Chapter 87\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was early morning, pre-dawn, by the time I entered the apartment building. I was exhausted after working a shift at the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The job was new to me and not the kind of thing I ever thought I\u2019d 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\u2014that 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Royal Hospital in Moonstone was a huge facility with an inpatient senior care wing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t stand seeing people uncomfortable or miserable, and when they had a stubborn doctor or nurse who wasn\u2019t listening to their complaints, I went to bat for them and made sure they got what they needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, I didn\u2019t have to work-Cassian had made that clear-but I wanted to. I felt like I\u2019d go mad if I didn\u2019t get out of the house sometimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let myself into the apartment. It was dark and quiet, and I heard soft footsteps as I closed the door behind me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe the twins are two months old already,\u201d Claire said as she walked out of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
nursery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. The time has passed so quickly, especially since I started work last month,\u201d I replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how you manage it.\u201d Claire shook her head. \u201cWhen do you even sleep?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Cassian comes to babysit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such a softy, isn\u2019t he?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t tell him you said that. He\u2019d be so offended,\u201d I laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly because he knows it\u2019s true,\u201d she replied with a fond smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m lucky it is. None of this would be possible without his help,\u201d I said with a sigh. I really owed him more than I\u2019d ever be able to repay. He was too generous for his own good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a good guy. We\u2019re both lucky to know him. The twins were great tonight, as always, and they should sleep for at least a few more hours,\u201d Claire said, patting my shoulder firmly. \u201cWhich means you should catch a few\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 87\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
hours yourself before they wake up and need to be fed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for staying the night again,\u201d I said sincerely. \u201cI feel bad for disrupting your sleep all the time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not disrupting anything. I absolutely love spending time with them. The boys are just so sweet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re welcome. Now go to sleep, Laney,\u201d Claire said firmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled at the name. I was getting used to the nickname. It was the one that everyone at the hospital used for me,\u00a0<\/p>\n
too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at the image for a long moment as I sat on the edge of the bed eating my granola bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My entire world was in that little picture. They were everything to me now the only things that mattered. My little boys.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They looked like Nolan. I tried to deny it for the first few weeks, but they had his dark hair, his stormy eyes\u2014 though I knew that could still change as they grew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their soft, chubby little cheeks didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone started to ring suddenly, Lance\u2019s name flashing across the screen. I\u2019d gotten a new phone since arriving here-obviously with a new number\u2014and I only had a few contacts saved in it. Lance was the one who called the\u00a0<\/p>\n
most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the timing was unusual. It wasn\u2019t even 6 a.m. An uneasy feeling passed over me as I answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLance?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Ellie,\u201d he said, his voice softer than usual. \u201cSorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I need to give you a heads -up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d I asked, my body tensing with anxiety automatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just overheard Nolan talking to Felicity. He\u2019s still on the hunt. I\u2019m sure you know that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Cassian told me the search is continuing. I\u2019ve seen the news reports. It\u2019s been eight months. I can\u2019t believe he still cares.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, he does. And he\u2019s making visits to the neighboring kingdoms again. He\u2019s doing it under the pretense of campaigning for king, but he\u2019s looking for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s coming to Moonstone,\u201d Lance explained, his voice even but tense. \u201cNolan is coming to Moonstone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 87\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart hammered against my ribs as his words sank in. I knew Nolan couldn\u2019t have any idea I was here-I\u2019d been so careful, and so had Cassian and Lance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But just knowing Nolan was going to be so close to me and the boys filled me with a tension I couldn\u2019t quite name. It wasn\u2019t just fear. It was almost anticipation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to push that thought aside. I shouldn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie, are you still there?\u201d Lance asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d I answered quickly. \u201cI\u2019m here. Thank you for warning me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, of course. Don\u2019t worry, nothing\u2019s going to happen. I just thought you should know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u65e5\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 87 Chapter 87\u00a0 Ellie POV\u00a0 It was early morning, pre-dawn, by the time I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23656\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}