"This dress is not going to work, now," I comment and look down at the dress I’m currently trying to pull over my bump. It doesn’t fit anymore like it did just last week, and I groan. I went from having a small bump to a massive one in over a week.

There are a few knocks at the door as I pull the dress off. I put it back on a hanger in the wardrobe, and I shout. "One second!"

I pull my jeans, and long jumper on. Thankfully, it falls to my knees but still shows off my big bump. After I quickly pull my hair out of my jumper and make sure I look okay, I pull the door open to see Harley leaning against the wall, and he smiles at me.

"I want to take you out tonight," he says, and I lean my head to the side. This was not what I expected when I opened the door. Harley has all but glared at me since the baby shower two days ago, and I said he doesn’t do relationships. But, it wasn’t like I was lying. I don’t get what he wants from me. It’s like he is hot and cold with me all the time, but I don’t know the reason why he is.

"Where?" I ask him.

"Somewhere nice, and you need to get out. This last week you’ve been inside so much since you took maternity leave from the gym," he reminds me, and I know he is right. I took my maternity leave earlier than I thought I would to get finished with my editing work. Harley doesn’t seem to mind me not working, but he apparently doesn’t like me staying out of his way all week.

"Okay . . . but still where?" I ask, and he smirks.

"It's a surprise. I can’t tell you, but I know you will like it," he says, flirting with me a little, and some part of me wants to tell him to stop messing with me. To tell me if he wants to be with me or not. But, another part of me knows he is messed-up from his past, and maybe he just needs time. That same part of me knows what I’m feeling for him is getting beyond a simple crush, and it's hurting my heart.

"Come on, then," I laugh, trusting him not to lead me anywhere strange, and walk down the stairs. Luke is at the bottom. Clearly, he has been working out, or something, as he is dripping with sweat as he passes us on the stairs in just some shorts. Damn, he has an eight pack, and I find myself having to pull my eyes away. These Kings are way too hot for their own good. Harley glares at Luke, and I’m not sure why.

"Date?" he asks us both and then smirks when Harley wraps an arm around my waist.

"Doesn’t matter, you won’t tell me anyway," he says, walking slowly up the stairs.

"Yes, it is a date," Harley answers, and I give him a strange look.

“About time.” Luke laughs and walks up the stairs.

"Thought you couldn’t date me?" I ask Harley as he keeps his arm around me while we walk over to where the coats and shoes are hung up.

"No . . . I can’t be with you and hurt you. This is just my way of dealing with things, but it doesn’t change how I want you. I’m not going to avoid that," he tells me.

"It’s a crappy way to not be with me. Especially when you look at me the way you do and then want to take me on a date. You’re a confusing man, and most people would just think you’re stringing me along,” I say, and he groans, rubbing his face. I just shake my head at him, “I didn’t say no to the date, maybe I’m just a fool for you," I laugh as I pull my coat on and my boots.

“You’re no fool, Tilly,” Harley says gently as he grabs his coat and keys before leading us outside, and he opens the car door for me. When we get inside, he drives us out of town and down some country roads before we get to the place he pulls into. It’s an aquarium, and it’s closed as its eight pm, but the lights are on inside.

"I hope you like fish and turtles. My friends run this place and left me with the keys for the night. I thought you might like to have a look around when no one is here," he says, and I smile at him.

"It’s perfect, thank you," I say and let myself out of the car before he says anything back. It’s an unusual date, but it is cute of him. He gets out and goes to the backseat, pulling out a backpack as I wait for him before he takes my hand and leads us inside after opening the door.

"What’s in the bag?" I ask him.

"Dinner, seeing as you didn’t come down for it today, I packed up some food for us both instead," he says, and I kind of love that he noticed I didn’t eat. That he thought of me.

"Good idea," I mutter with red cheeks that I’m sure match my red hair, and we walk in silence down the aisles of fish. There are so many different types, but my favourite are the seahorses and maybe the colourful mixed fish that I can’t remember the name of. The place is beautiful, and I love how quiet it is. Usually, when you go to places like this, it’s so busy that you can’t enjoy the animals around you.

"Here, this tunnel is really cool. I used to bring my brothers here sometimes, to get them out of the house and distracted. They would spend hours in here," Harley says and opens the door to an underwater tunnel. There are sharks and turtles and all sorts of fish that swim over the lit-up tunnel, and I stop in the middle of it as Harley opens his bag. He pulls out a blanket, and places all the food and drinks he has on the blanket.

"Picnic in an underwater tube. I have to give it to you Harley, this is amazing and unique," I say, and he holds a hand out, helping me sit down before sitting, himself.

"I don’t want you to forget our first date," he says with a smirk, and I shake my head at him. Harley King is confusing. We eat the food he has made before he puts it all away and lies down on the blanket. I lie down on his shoulder and look up at the sharks who seem to look at us as they swim by.

"Did your brothers like coming here?" I ask him.

"Yes. They loved whenever I would take them out of the house and away from my father. I tried my best to do that, but it was impossible to do it all the time," he says, and all I can think of is the responsibility he must have had as a teenager. He must have had a complicated and stressful past.

"I bet it was. Izzy told me about your father, about everything," I tell him gently, noticing how he tenses up a little, but I slide my hand into his and rest our joined hands on his stomach.

"And, you still haven't run from me?" he asks, his words seeming to echo around the tube.

"Why would I?" I reply.

"I’m messed-up, too messed-up for someone like you." He sighs.

"What’s that meant to mean?" I ask him, and he lets go of my hand and turns to face me. He lifts some of my long hair and lets it fall through his fingers.

"I can’t give you anything, not really. I spent my life protecting my brothers and then Izzy. Even when all the fights with the Cage are over, I will always be looking over my shoulder expecting Arthur to try something. I will always have to be careful. What kind of life is that for you? For your child?" he asks me, and it starts to make some sense to me now.

"You will always protect them, right?" I ask him, and he nods.

"What about you? Don’t you want your own family?" I ask him.

"Yes, of course, I do, but I won’t be able to have that anyway," he says, and I’m confused by his answer. I don’t know what he means.

"Explain that to me? I don’t get it," I ask him.

"I can’t have children, I can’t give you a family, and I can’t be what you need. Alright?" he says in a sharp voice, sitting up and looking away from me.

"I’m sorry, Harley, but it doesn’t matter to me," I say gently.

"It will eventually matter when you want us to have a child, and I can never give you that. The fighting came at a cost for me, and the cost was too high," he says. Every part of his body is tense as he stares at the floor.

"Harley," I say and rest my head on his shoulder after sitting up.

“The fighting wasn’t the only thing my father made me do, he made me fuck whoever he wanted me to. He made it so I ended up never trusting a woman, never wanting to get close to anyone.” He pauses, taking a long breath, “I never wanted to get hurt again, and then you came into my life. The first woman I couldn’t stop thinking about, wanting to be around all the time. But, I’m not stupid, I know you won’t want a messed-up man,” he tells me, looking down at the floor like it holds all the answers in the world.

“You’re not messed-up, and it’s up to me what I want,” I whisper. He doesn’t move for a long time, both of us staring at the fish moving until he looks down at me. The emotion in his eyes is hard to look away from, the way I can see the hurt he is feeling and the doubts running through his eyes. I lean up and kiss him, not caring about what he thinks and what he believes is right. I know what I feel for him, and I want him to know. I push all my feelings for Harley into the kiss, all my worries and everything I know about him.

"Tilly," he sighs when I crawl over and sit on his lap, but he doesn’t stop kissing me back. His lips battle with my own as he loses whatever control he was holding on to. The kissing is finished when the baby kicks, and I know Harley felt it as he looks down where my bump is touching his stomach.

"Can I?" he asks me, and I nod. Harley reaches a hand between us and smooths a hand over the bump. The baby kicks, and he smiles.

"I will be there for you both, I just can’t make you any promises until the final fight is done. I don’t want to hurt you," he tells me, and I understand, in a way, this is his way of keeping some control over his life. Unlike when his life was controlled by his father for all those years.

"No promises." I sigh, and he kisses my forehead. I understand where he is coming from, but it doesn’t mean I’m giving up on Harley King.