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 the RV as much. The boys all

and discussing ridiculous things like

find endlessly fascinating for

I shrug and leave them to it. Cora and I curl up in the incredibly

our time chatting, watching movies, and napping

baby between us.

day in the little sun-soaked room at the back

laughing and talking with my sister, reconnecting with her and

I’ve been missing from my life since that terrible

broke through my window.

really over?” I ask her in a quiet

sink to the horizon.

doesn’t bother to ask me what I’m

she sighs, telling me honestly. “I

big lives. I think we’re going to have to

them because the next challenge is always coming.

fight to

is always going to try

down at my napping baby, trailing

I ask quietly. ” Did we choose wrong? I

fated mates. We picked this…should we

and I look up at her in

smiling and shaking her head at

was a nanny – I was

single mom, to live

at me in dismissal. “That

you were always going

“but…you were never

of makes sense that you ended

to help thousands when he is

that was always your

considering what she’s saying. And

this was perhaps always the life I wanted, even if I

sometimes that I

her voice dropping lower. “I’m actually…I’m not

fated mate,” she says,

eyes going wide. ”

“But… Ella, this thing between us,”

really big. I don’t…know how

that.”

mating bond snap

know,” she says, turning back to me. “But Roger

that rainstorm – that day when we had to

motel.”

her, knowing what happened that day, and she blushes

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

giving a little shrug. “But the way he said

definitive. Not I choose you as my

I say, impressed, a little jealous. I have no hesitations about Sinclair

mate, and I know that what’s between us is far beyond

own fated mate. But still – it’s an

ask

says, shrugging

“Why not?”

the idea. I don’t want him to tell

I say simply, scooching forward on the bed,

gasps,