Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“You knocked up my little sister?” Forrest seethes.
“I’ll give you a few minutes,” Dr. Jacobs says, stepping out of the room.
“No. I made a baby with the love of my life. With the woman who owns every piece of me.”
“You’re ten fucking years older than her.”
I nod. “I know.”
“She’s a baby.”
“Forrest,” Emerson chimes in. “I’m an adult. Weeks away from turning twenty-one. I love him.”
“Get out,” Forrest tells me.
“No. I’ll sell out my ownership of the shop. I’ll keep my distance from you. I’ll do anything but that. I won’t walk away from them. I won’t give them up.” I look down at Emerson. “She’s my everything. You and our baby are everything.”
“I know.” Emerson nods. She places our joined hands over her belly. “We love you too.”
My knees go weak and my heart flips over in my chest. This woman, she’s mine. We’re having a baby. A piece of her and a piece of me. I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it.
“Like hell. Get out.”
“I gave her up for you once, Forrest. I won’t do it again.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Christmas. You gave me this big speech about how you wanted a better life for her, how no one would ever be good enough, and I ended us.”
“He broke both our hearts that day,” Emerson adds. “This is what we want, Forrest. I’m sorry that we hid this from you, but we needed time. Time to see where this was going, and time to be us without the pressure of my brother trying to stop what was already happening.”
“How long?” His voice is gruff.
“Since spring break last year.”
“What?” he roars.
“Hey.” Legend steps forward. “Let’s go outside and cool off.”
“I’m not leaving her here with him.”
“I’m going home with him.” Emerson drops a bomb.
“No, you’re not.”
“You can’t stop me, Forty,” she whispers. “I love him. We’re pregnant. This is happening whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t.”
Emerson shrugs. There are tears in her eyes when she says, “I love you, but he’s my future. If you can’t be civil, you need to leave. When you’ve calmed down, and you’re ready to talk rationally, you know where to find me.”
Forrest rushes forward and gets in my face. Emerson releases my hand, and I keep my arms at my sides. Forrest grips my shirt and there’s a blazing fire in his eyes. “You manipulated her. She’s a kid, you motherfucker.”
“Enough,” Maddox says. “You’re going to get us all kicked out. This is not the time or the place. She’s going to be okay. Let’s get you out of here.”
“She’s coming home with me.”
“No, Forrest, I’m not.”
He stands not even a foot away from me. His hands are fisted at his sides, and he’s breathing heavily. Maddox has a hand on one shoulder, while Lachlan has a hand on the other. “Have a nice fucking life,” he seethes, and lets Maddox and Lachlan pull him from the room.
The door slams closed, and Emerson sniffs. “We’re going to step out to give you two a minute.” Monroe links her arm through Legend’s and they walk out of the room.
“I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else to say. I hate that she’s hurting.
“He just needs some time. He’ll come around.”
I nod. My hand goes back to her belly. “A baby.”
“Are you mad?”
“Mad? Why would I be mad? I told you I want to marry you. I believe I mentioned babies.”
“That was down the road.”
“I’d marry you today if I thought you would agree to it.” I chuckle.
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want a big wedding. Just our friends, my brother, and whoever you want to invite.”
“You planning our wedding, baby girl?”
She shrugs. “My wedding.”
“Em,” I growl, and she laughs.
“Yes. When the times comes, if and when we get there, I want small and intimate.”
“Oh, we’re going to get there, baby girl. I was waiting for us to tell your brother and let the heat die down.”
“We can’t wait for him to live our life together, Rome. He either wants to be a part of this or he doesn’t. He’s the one who is being stubborn and is going to miss out on so much.”
“I love you, future Mrs. Bailey.”
“I love you too.”
I press a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’m going to go get the doctor, so we can ask any questions you might have, and we can get you home and resting.”
“Your place, right?”
“Our place. He knows, and I never have to spend another night sleeping without you next to me.” I wink and walk out the door to find the doctor.
As I make my way down the hall, the opposite direction of where I know our friends will be, my heart threatens to burst open in my chest. It’s overflowing with love for her, and our child.
We’re doing this. She’s mine, and that baby is a part of both of us. How is it possible to feel this deep, all-consuming love for someone you’ve never met before?