CHAPTER 24

Liam

“I have been seeing a woman for a few months,” I admitted as she looked down sadly. “I didn’t think we’d ever talk again, Elena. I kept telling myself to move forward, but she’s never meant to me what you did."

“Do you want to be with her?” Elena asked me as I reached out and cupped her face. I stared into her face as best I could in the light from the high lamp and licked my lips.

“Not more than you, Elena. She’s never felt like you did but she is a kind person, and I thought that she deserved a bit of a chance. Now that I know this and I’ve seen you, I want you back more than anything.” I wanted to kiss her, but I knew that I needed to wait until it was over with Nora. I wasn’t that man now and even sleeping with other women while Elena and I were apart made me feel guilty. I couldn’t kiss her and feel good about myself. “I am going to break things off with her immediately.”

“Are you sure?” She asked as I laughed softly. I could feel the heat between us drawing me to her and nodded.

“Positive. I am going to go do that, and I’ll call you later. Is your number the same?” Elena nodded as I stepped back to try and snap out of the fog that I was in. I needed to focus on the moment, and I looked at her for a moment. “Text me when you get home. I’ll call you later.” There was a part of me that was worried that I wouldn’t hear from her tonight, just like before.

“I will,” Elena promised me as she turned to head towards the car. Pregnancy suited her, and I watched her for a moment before getting into the jeep. I wondered if I should tell Nora that it was over in person or on the phone, turning down her road as the question answered itself. She deserved the best even if it was going to hurt her.

I parked in the lot and jogged to her door, my heart racing in my chest. I knew that tonight was going to be different starting from the text in the morning and now everything was coming together. I took a moment to catch my breath before I knocked on it, hearing her call out across the living room. “How is she? You were gone a while.” Nora told me as she opened her door with a wide, worried smile. I looked her over for a moment, not ignorant to the short, clingy dress that she wore and what it suggested.

“Yeah, it did. We were talking for a while.” I walked inside, brushing past her as my body screamed that this felt wrong. I went and sat down in the chair by myself, watching her frown as she sat on the couch across from me. “I had a lot to get out over there.” I didn’t plan to tell her about Elena and talking to her, or about the baby. I just needed to end this right now.

“Okay. What’s going on, Liam?” Nora asked, picking up on the vibe from me.

“You know I have that ex. Marie was friends with her, and they’ve talked a bit, so she came up in conversation tonight.” I glanced at Nora, seeing her face pale. “I had already been thinking about her a lot and talking about her…it’s not fair to be with you when my heart is still with her.”

“Are you getting back together?” Nora asked as she leaned forward, her hands clenched in her lap.

“I’m not sure,” I wasn’t lying, but I knew more than I was letting on. “I just need to figure my head out, and I don’t want to hurt you while I do that.”

“I knew that she was on your mind a lot. I didn’t like to think about it because I was falling for you this entire time, but I was aware of it.” Nora looked out of the window as she spoke, pain in her pretty eyes.

“I am sorry, Nora. Maybe I should have thought about this in the beginning. You’re a wonderful person though, and I wanted to try this.” I leaned forward and looked at her, watching a small smile cross her lips.

“It was fun, Liam. I had a great time with you, but I want you happy.” Nora told me, looking at the floor before she met my gaze.

“You are going to find someone that adores you. I just couldn’t be that man, and I’m sorry.” I told her as she nodded. Nora pulled uncomfortably at the revealing dress. “Stop. You’re gorgeous, Nora. I am just not the one.”

“I sure thought you were,” she murmured as we both stood. I licked my lips and looked around the apartment, stocking the good memories here away before I thought about Elena and a sweet baby girl.

I left after giving her a hug, walking towards my Jeep with a smile and hope for my future. It isn’t what I would have chosen, but I was excited now, thinking about moving Elena in and setting up a nursery in my place. Hell, I’d sell it and buy a house of that was what she wanted. I knew that she sent me a text when my phone vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t read it while I was talking to Nora. I was hurting her enough.

I pulled it out now and read her words, calling her right back. “I’m done. I’m ready. Can I come over?”

“What? We just spent hours talking, Liam.” Elena sounded surprised, and I tried to rein in my enthusiasm.

“Yes, after months of no contact,” I reminded her as I glanced at the apartment building in front of me. This was right. “I couldn’t kiss you earlier, Elena. I wanted to be completely yours when I did that again, and I am.”

“Fine, then. Ginger is on a date so we can talk some more,” Elena told me with a hint of something else in her voice. I remembered bits and pieces of what I’d heard about the hormones of pregnant women and my cock hardened at the thought of being inside of her again. She gave me the address, and I started the engine to head over.

I turned up the radio and sang along to the song, feeling like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I knew that having a baby in four months was not going to be easy on any level, but with Elena, I felt like I could do anything. Marie was already in love with the idea, and Ginger sounded like she was involved, along with her family. We could do this. I heard the voice tell me to take a right at the next light and I followed the directions to the gated complex, using the code that Elena gave me. This was a beautiful place, and I preferred it over the studio that she was staying at before. These units were clearly expensive with all the amenities, and I wondered if Ginger was a trust fund baby. I decided that it didn’t matter if she was or not since she was helping my girl out and I respected her for that.

I found a parking place once I found the number of Elena’s building, walking around until I found the unit. I tapped on the door, taking in the quiet around me before the door was unlocked and opened. Elena smiled as she looked at me, dressed in the same shirt and skirt from before. “I forgot to ask if you wanted anything on the way. Are you having any cravings right now?”

“Gin keeps the place stocked with everything, so I’m good right now. Thank you, though.” Her smile was adorable, and she stepped aside to let me in. I walked in to see a small foyer that led to a spacious living room with a couple of couches and a fireplace against the main wall. That room led to a kitchen that looked like it was made for a chef and I let out a whistle.

“I like this much better than the studio,” I told her as I looked back to see her rubbing her stomach gently with a warm look in her eyes. I kept staring at her, falling back in love with her all over again as I watched the mother of my child. Fuck, was I ever not in love with her?

“It’s so nice. I am thankful that she let me move in here. It might be a bit small for the baby since there is just a smaller room for the nursery, but we’re going to make it work.” Elena glanced at me to see me staring at her as she blushed and looked at the floor. “I think there’s beer in the fridge. Would you like some?”

“Sounds great,” I told her as she walked to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of things from the fridge. Elena returned with a bottle for me and juice for her, sitting down on the couch as she gave me an inviting glance. I took the beer from her, seeing that she’d opened it before I took a long sip.

“Thanks for coming over. I wasn’t sure if you would want to after being with me all day.” She smiled as she twisted her bottle open and took a sip.

“I want to make up for every moment that I missed with you, Elena,” I assured her as she looked at me with scared eyes for a moment.

“You’re not scared about the baby?”

“I was surprised. I won’t lie. It’s going to come fast, but we can do this,” I said thoughtfully as I looked her over. “You look so damn beautiful carrying my baby, Elena. I can’t stop looking at you.”

“I feel like I am gaining too much weight and my belly is really starting to get bigger,” her voice was filled with laughter as she looked at me and I set the beer down and moved closer to her. I had barely touched her at Marie’s due to the situation with Nora, but I was free now. I reached out to touch her face, stroking her cheek with my finger as she stared into my eyes. I knew that she wanted me, but I couldn’t just jump her right here and now. We needed to move at the pace that she was the most comfortable at.

“You are doing none of that. You look incredible,” I said as I moved my face closer to hers. “Can I kiss you, Elena?”

“Yes,” she replied with an urgency in her voice as she moved to press her lips against mine. The kiss was hot and hungry from the start, and I reached my hand into her hair as our lips crashed together. All the nights without her faded away from my memory as she parted her lips to allow my tongue entrance. We didn’t forget the way we were together in the least as she moved closer, turning towards me as she slid onto my lap. Maybe her pace was as fast as mine after all.

The time seemed to stop as I kissed her, getting to know her sweet mouth all over again. Her breasts pressed against me and I felt the small bump of her belly pressing against my stomach as I marveled in it all over again. She was pregnant with my baby. I slipped one hand over her thigh while the other remained wrapped around her head to keep her close to me.