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

feel the movement of the RV as much. The

up front, studying maps and discussing ridiculous things

things. they find endlessly fascinating for some weird boy

it. Cora and I curl up

spend our time chatting, watching movies, and napping

baby between us.

day in the little sun-soaked

laughing and talking with my sister,

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

broke through my window.

over?” I ask her in a quiet moment as the sun

sink to the horizon.

bother to ask me what I’m talking

honestly. “I think…well, Ella, I

we’re going to have to snatch at moments of

because the next challenge is

to fight to make that

to try to steal

napping baby, trailing a little finger

” Did we choose

picked this…should we have chosen

Cora laughs, and I look up at her in

her smiling and shaking

was a nanny

single mom, to live quietly alone with my

waving a hand at me in dismissal.

Ella, always. Yes, you were always going to be a mom,” she

her head to the side, “but…you were never going

it kind of makes sense that you ended up being

Dominic. He opens a door for you to help thousands when he

was

I say, considering what she’s saying.

the life I

sometimes that I wanted a simple

she adds, her voice dropping lower.

isn’t my fated mate,” she says,

wide. ” But you’re a human

Ella,

head. “It feels really big. I don’t…know how

that.”

you feel a mating bond snap into place?”

says, turning back to me. “But Roger

out in that rainstorm – that day when we

motel.”

that day, and

I lean forward eagerly, wanting to know. “What did he

mate,” Cora replies, giving a little

I choose you as my mate.

jealous. I have no hesitations about

chosen mate, and I know that what’s between us

– it’s an experience I’ll never

you ask him about

says,

“Why not?”

she sighs. “I…like the idea. I don’t want him to tell

-” I say simply, scooching forward on

gasps,