Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 386-The Long…Long Road

Ella

It takes me just a little over an hour to realize that…I hate road trips.

“Oh my god,” I murmur to Cora as the vibrations of the gigantic RV continue to

shake through us, making poor Rafe grumble uncomfortably. “Is it night yet?

Can we stop?”

“You’re being a baby, Ella,” my sister replies, looking up at me with a smirk,

jumping her red king over three of Roger’s black checkers and capturing them.

“It’s fun!”

“You’re only having fun because you’re kicking Roger’s ass for the third time at

that game,” I murmur, sighing as I glance out the window.

“Seriously,” Roger sighs, leaning back against the white leather of the

kitchenette’s booth. “You should quit that, Cora. For Ella’s sake – she’s trying to

enjoy herself.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, staring at the board.

“Yes,” Cora replies, laughing. “For Ella’s sake, I’ll go easy on you.”

“I just thought it would be prettier,” I sigh, looking out the window at the endless

highway miles. “Like, purple mountains majesty. Fruited plains. Etcetera.”

Instead, it’s just hour after hour of looking at cars, and asphalt, and the sad little

pine scrub that borders the highways.

“Maybe when we get further out,” Cora offers, hopeful. “Nah,” Roger replies,

making his next move on the checker’s board. “After the forest it’s all corn for

days.”

I groan, leaning my head back. “I hate corn.”

“No, you don’t,” Cora chides, instantly making her next move on the board and

capturing two more of Roger’s pieces. He gasps in protest and then slumps

back again.

“How are you doing this,” he murmurs, studying the board. “Are you a witch?”

“Maybe,” she says with a shrug.” Guess we have to ask mom.”

I smile at her then, bouncing my fussy baby in my arms. And I inhale a deep

breath, silently ordering myself to cheer up because even if I decidedly do not

like riding in the RV, I’m still excited to take this trip for my sister, to get her the

answers she so desperately wants.

Eventually Cora and I retire with the baby to the bedroom where Sinclair

movement of

up front, studying maps and discussing ridiculous things like

find endlessly

leave them to it. Cora and

time chatting, watching

baby between us.

ends up being a wonderful day in the little sun-soaked room

and talking with my sister, reconnecting with

I’ve been missing from my life since that terrible day when

broke through my window.

you think it’s all really over?” I ask her in a quiet

sink to the horizon.

what I’m talking

“I think…well,

going to have to

them because the next challenge is always coming.

to make that

is always going to try to steal it

looking down at my napping baby, trailing

we dumb?” I ask quietly. ” Did we choose

our fated mates. We picked this…should we

simpler life,” Cora laughs, and I look up at her

and shaking her head at

straight, ” Cora, I was a nanny – I was ready to

live quietly alone with my

says, waving a hand at me in dismissal. “That was

story, Ella, always. Yes, you were always going

“but…you were never going to

think it kind of makes sense that you ended

He opens a door for you to help thousands when he

that was

I say, considering what she’s saying. And I guess…well, I

right. That this was perhaps always the life I wanted, even if

that I wanted a

dropping

fated mate,” she

ask, my eyes going wide. ” But

frowning. “But… Ella, this thing between us,”

her head. “It feels really big. I

that.”

bond

to

rainstorm – that day when we had to

motel.”

happened that day,

forward eagerly, wanting to know. “What did

his mate,” Cora replies, giving a little shrug. “But the

I choose you as

little jealous.

know that what’s between us is far beyond

mate. But still – it’s an experience I’ll never have. “Well,”

you ask him about

says, shrugging

“Why not?”

“I…like the idea. I don’t want him

ask -” I say simply, scooching forward on

gasps, grabbing