Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“So you asked her to marry you?”
Jayce yanked on his hair. “Fuck! I hated seeing her bawl, and it’s my responsibility, too.”
“Maybe she feels the same way? She might be scared and not want to marry you, either. What did she say when you asked her?”
He slumped farther into his chair. “Her face lit up, and she jumped into my arms and said she loved me.”
Shit. Jayce was a stand-up guy. As much as it seemed ludicrous that someone could accidentally ask someone to marry him—it made total sense when it came to my brother. In fact, he was such a good guy that I knew the answer to my next question before I even asked. “Did you tell her you loved her back?”
He looked at me. Of course he did.
When he picked up his coffee to drink, his hand was shaking so badly that he sloshed it all over the place.
“It’s gonna be okay, bro.”
“How?”
“You’ll talk to her. Tell her you care about her and you plan to support the baby, but you’re not ready to get married.”
Jayce stayed quiet for a long time. He looked deep in thought. “Why can’t I love her?” he mumbled. “She deserves better than a guy who can’t give her his heart because someone still has a piece of it.”
I closed my eyes.
My fucking heart broke for so many reasons.
Chapter 25
— Natalia —
I woke to an empty bed.
I’d left my phone somewhere in the living room, and there wasn’t a bedside alarm clock. The blinds were drawn, but the slats were open, and since no light was coming in, I guessed it wasn’t yet morning. But where was Hunter? I waited a few minutes to see if he’d just gotten up to get a drink or use the bathroom, but he didn’t come back, and the apartment had no sound of anyone moving around. Unable to fall back asleep, I wrapped a sheet around my naked body and went to look for the man whose arms I’d drifted off in.
All of the lights were off, but the city from beyond the sliding glass doors illuminated the apartment enough for me to see that Hunter wasn’t in it. Finding my phone, I checked the time—four thirty in the morning. We’d only fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. Perhaps Hunter was an early riser gym rat?
This girl wasn’t, so I decided to head back to bed and get the answer when I woke up again in a few more hours. I was almost at the door to the bedroom when movement from the balcony caught my attention. Hunter was sitting outside.
I watched him for a few moments as he stared off into space. He looked deep in thought, almost troubled. Eventually I walked to the door and slid it open. He turned at the sound.
“Hey. What are you doing out here?” I asked.
“Just getting some fresh air.”
I pulled the sheet tighter around me. “It’s freaking cold.”
“Didn’t even notice.”
“You looked lost in thought. Anything you want to talk about?”
Hunter’s eyes met mine. He seemed to deliberate for a moment, but then he shook his head and looked away as he spoke.
“No. Just couldn’t sleep.” He stood. “Come on. Let’s get you back to bed.”
He was quiet as we walked back to the bedroom and even quieter as we slipped back into bed. Just like last night, he lay on his back and pulled me to him so my head rested on his chest. I listened to his heartbeat for a while, and even though I found it soothing, I still had an unsettled feeling.
Turning over from my side to my belly, I put two hands on Hunter’s chest and used them to prop up my head so I could see his face while I spoke.
“Do you have trouble sleeping often?”
“Sometimes.”
“Is it trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?”
“Both.”
“Is it because you have a lot on your mind?”
“Maybe.”
“You know what I heard helps with that?”
“What?”
“Giving more than a one-word answer,” I said sarcastically.
Hunter’s lip twitched. “You know what I heard helps?”
“What?”
He did some ninja-like move that flipped me onto my back, and suddenly he was hovering over me. “Strenuous physical activity.”
“Um … how often do you wake up? Because if that’s the case, I might not be able to walk by Monday.”
The cloud that had shadowed his eyes only a few moments earlier seemed to lift. “Would you think I was a total dick if I admitted I’d love for you to burn every time you sit down on Monday?”
“You want me in pain?”
“No, I want you to remember what it felt like for me to be inside you.”
I was certain that wouldn’t be a problem. I raised my hands over my head and arched my back, hoisting my breasts toward his face. “Do your best, Mr. Delucia.”