I remember pretty clearly after Grady got in trouble for beating up Dawson who was getting a little too aggressive with Bri. It felt like the world stopped for a few minutes and nothing seemed right. And he isn’t even my kid. Though now, after getting to know Bri, I’m pretty damn grateful to Grady for doing what he did. But, what I remember most is that Barrett said to me then that it was one of the worst phone calls they ever imagined getting. That their son had been brought in to the police station. Because he’d been in a fight.

Even though Aidan isn’t in jail, thank goodness, considering he’s just fourteen, a call letting me know my son was in a fight and is currently sitting in the principal’s office is not fun, either.

I walk up to the office, and the secretary simply points to the principal’s office. The door is partially closed, and I can see Aidan sitting in a chair, his head leaned back against the wall behind him. The secretary gives me a sympathetic smile, and I nod once before trudging toward the door.

This is not at all how I expected today to go. I planned on begging Christine for forgiveness, hoping that she’d understand my temporary bout with insanity, accept my apology, and after at least twenty-four hours of make-up sex, we’d all live happily ever after.

Instead…

I knock twice, even though the door’s slightly open.

“Come in,” Principal Moore states gruffly. “Hey there, Mr. Simpson. Thanks for coming in.”

I nod my head again and swallow. I wasn’t a bad kid growing up, but I did find myself in the principal’s office a few times, and even though I’m not the one in trouble now, it still makes my body break out into a sweat. I swallow hard, glancing over at Aidan, who rather than looking scared like I admittedly am, looks furious. His beat-up gaze focused on the person sitting across the room. He has dried blood by his nose and what looks like a pretty good shiner developing on his left eye.

The other boy, who I’m assuming is the one responsible for the way Aidan looks, is holding an ice pack to his cheek but also looks just as roughed up as Aidan. His expression is one of fear, though. His, what I assume are his father and mother, are already sitting next to him.

I clear my throat and take a seat next to Aidan, resting my elbows on my knees while I glance over at Aidan before focusing my attention back on the principal.

“What’s going on, Mr. Moore?”

I realize I can call him Patrick, considering we’re both adults, but like I said, being in the principal’s office makes me nervous and twitchy.

“It seems we have two boys who aren’t ready to fess up.”

“Care to explain what happened?” I raise my eyebrows at Aidan then look over at the boy and his parents, trying to gauge their mood, however they’re not giving too many clues away.

“We’re waiting on one more person to arrive, but let’s go ahead and get started, shall we?” I wonder who else could be coming, but he continues before I can voice my question. “Boys, let me tell your parents what happened, what we heard from the other students. No interruptions, okay? I want to hear a response from both of you, but not until I’ve finished and it’s your turn.”

“Yes, Mr. Moore.” Their response is instant and at the same time, reminding me of the no-nonsense leadership of Mr. Moore.

“Good. Andy, Ben, Amanda. Obviously, your boys were in a bit of a fight today.” Amanda looks ready to start sticking up for her boy, but Mr. Moore raises a hand, and she relaxes back into her seat. “Let me finish, please. Neither of your boys have been in here for fighting until now. Before any of you start pointing fingers or blaming anyone, you need to know, it’s not as if either of them are in the habit of throwing a punch for no reason.”

Before he can continue, there’s a subtle knock on the door, and the secretary pops her head in.

“Mr. Moore. Christine Jameson is here.”

“Send her in.”

I scrunch my eyebrows and look at Aidan, who doesn’t look me in the eye. When the door opens all the way, I can’t help but swing my eyes to meet hers. I suck in a breath when our eyes meet, not having been this close to her in what feels like centuries. She quickly shifts her attention to Aidan, her eyes softening. Mr. Moore pulls another chair around, placing it on the other side of Aidan.

She breezes past me, the scent of coffee and something sweet wafting over me.

Before I can stop myself, I inhale deeply, hating that I’ve missed her scent almost as much as I’ve missed her. And I have. So much more than I expected to.

“Hey, Patrick. How’s it going, old man?” she teases, earning a bright smile in return.

“Could be better, Christine. What? No coffee?”

“You have my boy in lockup and you expect me to bring you coffee? No way. You come in and pay for that.”

I want to laugh at her natural banter with him, though he has been in our school system a long time and was Bri’s principal, too, but I’m a little stuck on the ‘my boy’ statement she made.

A term that slid out her lips so easily that I know it wasn’t forced or fake.

That came direct from her heart, and dang if it doesn’t make my heartbeat pound in my ears.

She leans down and hugs Aidan, who returns it, and then looks at him closely, inspecting his injuries.

Her dark hair is pulled up in a messy bun; she’s wearing a pair of black leggings, sneakers and one of my work hoodies that’s so big on her it covers her butt. And damn if she doesn’t look more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her.

After she settles into the chair, she reaches over and grabs Aidan’s hand.

“Sorry I was late. Did you explain what happened?”

“I was just getting to that,” Patrick tells her; a look of fondness and adoration crosses his face as he watches her. It has my fists clenching. She might not be mine anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with her being someone else’s either. Though I highly doubt that’s the look he was giving her.

And I’m going to get her back.

There’s no other option for me.

I knew it after the six amigos hijacked my office with an impromptu intervention.

I knew it the night I drove over to her house.

But really, I knew it the second I walked away from her.

“Get on with it, then.”

He chuckles at her then stands to move around the front of his desk, leaning back against it.

“Here’s what we’ve gathered from what the other students have told us, who witnessed the fight before Mrs. Lyons intervened.”

“Dana pulled them apart?” Christine laughs, and Amanda starts giggling.

“Oh, I bet she loved that,” Amanda agrees.

“She’s probably been waiting all year for her chance to get in the middle of some catfight.”

“Hey! It wasn’t a catfight! That’s what girls do! And… it should be known that she pulled my ear! And called me a punk!” Aidan says incredulously.

Christine pats him on the arm.

“Be lucky that’s all she did. She does Crossfit. She’s strong.”

“She pulled me by the hair. I probably have a bald spot.” Amanda scrunches her eyebrows and stretches her neck, looking at her son’s head.

“That would be a blessing to have that mop of hair cut off,” Ben grumbles to his son, and I have to choke back my laughter.

“From the sounds of it, you were both acting like punks, so the term seems appropriate.” At the sound of my voice, Christine’s head jerks up, and she stares at me.

“Actually, she calls me punk all the time. I think it’s her way of saying she loves me best,” Aidan says proudly with a cheeky grin, gaining our attention again.

“Aidan,” I snap, and this time his smile dies, and he shifts in his seat. “We need to get back to the reason why we’re here.”

“Right. Boys, from my understanding, one boy made some comments and the other boy didn’t stand for it. The ending result was they used their fists. Preston? Aidan? Would you like to expand on this?”

Oh, this is rich. Of course, his name is Preston.

I bite back the snort that’s threatening to escape.

“Nope,” Aidan says, full of smartass.

“Aidan,” Christine says quietly.

He shakes his head at her, pleading with his eyes before mumbling, “Not worth it, Christine.”

“I think it is. Care to explain to us?” I ask him, this time my tone is softer, less angry.

He looks over to me and sighs then looks over at Preston, who narrows his eyes at him, glaring the best he can. Aidan rolls his eyes.

“He said some bad stuff. I didn’t like what he was saying.”

“What do you mean, he said some bad stuff?” Amanda asks, disbelief that her boy could do something wrong lacing her words.

“It was nothing, Mom. Nothing that he didn’t know already. Everybody—”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ben interrupts.

Aidan’s knee is bouncing up and down until he drops his head and groans. When he gains the courage to speak again he looks at me, the dejected look in his eyes breaking my heart. “He called Heather a whore, and that she’d probably love him better because his name was Preston, and he called Dad a loser who couldn’t keep his wife, and Christine…” He closes his eyes and balls his fist. He stands up, pacing the small room as best he can.

“Christine what?” I roar, not being able to hide my anger. I hear Ben grumble, scrubbing a hand down his face, and Christine’s gasp, but I want to know exactly what’s been said about Christine. He’s right about Heather. Not that it’s right to call a boy’s mother that.

“A what?” I ask again when neither boy respond. I look to Preston, who’s shaking his head and glaring at Aidan. I stand up, bracing my hands on Aidan’s shoulders to get him to look at me.

Sad eyes meet mine, and I know whatever I’m about to hear is gonna piss me the hell off. “What was said, son?”

He swallows then looks right at Preston when he answers me. “That Christine was just some replacement whore, and she wouldn’t stick around either because she couldn’t love us, just like our own mom couldn’t.”

“Preston Michael!” Ben roars.

“Oh please, like he said that,” Amanda scoffs.

“Are you calling my son a liar?” Christine asks, standing from her place and making her way in front of Amanda at a shocking rate of speed.

I move to stand slightly in front of her so she doesn’t do something she’ll regret. And by the looks of things, she’s about ready to rip Amanda’s hair out.

I know I shouldn’t be turned on right now.

Doesn’t mean I’m not.

Pissed off Christine is hot.

“He’s not even your son!” Amanda says, voice a little scared but also full of snobbery.

Uh oh.

Wrong thing to say.

Ben shifts in his seat so he’s leaning away from his wife.

“Are you saying I can’t love him like he’s my own?” Christine’s voice is low and scary even to my own ears.

She takes a step toward Amanda.

“I-I didn’t say that.”

“So, parents who’ve adopted their children aren’t real parents?”

Amanda slaps her hand on her knee and moves to step closer to her husband, who shakes his head lightly at her.

Smart man.

“Stop putting words in my mouth, Christine! You know what I mean!”

“I certainly do not know what you mean. My son is a good kid. If he punched your kid, it sounds like it was well warranted. Where does a fourteen-year-old learn that type of behavior? Where did he hear those words about Heather? Huh? About his dad and me? It certainly wasn’t from Aidan himself. Because yeah, Heather left. It wasn’t because this boy isn’t lovable. I fell in love with him just as quickly as I did his father and his brother. Heather left because she knew she wasn’t worthy. To me, that makes her a hell of a lot better mom than someone who’s raising a son to spout off nasty things like that to another kid. Especially about something they know absolutely nothing about.”

Oh damn. My eyes widen, and Ben coughs, seemingly uncomfortable not knowing if he should step in and stand up for his wife or just stay silent, since we all know in this case what Christine speaks is nothing but truth.

“Patrick. I trust you’ll do something about this? Aidan. You can go back to class, right, Mr. Moore?” She’s confident and in charge in the small room, no one daring to look away from her.

“Dad?”

“You heard Christine, son. You want to defy her?”

He shakes his head quickly, wide eyes turned my way. “No, sir.”

“Mr. Moore?” Christine asks impatiently.

He chuckles, probably not knowing what else to say at this point. “Nope. Me either.”

“Amanda. I sincerely hope you learned from this experience. Ben? Always good to see you. Preston. Make smarter choices. Listen to your father.”

And with that, she leans down and kisses Aidan on the cheek.

“Christine…” I whisper, but she hears it. She shakes her head angrily at me, and I’m pretty sure those green eyes just shot fire in my direction.

“Not now,” she whispers back.

We all watch as she walks out the door, Reece standing on the other side of the office windows. Probably worried for his brother. As soon as he sees Christine, he runs to her, hugging her tightly. I wish I could hear what she’s telling him as she has her hands around his face. He nods, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek and he smiles up at her, like the sun rises and sets on her, and she makes her way back out to her car.

“Well, she was rude.” Amanda truly doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.

I raise my eyebrows at her, and Mr. Moore leans up and shakes my hand.

“That’ll be all, Andy. Aidan. Get a pass and head back to class. Unless you need to head home with your dad.”

“Nah. I’m good.”

“What? Why do they get to leave?” Amanda’s whiny voice carries through the room.

Before the door closes behind us, we hear the authoritative voice of Patrick Moore. “Amanda. Ben. Preston. Stay in your seats.”

* * *

“I just don’t understand. Why was she there?”

“Because I called her, Dad!” Aidan yells in defense, his face turning red and chest heaving up and down.

I didn’t go back to work after I left the school, rather came straight home. The boys got home from school an hour ago, but Aidan stormed into his bedroom the minute he walked in. About five minutes ago, I’d had enough and made him come out to the living room.

Shockingly, he obeyed.

We sat staring at each other for about fifteen minutes until I cracked. Not being able to hold in my frustration.

“But explain to me why you would call Christine. Why not call me? You called her, but the school called me?”

“Why does it matter? She was there for me. Just like I knew she would be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Forget it,” Aidan mumbles, beginning to walk away.

I grab his arm and bring him back to me, making him sit down with me on the couch. “I won’t forget it, Aidan.”

“Dad, I called her. She came. Because I wanted her there.” He shifts uncomfortably in his place, and I reach out a hand, touching his knee and shaking lightly to get his attention.

“But not me?”

“It wasn’t that,” he grumbles.

“Kiddo. It’s me. You know you can talk to me.”

He crosses his arms and glares in my direction. “It doesn’t matter. You left her. Like you care.”

Ouch.

I wish so badly I could explain to them why Christine and I aren’t together. Why I felt betrayed all over again when I found out that she knew for years that Heather had a one-time affair with her husband. What bothered me the most was that betrayal hit me in the gut harder than when I walked in on Heather having sex with another man.

I guess if I were getting wishes granted, it would be that none of this ever happened in the first place. I’d wish that I wouldn’t be dealing with the knowledge that Christine is pregnant and I have no idea how I’m going to handle having a baby with a woman I’m no longer with. But wish I were. And still loved so deep down it’s rooted in my bones. A woman who, it seems, they still very much want in their lives.

“I do care. But I care about you more. What’s going on with you? Why would you pick a fight?”

“I already told you the story, Dad. It doesn’t matter! If you didn’t listen when we were in the principal’s office then it’s not like you’re going to listen now.”

I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, trying to think of the words that will make the boys understand best.

“I’m listening,” I promise.

“You’re not going to get mad?”

“I won’t. I just want the truth. Explain to me what happened today and why you called Christine to come to the school.”

“I already told you what happened today, Dad!”

“I know you did, but I want to hear it again. Outside of the school walls.”

“It wasn’t his fault, Dad,” Reece says as he steps forward. “Preston… he… he was egging him on. And I know we aren’t supposed to allow that to happen, but you don’t understand. He’s been picking at both of us since mom left. Always saying how our mom was a…”

“A what?”

The boys glance at each other and do that annoying twin thing where they talk to each other without actually talking. “It’s not my word — it’s his, okay? So, don’t get mad.”

I clench my jaw and nod my head once.

“Slut. He called her a slut. And a whore. And he said that we weren’t good enough. That even our slutty mom couldn’t love us or want us.”

“You know…”

“We know! We know it’s not true! You tell us all the time that we’re enough and wanted. Whatever, Dad. You can say it all you want, but yeah, we heard. We heard how mom did that stuff with other guys. And last with… Preston. Nice name, right?” Reece’s voice comes out shaky.

Holy shit. They know everything.

And if they aren’t my kids, putting the two names together like that.

I scrub a hand down my face and tug on my hair, something I’m doing way too often lately.

“I… shit, boys. I didn’t want you to find out like that.”

Aidan gives me a look that basically screams he thinks I’m stupid. “You think we didn’t already know? We’re not idiots, Dad, so stop treating us like we are! We can’t go anywhere in this stupid town without someone whispering about us. But you know what? Finally, it stopped. When we were with Christine? It wasn’t happening. No more whispering. No more people making fun. Well, except for Preston,” he scoffs and shakes his head. I glance over at Reece just as his eyes roll back down. “Christine always stood by our sides. She was always there for us. And I knew she would be there for me today. Not mom. I wanted her there. You know what? Screw that. I needed her there, and guess what. I still do! Reece still does! You do!”

Shocked, I sit back in my seat and rub between my eyes before pinching the bridge of my nose. I didn’t realize they knew so much. I should have known. No. I should have told them myself. I shouldn’t have let them find out anything from someone else.

“Boys…” I sigh.

“No. Enough already. It doesn’t matter what you think is such a big deal. She loves us, Dad. And if you don’t want her anymore then you’re stupid, too. But we aren’t going to give her up. And not just because she’s pregnant, Dad. Because we love her. You love her.”

Reece stands up and storms away, leaving me staring after him, wondering how they knew that, too.

Aidan clears his throat, and I look over at him. His left is eye starting to swell just slightly. “Dad, he’s right. We love her, and I don’t know what she did or what you did, but please fix it.” His voice starts to waver right along with my conviction. “We need her, Dad. And you’ve been miserable without her. We’re miserable without her.”

“I’m not miserable.”

“Yes, you are, Dad. You’re cranky, and I hear you up in the night. You don’t sleep. I know you want her back. Fix it.”

“So, I just go over there?”

“Dad. I’m fourteen. How the heck should I know? I assume you should probably start by saying you’re sorry because I saw the look on her face today when she left the school, and she was super pissed. And not just at Preston. At you. But we already built that thing, so it’s not like you weren’t planning on winning her back. You just need the courage to do it.”

“You caught that, huh?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“How’d you get so smart?”

“You just got lucky, I guess.” He smiles and shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Screwing up. It seems that’s all I do.”

“Dad. You didn’t screw up with us. Yes, we’re mad because we want Christine back and we want her here with us so we can help with the baby, but we’re not mad at you. Just fix it. Or maybe we will be.”

“Love you, kid.”

“Love you, too, Dad.”

He gives me a little boy grin and pushes on my shoulder lightly. I pretend he hit me harder than he did, causing me to fall back down onto the couch. He shakes his head, laughing at my antics, then trudges up to his bedroom. I shift my gaze to the window. It’s a cloudy day, gray clouds covering the skies. The threat of rain in the forecast. My knee bobs up and down, a nervous habit. I stand up, anxious, and move to the window.

I wanted to give her the grand gesture, but I don’t think I can wait. I just want to be with her again. These last several days without her in my arms, in our home, it’s been too much. She deserves my admittance to my ignorance and stupidity sooner rather than later.

Decision made, I whistle loudly. “Boys! I gotta go see about a girl!”

“Did you just use a line from Good Will Hunting on us?”

That stops me in my tracks. “How have you seen that movie?”

Their footsteps come bounding through the house. Aidan skids around the corner on the wooden floor in his socks, and Reece bounces into him. “Netflix, Dad. Chill.” They both grin.

“Punks!” I point my finger at them but can’t hide the grin of my own. “No Netflix and chilling for you!” They both give me an odd look, and I hope to God they have no clue what that means. Chances are not good on that.

“Go get her!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Dad! Go!”

The word go is barely out of their mouths before I’m sliding my arms into my jacket and running out the door.

It doesn’t take me long to get to her place from ours, but one thing that keeps rolling through my mind during the trip is her declaration of her love for me while we were in Mr. Moore’s office.

I’m pulling into Christine’s driveway, honking the horn like a lunatic. But the thing is? When you finally figure something out, like how you love someone and can’t live without her, you don’t want to waste another minute.

Great.

I jumped from Good Will Hunting to When Harry Met Sally in a ten-minute span. That’s gotta be a record. Clearly, I’ve had too much extra time on my hands lately.

I kick the car door open, falling halfway out the car before getting hung up on the seat belt I forgot to take off. I quickly hit the button and fall the rest of the way onto my back. I stand up, brush the dust off, throw my leather jacket back into the car, and start walking.

The front door swings open, and an angry Christine appears in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Still wearing my sweatshirt, and stupid or not, I take that as a good sign.

She’s fired up, pissed off, and beautiful.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

But the look in her eyes stops me where I’m standing.

I quite like my balls, and I have a feeling if I just take her in my arms and kiss the hell out of her right now that I will no longer be in possession of them.

“Hi.”

She raises one eyebrow at me, and I shift on my feet. She remains silent, her bright green eyes never leaving mine.

I clear my throat and take a step toward her.

When she doesn’t move away, I take that as another positive.

“Thank you for being there for Aidan today.”

“Of course. Just because his dad is an asshole doesn’t mean I’m going to take that out on him.”

Okay. So her gloves are coming off, and she’s standing firm in her anger.

“It meant a lot to him. And…” I pause, struggling more than ever not to rush up the stairs and wrap her in my arms.

“And?”

“Me.” I point to myself like that will help drive the point home. I then spread my arms out to my sides, hoping she sees the transparency in my presence here. “It meant a lot to me. To see you standing in there, going mama bear on Preston’s mom when she tried dismissing everything he did.”

“Well, someone had to do it.” She sniffs and rolls her eyes at me.

“I agree.”

“What are you doing here, Andy? I think you’ve already said what you needed to say to me.”

I shake my head adamantly, my heart beating wildly in my chest. “No. I didn’t. I said a bunch of bullshit that I didn’t mean. I was angry. Hurt. I was scared.”

“Scared?” She scrunches her eyebrows adorably.

I take another step toward her when I see her body relax just slightly. She’s still on her porch; I’m on the walkway below.

“Shitless, to be honest.”

“Of?”

“You. Us. All of it, my feelings for you. They didn’t come on slowly, building over time. I think that day that I walked into Dreamin’ Beans after walking in on Heather, I started falling. Whether it was because I found this person that understood what I was going through or if it was something deeper than that. I like to believe it was deeper.”

She nods like she understands, which makes me feel like I could climb the Himalayas.

“Mostly, I was afraid of how badly it hurt to think I had been betrayed by you, even though you weren’t the one who betrayed me. What scared me the most? When I saw Heather having sex with that guy? I felt nothing. Well no. I felt disgust, but my heart? It didn’t hurt.” I watch as her eyes soften, but not with pity. “I wasn’t bothered. But the tiny thought that you had kept this secret, this information from me? That you could have possibly been fooling me this entire time I was falling head over heels in love with you? It felt like I was being crushed.”

“But…”

“Let me finish. Please?” My voice is quiet, pleading.

She nods her head and takes a single step down.

“I love you. I love you more than I ever loved Heather. But that’s not the point. The point is that you brought something out of me I thought was gone. No. That’s not right. I didn’t even know it existed in me. I think I knew I loved you when you came with us to the cabin, then again when you saved me in the haunted house. Again, when you peed on a stick right in front of me to prove that I was right. But I fell in love all over again when you stood up for Aidan. When you said he was yours. When you didn’t back down. When you completely ignored me in that room because I wasn’t the reason you were there. Please say I didn’t screw up too badly. Please tell me that I still have you. That we still have you. That we’ll be able to raise her together. When we met, I was in a dark place. I admit that. But you? You made it light. You made everything in my world shine brighter.”

I take another step closer, and she moves down the stairs so she’s on the second to bottom stair, but she’s still taller than me. Which is just fine. I like it that I get to look up to her in this moment.

“Christine. Don’t let me go. Please. I know I have work to do. I know I don’t deserve you, but I’m begging you to give me that chance to prove to you that I can be worthy. I know I’m asking you for blind faith here. And honestly, I can’t guarantee anything. But, I can promise you one thing. I won’t treat your heart that way ever again. I’ll never make you doubt me or my love. I’ll never let you feel like you aren’t the best thing that ever happened to me.”

She presses her lips together tightly and places her hand on her stomach. I tentatively reach out and do the same. Her stomach is still small, not much of a bump there yet. We haven’t told a single person aside from our kids that she’s pregnant. I know our friends are curious. She hasn’t exactly been feeling the best.

“Okay, so maybe one of the best things.”

“Yeah?” Her voice is full of the tears that are falling down her cheeks, and her smile is watery.

“Yeah, baby. I love you so damn much.”

“I’m still pissed at you, you know.”

“It’s the red streak in the hair. It makes you fiery.” I smile, and she bites her lip.

“That’s it, huh?”

I nod my head. “Pretty sure.”

“Andy, I mean it when I say I’m still a little pissed.”

“Actually, you said you were pissed. In ten seconds, you went from full on to just a little. I’m taking that as a score.”

She rolls her eyes at me while I smile up at her.

I feel a raindrop and look up at the skies that are darkening, but it’s not affecting my mood. Because she’s not pushing me away, and I feel like I’m about to win the girl all over again. That doesn’t mean I’m not willing to pull out all the stops, though.

“Baby, please forgive me. I’m so sorry for saying that you betrayed me. I’m so sorry for making you feel like less. For making you feel like I thought of you the same way as I think of Heather. For all of it. I can’t live without you. I’m not saying I won’t fall again, but I won’t stay down. I’ll always rise up to you.”

“Andy…”

“Please,” I plead, placing my forehead on her belly. I kiss the tiny bump and wrap my hands around her legs. “Please. Please. Please. Please.”

It’s full on raining now, and I don’t know if she can hear me because my voice is barely a whisper, but I’ll continue to beg. Continue to apologize until she tells me she forgives me. Until she says that she’s still mine.

She lifts my head, her fingers cold from the rain, hair dripping wet, mascara streaking down her face.

“I always will, Andy. I will always forgive you. We hit a bump. You acted like an ass. I knew you’d come around.” She shrugs her shoulders like it’s nothing to her. “I learned a long time ago that time is precious. Not forgiving someone is a hell of a lot harder in the long run. Holding on to that hurt and anger just blackens the soul. You will always be forgiven. You will always be my heart.”

I stand, taking her face in my hands, and waste no time pressing my lips to hers. My heart feels like it could burst straight out of my rain-soaked t-shirt. The feel of her lips, her tongue tangling with mine, her fingers gripping my waist.

“Don’t let me leave again.”

My lips don’t part from hers while I murmur the words, still begging her to let me stay. “Never.”

I pick her up, my arms under her butt, her left leg around my waist. I move us up the stairs, reaching a hand out to the rail to steady us, so I don’t trip and fall on top of her. She kicks the door shut after we get inside and slowly slides down my body. We make our way inside, shedding our wet clothes, struggling like hell when my jeans stick to every single inch of skin on my legs. Desperately, she shoves me to the floor, laughing and yanking at them from the ankles. When I stand, she drops them dramatically onto the floor and bites her bottom lip. I shake my head and smile then continue to walk with her while tugging off her clothes, leaving a trail to her bedroom.

Standing before me in just her bra and panties, me in my black boxer briefs, both of us breathing heavy and still wet from the rain, I look at her and drop to my knees, kissing all over her stomach. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, but this time it’s not to Christine. She pulls on the band securing my hair, letting it fall, and threads her fingers through the strands.

I close my eyes and rest my forehead against her stomach, my hands wrapped around her waist. “I’m so sorry, baby girl. I’ll never leave you. You or your mommy. You’re everything to me. To the boys. We’ll always be here for you.”

A sob erupts from Christine, and I lean back to look at her.

Her smile widens as a tear slides down her cheek, getting caught on her lip.

I stand slowly, kissing her stomach one more time, and take her hand that’s now covering her mouth. I thread my fingers through hers and lead her to the bed, but she spins around, shoving me so I land on the mattress on my back.

She climbs over me, kissing over my stomach, my chest, my neck.

I groan, welcoming the feeling of her lips on my skin.

“I missed you. Missed this.” My hands make a trail up the back of her thighs, to the dip in her back and down, sliding between the material of her panties and her ass. I squeeze lightly and she bites my neck.

“Missed you, too, honey.”

She rolls her hips and I push up to meet her, causing us both to moan. We’re still in our underwear, providing a barrier between us. A barrier that is both annoying and necessary so this isn’t over before it starts.

“I want you.” Her voice is husky, breath hot on my skin. “If you ever leave me horny and pregnant again, I’ll take your balls and shove them down your throat.”

I laugh. Hard.

“So really, you just want my body?”

“Duh,” she says with a smile in her voice.

She kisses over my chest, my shoulders, teasing me by kissing me over my boxers before making her way back up to my face, mouth, everywhere she can reach.

After she's had her fun, it's my turn. Loving how she feels sitting on top of me, I run my hands over her stomach, swelling with the baby we made together. Then I trail a path up her arms, over her chest, and cup the back of her neck, bringing her closer so I can kiss her. I can't get enough of her, and I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to. Her legs are straddling me, her hot center over right where I want her most. Five minutes ago, I would have had sex with her right on the front lawn, but now that I'm here with her? I want to take my time. We haven't been together for two weeks. She leans down, kissing me on my neck, pressing my hands into the mattress. She loves when I give her control, and I love giving it to her.

I nudge her, wanting her mouth and roll us over, settling between her legs. I have to stop from embarrassing myself by dry humping her like a damn teenager.

I stare down at her, the mother of my unborn baby, the woman who stood up for my son like he was her own, and held both my sons when they felt the weight of their mother leaving them. She became a part of our world so seamlessly, effortlessly… it was as if she’d been there the entire time.

“I love you so fucking much. You’re mine forever, baby. You know this, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You love me, too.”

“I do.” She smiles brightly.

“Words, baby.”

Sighing heavily like it’s a burden. “I love you.”

“I know.”

She bursts out laughing. “You’re such a cocky ass.”

I press deeply into her, her back and neck arches as she turns her head to the side and groans my name. The best sound in the world.

“Did you say cocky?”

“Mmm.”

I plunge my tongue into her mouth, caressing, tasting. The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s heavy breaths and pounding hearts and bruising lips. She grips the back of my neck, keeping me close to her. It goes on for minutes. Hours. I don’t know, and I don’t care because I have her beneath me again, and holy hell I missed it more than I even realized. Allowing my anger over what happened to cloud my love for her. I realize how lucky I am that she’s giving me another chance, and no way in hell will I do anything to screw it up again.

I skim her throat, running my thumb down the center. She arches beneath me, giving me room to reach around her and unclasp her bra. I toss it to the side, allowing her full breasts to tumble free in the process. Her body is changing so much, and this is one of my favorites. She always had beautiful boobs, but now? They’re heavy and sensitive, and I can’t get enough playing with them. So, I don’t waste any more time. I travel south, kissing as I go. I slide my hands up both sides of her, pressing them together and taking both tight nubs into my mouth at the same time. She cries out, scratching the sheets, my back, my scalp as I continue to lick and suck. Giving both attention at the same time. I lift my head and bury my face between them before giving each side individual attention.

Because I’m a giver.

The sound of her moans is making me harder than I’ve ever been, and it’s straining against my boxers, begging to join the party.

“You gonna let me give it to you, baby?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Open up for me.”

I kiss my way down her belly, delving my tongue into her belly button. She giggles and moans at the same time, twisting her body this way and that. My fingers wrap around her panties and slowly drag them down her body.

She spreads her legs, her knees hitting the mattress. I look up at her and wink and she rolls her eyes.

“Annnndyy…”

“Did you want something?”

I lightly blow on her center before tasting.

“That,” she groans. “Oh, hell yes. That.”

I take my time, enjoying the sweetness and her sounds. Sounds that I’m the cause of her making. The way she says my name when I’m making her come. Her moans that sound like they’re coming from deep in her toes. She continues to twist and turn, and I place my hands on her lower stomach to hold her steady.

I suck on her center and relish in the way her body begins to tremble. I slide two fingers into her, twisting and curling, and within seconds, she’s thrashing beneath me, screaming my name so loudly I wouldn’t be surprised if her voice is hoarse tomorrow.

When she’s coming down, I crawl back up her body, shedding my boxers along the way, kissing her again because I can. Because she’s still mine. Because I didn’t lose her. And I let her taste herself. Because she loves it.

Without waiting, I press into her, the feeling so overwhelming I have to give myself a few moments before I move. I swear since she got pregnant, she feels tighter, swollen maybe? Or maybe it’s just the fact that I know she’s carrying my child. That she and I created something together.

“Honey,” she whispers, her touch on my back so light that it makes me shudder. I bury my face in her neck and suck. “I need you to keep moving.” She emphasizes her statement by rolling her hips, causing the friction between us to build.

“I don’t want to forget this moment.”

“It’ll be pretty forgettable if you don’t move.”

I lightly spank the side of her butt. “Brat.”

“So, do something about it.”

I lean up and smirk. She raises an eyebrow in challenge.

I rise up on my knees, pulling her legs up, bent at the knee. I push her left leg back, keeping her leg bent and place her right leg over my shoulder. Exactly like we did our first time together. She reaches behind her, grasping at the pillows on the bed. We might need to invest in a headboard with slats when she moves in to my place. Which she will.

“So deep,” she moans.

“Yeah,” I grunt.

The sounds of the ecstasy we’re sharing, the scent of her arousal, the sight of her spread out below me, sweat glistening her skin, stomach slightly rounded with my baby, has me ready to come before I want to.

When she screams, “I can’t hold back any longer!” I don’t hold back either.

“Yes. Come. Come now!”

I’m pretty sure I see stars as I collapse on top of her, careful to keep some of my weight to the side.

“Holy shit,” she pants.

“Yeah,” I croak, words not being something I care to focus on.

“I love you.”

“Christine. I love the shit out of you.”