Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele
Heart 51

+25 BONUS Chapter 51 [Cordella]

1 can see you are still not convinced," Angelica walks over to the dresser and pulls out a long sundress and undergarments. "Let's go replace Jude. He'll help show you the truth."

She helps me get dressed, as my body is fairly unsteady. She tells me that this is normal for me after one of my "episodes." There are times when my mind shuts down and I go in and out of consciousness for several days or even weeks. This time I had been asleep for a week and a half.

"And every time I need to remind you of who you are and what has happened," she sighs. "You seem to believe your dreams are real and this is a fantasy."

Guiding me gently by the arm, Angelica gives me a grand tour of the island. It is surprisingly close to home, just a short distance from Los Angeles. "Jude's family has had property here in the Channel Islands for generations," she explains as she continues to tell me more and more about a fiance cannot. remember going on and on about his merits. With the way her face glows when she says his name, I am wondering if she is a bit in love with him.

Is my sister in love with my fiance? Even though I cannot remember him, I feel anger rising. Maybe part of me does still remember him.

As we get closer to Jude's workshop, I pause, placing a hand on hers. "What have you been doing all this time?" I ask, "Other than taking care of me? Do you have a family? A job? What..."

"My job is taking care of you, Cordelia," she looks down at her feet, her eyes full of unshed tears. "And I cannot have a family because I cannot have children of my own. Soon after the accident, we learned that during the crash my uterus was irreversibly damaged. As I am now, I will never be able to carry a baby to

term."

"I am so sorry," my heart weeps for her as a hand goes to my belly, slowly growing with a life of its own. How had it been for her to know I was pregnant and about to get married when she had been denied that joy?

"Don't worry," she wipes her eyes. "I don't blame you for the accident," she looks to the side so I cannot see her expression, although I can hear the hurt in her voice. "At least not anymore. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't angry for a long, long time-especially after discovering I would never have kids. You know how much I've always wanted a big family."

I nod. I don't remember, but I don't disbelieve her either. I want to be a good sister. I feel she deserves that, after all, she has sacrificed.

"Even though you had been driving, the police discovered later that someone had cut our breaks." She looks at me, "So when the crash killed my baby..."

T

"Your baby? My eyes are wide with shock as I ask, "You were pregnant?"

"Yes," she admits. "I had a boyfriend. I never told him about the child. When he heard I had lost the baby and my ability to have any more, it broke his heart." She wipes her eyes, trying to add a happy chirp to her voice as she reassures me. "But that doesn't matter anymore. / I have you, and your baby, and you have Jude and we'll be a happy family together.

Giving her hand a squeeze in sympathy, I return her sad smile, hoping I am communicating how much I

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+25 BONUS

Chapter 51

care.

Changing the subject I turn towards the high-tech building in front of us house, with gleaming white and chrome surfaces.

It is a bit bigger than a nice

"We're here!" her grin becomes genuine and I again replace myself wondering about her relationship with my future husband when she shouts in a sing-songy voice "Jude! Are you here? Cordelia is awake and would like to see you." "We don't need to disrupt his work..."

"Nonsense!" she insists, "You are way more important. He'll want to see that you are up and about."

The door to the building opens and a devastatingly handsome man wearing a long white lab coat comes out into the sunshine. His kind and genuine smile shines brightly within his deeply tan face.

He rushes forward to hug Angelica. I raise my eyebrows in question.

"Jude," she nods pointedly in my direction. "You should greet your fiance. Cordy seems so lost."

The way she had to remind him that I should be his focus reignited my previous anger. Why does she always steal the men I love? First Atlas, then Jude, and...

Wait. Where did that thought come from? She didn't steal anyone from me. Neither she nor I wanted to marry Atlas. That was all a dream.

And Jude is my fiance. I'm sure he's just happy to see his future sister-in-law.

"Cordy," he turns his attention towards me and I get the full effect of his beautiful chocolate brown eyes, long lashes, and deeply tan face.

But rather than feel an upsurgence of love, I feel a cold chill creep up my spine.

I remember a room with shelves full of body parts floating in glass containers.

I was trapped inside. If it hadn't been for Tilly I'd have...

Everything comes back in a rush of feelings and images.

My dreams are not dreams.

They are real. This is the illusion.

I remember.