Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“I don’t think you’re strong, baby girl. His blue eyes focusing back on my green ones. “I know you are,” he corrected me. “And yes, I know you don’t always feel that strong, which is why Axel and I are always quick to remind you of who you are. Don’t ever succumb to the darkness that pulls at you, baby girl. Scream out your pain and scare that darkness away. Axel and I are always waiting on you just like in your paintings.”
My eyes moved to the painting over the fireplace where Julian was holding Oliver in his arms. Pain lanced through my chest just like it always did every time I looked at it.
“One day, sweet girl,” Axel promised as he pressed his lips to my temple. “One day, when the time is right, you and Julian will have that again.”
I swung my eyes to Julian. “How do you not hate me?” I asked him, my voice trembling.
“Because I love you, baby girl,” he told me, his voice ringing with honesty. “That miscarriage was not your fault, baby. Maybe he was only with us long enough to show us we both needed help—help that neither of us could give each other. He will always be our miracle baby because he brought us so much good. He healed us in his own little way.”
“I wish things could have been different,” I told him honestly, my bottom lip trembling. My hand pressed to my belly. Sadness flickered in Julian’s eyes as Axel covered my hand with his.
“We both do, baby girl. But remember that everything—no matter how fucking horrible it is—happens for a reason. That picture will always remain up there for us. Our little one will never be forgotten, baby girl. And when the time is right, like Axel said, we’ll have our second chance. For now, I’m going to do what I know was always meant for me, which is take care of you and be everything that you need me to be, just as Axel is.”
I sniffled, trying not to cry. “I’m sorry I wasn’t enough,” I told him quietly.
He shot me a dark look, his jaw clenched. I cast my eyes to my lap, but Axel forced my chin back up, making me look at Julian again. “You were always and will always fucking be enough for me, Meghan. Don’t say dumb shit like that. We might have been toxic as fuck for each other almost a year ago, but things have changed. You are always going to be enough for me, and don’t you ever dare think anything else, you got that?” He pressed a kiss to my foot. “Now, relax. Let us take care of you.”
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
Axel
* * *
I looked up from my laptop in front of me when Meghan stepped into my room. She was half asleep, her hair a crazy mess on the top of her head from where she had thrown it into a bun before she went to sleep. Her legs were bare since she was only wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of black panties. My eyes locked on her legs momentarily until I saw Julian step into the room behind her.
“I’m trying to get shit together and get bed sheets and shit washed since we’re leaving tonight to head to Massachusetts, and this little thing won’t get out of bed,” he said, a teasing note to his voice.
She pouted. “I’m sleepy,” she whined, her voice husky with sleep.
“Come here, sweet girl,” I called, holding my hand out to her, silently coaxing her to come to my bed.
She quickly made her way over to me and placed her hand in mine. I pulled her close enough to grab her hips, where I then lifted her onto the bed beside me. “Go back to sleep,” I told her.
She gave me a sleepy smile as she crawled under my blanket and rolled onto her stomach, her eyes shutting. I ran my hand over her back before I grabbed my laptop and settled it back on my lap.
Julian pursed his lips as he ran his eyes over her. I arched an eyebrow at him. He pulled a tampon out of his pocket. She’s late, he mouthed, not wanting to alert our woman that we were talking about her.
Fuck.
Julian hadn’t been using protection with her. I knew that. And I’ve only been raw inside of her once, and even then, I was extremely careful to pull out way before I needed to come.
If she was pregnant, it was Julian’s. That was a good thing; however, neither of us knew if she was truly ready to have another baby.
After all, she was obviously still conflicted over their first kid together that she had miscarried. After her outburst in the living room a few weeks ago, we had both noticed that whenever she looked at that painting hanging above the fireplace, she always went deep into her head—so deep that we would have to call her name two or three times to get her to respond to us.