Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“Yeah, you hate me so much that you announced to everyone in this arena that you’re pregnant with my baby.” I raise an eyebrow.
“I know,” she says, laughing as she shakes her head. “That was Marissa’s idea. It was worth it, though. The look on your face was priceless.”
“I can fucking imagine.” I kiss her quickly. “I’ll shower fast, and then we’ll have dinner somewhere.”
“Pizza,” she says, eyes lighting up.
I’ll get her pizza from every fucking pizza parlor in the country, if that’s what she wants. I grin as I walk into the locker room. Holy shit. I have to text my brother and my parents. I wonder if she already told her dad. He practically lives at our house when either of us is home. He bought a place a few blocks from us and recently started dating a lovely woman Lyla loves.
My face hurts from smiling so much when I make it back to the hall, but Lyla’s no longer standing where I left her. I look down the hall and see her walking back over, as she types something on her phone. My chest squeezes when she looks up and smiles at me. I take her hand as we start walking toward the parking lot. A baby. Fuck, I can’t believe it.
“When can we tell people?” I ask, as we sit in my car and pull our seatbelts on.
“I mean, my sign kind of told everyone.” She laughs. “I found out pretty late. I’ll be twelve weeks in a few days, which means a lower chance for complications.”
Complications. God, I don’t even want to think about anything going wrong.
“So, we tell everyone?” I ask as we stop again.
“Who do you want to tell?” she asks warily.
“No one. I’m just asking,” I say, driving out of the parking lot.
I wonder what caption I should use to post it on her IG. I’m thinking, “She’s mine forever, assholes.” It’s not like I’m worried about any of them. Lyla’s been mine. I just like reminding them from time to time. Maybe saying marriage changed me is a little far-fetched, but I’ve gotten better. Besides, Lyla loves it and if she says otherwise, she’s lying.
“Lachlan Duke,” she says, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“What?”
“Are you trying to figure out if you can post it on my social media?”
“What?” I scoff. “No, that’s an invasion of privacy.”
She throws her head back in laughter, and I feel myself smile. She’s still laughing when I park, and I take off my seatbelt and turn toward her, just to see the twinkle in her eyes. She smiles and laughs a lot more these days, but experiencing them still feels like a gift.
“Stop laughing at me,” I say, although I’m also laughing now.
It’s impossible not to around her. Her laughter dies down when I grab her hands and kiss the backs of both. I have to take a breath when her expression heats. If this starts now, she won’t get her pizza, and I refuse to have my pregnant wife go hungry.
“Lyla,” I warn.
“What? I didn’t even say anything.” She glances away quickly, a smile playing on her lips as she takes her hands back and folds them on her lap.
“How do you feel?” I ask her after a moment.
Between the disbelief and elation, I completely forgot to ask her the most important question.
“Good.” She smiles. “I’ve been so tired, and then had that stomach bug that wasn’t a bug, but I feel great now.”
“How do you feel about being pregnant?” I grab her hands and bring them up to my lips again.
I know she wants this. Maybe not as much as I do, but I can tell she’s happy. Still, I’m not the one carrying a human being inside me for the next nine months. She takes a breath and looks out the window again, and my heart stops.
“Lyla.” I squeeze her hands softly and wait for her to look at me again. “How do you feel about being pregnant with my baby?”
“I mean. . .” Her lips pull into that smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “I don’t hate it.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “One of these days, Lyla James. . .”