Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I mutter, muscles coiled and tense. “What’s up?”
He whirls around and flashes me a small smile. “Not much. What’s up with you?”
I stiffen, wondering if he can tell. Is my face rounder? Do I smell like this morning’s puke despite brushing my teeth three times? Can he see my swollen eyes from my emotional breakdown on the roof earlier today?
If he does notice any of that, he doesn’t say anything. I watch woodenly as he adds logs to the fireplace. He sits down to pull off his boots and then tosses his coat over onto the sofa. Boldly, he strips out of his jeans and replaces them with his comfy sleep pants.
“Wanna talk?” he asks as he sits on the edge of the bed.
“Yes.” My voice is a tiny squeak so unlike me it has him frowning in concern.
“Get comfy.” He gestures to my boots and coat. “I’ll keep you warm.”
The cold tension freezing my muscles thaws a bit. I shakily yank off my boots and coat before moving toward the bed. He pulls back the quilt, eases under the covers, and then pats the place beside him. Needing his touch more than anything, I dive under the covers with him, throwing my arms around his middle and burying my face against his chest.
“I hate you,” I remind him, tears already forming. “I love you too. I’ve missed you. You abandoned me and broke my heart. Why do you always shut me out?”
Hearing the sadness in my voice, he hugs me tighter and kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to and I’m going to work on that. Things are…better. I’m better.”
Must be nice.
I’m falling apart.
“I’ve been so alone. Both of you just left me.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I’ll keep apologizing until you believe me, Rae.”
His sincerity is believable, to which I’m thankful.
“Ronan,” I say, tilting my head up so I can look at him. “There’s something you need to know.”
His fingers stroke my hair out of my face. It’s grown some since Mya whacked it all off and I’m glad. I hated it so short but had to do the best with what I had. It’s finally long enough to pull back into a ponytail.
“Tell me anything,” he murmurs, gaze intense and imploring. “I’m always here for you.”
His words give me faith that he’s not going to run the other way. Dipping forward, he presses a sweet kiss to my forehead. I melt at the simple affection.
Here goes nothing…
“Ronan, I’m pregnant.” I exhale heavily. “The baby is obviously yours.”
He blinks at me, brows pinching together. “What?”
Huffing in frustration, I growl, “You came inside me. We made a baby.”
Again, he blinks. Nothing tumbles past his pouty lips that were made for kissing. All he does is stare at me. Digesting my words.
“I’m slightly freaking out right now,” I tell him, my voice turning shrill. “Say something before I die of a heart attack!”
His lips crash to mine, shocking the hell out of me. Relieved for the touch, I part my lips, accepting his urgent kiss. It feels like coming home kissing him like this. He tastes like Ronan. Yummy. Like my favorite treat. When he pulls back, we’re both gasping for air.
“We’re going to have a baby,” he whispers, a grin spreading over his face. “Holy shit. Raegan, I’m so fucking happy.”
My heart stutters in my chest.
“You are?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Our blissful moment bursts as reality comes crashing down on him. I watch his smile disappear, concern twisting his features.
“Dad’s going to kill me.” He studies me, eyes darting back and forth. “And you’re my sister… What about what Mya had said?”
Birth defects.
The thought of something being wrong with this baby I didn’t even want has me crying. Again. I don’t want anything to happen to it. An ache forms inside my chest. I already love the thing somehow, which makes no sense.
What if it dies because it’s not supposed to live because of who the parents are?
A whine rattles through me as I sob. Ronan holds me, whispering assurances neither of us believes. I’m worried about the future.
“What if something is wrong with it?” I ask, voicing my concerns.
“We’ll love it anyway.”
“What if it has three eyes?”
“The better to see us with.”
I snort, punching him in the arm. “Not funny.”
“Jokes aside, I’m mostly being serious. We’ll love it anyway, Rae.”
“What if Mom and Dad send us away?”
“We’ll make a new home.”
Leaving my super annoying family doesn’t sound so fun anymore. I don’t want to leave them. Not even Mom and Dakota. Who will help Mom with all the kids? Who will Declan sleep on? Who will keep Dakota in line? Will Ryder be distraught without us like when we were kidnapped?
I have so many questions and not enough answers.
Everything leads to broken hearts and a ripped apart family.