that Jaxon and I would be there.

"Hey, Ashley," Caleb says as he picks up the phone.

"So. Evan's in town," I just say, getting straight to it. For a moment, Caleb doesn't say anything. "Were you gonna tell me about her being at Thanksgiving dinner before or after I arrived, Caleb? With Jaxon."

And at his lack of a response..."Oh my god, Caleb. You were fully prepared to go behind my back," I accuse him, my anger only spiking even more.

And if Evan hadn't been here, that's exactly what would've happened. I would've walked into Caleb's house not knowing Evan was there. And then Evan would have seen Jaxon. And with all the shit she's got happening right now, that would have been the last thing I needed.

"Look...I just thought that this had gone on for long enough...Jaxon's 6 months old. Evan has a right to know he's hers," Caleb tries telling me.

"No. Evan lost that right when she deliberately ignored and ghosted me for over a year, Caleb."

"Yeah, but she didn't know the full extent of the consequences of doing that. You can't entirely blame her—"

"Oh I can't? Try again. Because all Evan had to do was listen to me for two seconds and she would have known that she had a son. Hell, if she had stayed on the phone for a minute longer when I called her when Jaxon was born, she'd have known from the start. But she didn't, and that says a lot about her," I argue. Caleb sighs on the other end of the phone.