Jake smiled, shaking his head with amusement. "So tell me—" he tilted his head, still crouched before the boy—"what are you doing here? And is Bella your mommy? Is she the prettiest woman you talked about?" he asked, curiously.
Bella's heart lurched violently in her chest. That was it. That was the moment it would all collapse. Timothy, in his innocence, would say the words she had kept buried for five long years, and Jake would know. He would know everything.
If she as much as kept quiet for another second, then it would be all gone.
"Timothy—" Bella's voice sliced through the air, sharp and commanding. She stepped forward quickly, nearly stumbling as she clutched the towel tighter around her body. Her hand landed on her son's shoulder, firm, almost desperate. "Go back inside. I need to talk to him."
The smile on Timothy's face faltered. His brows knitted together as he looked up at her in confusion. "But Mama, I still—"
"Now, Timothy." Her tone left no room for argument.
