Chapter Twenty-One
Reid
When I left Kayson, tears in both our eyes, I’d planned to call him daily and see if we could build from our insanely intense short time together. I left him sure I would be back there a month later, ready to build our life. I left a little bit of my heart with him as I flew back home.
And then I got to the airport. The airport where Topher the shit was waiting for me, and I don’t know if it was my lack of sleep or my emotionally weak state after leaving Reid to—well leave, but I sat there soaking in every logical thing he said to me and by logical, I mean manipulative. In hindsight, I saw it clearly, but at the time he made sense.
This was too rushed, and I had connections in the city I’d never be able to rebuild in a small town, and I was on the rebound. He managed to amplify all the worries I had and sound so fucking reasonable about it, that by the time I got off the plane, I had talked myself out of ruining my life by choosing Mapleville.
I was a fucking idiot.
Then, a week later, when I came to my senses, I got sick, puking all the freaking time. And then when I was feeling well enough, I chickened out because it had been so long and I had treated him so poorly by ignoring him that I deserved to die alone.
Did I mention I was an idiot?
And then I got sick again and again, with only a day or two reprieve, and the reality bomb exploded. I was puking. I was making insanely moody life decisions. I was sleeping all the time.
So I marched down to the pharmacy, waited at its door until it opened, and bought not one, but all the pregnancy tests they had on the shelf, which was a stupid-ass move, given I had not a lot of money and a possible baby coming, but I needed to be sure before I decided what to do next.
I’d barely peed on the first stupid stick then the doorbell rang. According to the box, I needed to check it between two and five minutes after said pee, or else it would be inaccurate. I could already see the double line, thirty seconds in, but not being in the right time frame, I tried not to let that get me too excited.
Which was another thing that made no sense. Why was I excited about being a single dad? Or was I living under the delusion that Kayson would take me back after I’d treated him so poorly. I knew kids were in his pile of things he wanted to do one day with his life, but now—with me—after I acted such the fool...
The ringing turned to knocking, and I jogged to the door, hoping it wasn’t Mrs. Jones getting locked out again. That was an entire day of hearing about her corns that I’d never get back. I swung the door open and found myself looking Kayson in the eyes. My Kayson. My alpha. Mine.
Before I knew what I was doing, I babbled that I was pregnant, threw the stick at him, and bounded back into my bedroom, where I curled up on the bed. Pretty much the antithesis of what any grown-up would do when faced with such a situation. I wanted to blame it on the damn hormones, but my own inability to face reality was the true culprit.
“Reid?” Kayson called from my bedroom doorway.
“Reid?” He was closer, yet his voice quieter. Calming.
“Reid?” He was sitting on the bed.
My Kayson. Mine.
I rolled over, flinging myself at him, the tears falling instantly as I begged him for his forgiveness.
“I’m so sorry. I got all up in my head. I mean I had help, but yeah. And then I got sick, although now I know it wasn’t sick, it was pregnant. And then I thought it was too late. Then, this morning, I put the pieces together and the condom—it didn’t work. Remember?”
He nodded, not interrupting my babbling nonsense, his hand holding the proof of our first joining.
“And I went out and got the test, and then you showed up. Why did you show up?”
“To get you back, silly omega.” He dropped the test on the nightstand and curled his body around mine, holding me close.
“But I was awful to you.”
“True.” He kissed the back of my head, his front pressed against my back, proving he was really here. With me. “But I didn’t say I wanted you only if you were perfect, did I. Because, if I did, I needed someone to go back in time and kick past Reid’s ass.” He forced a chuckle.
“No. But I was awful, and now—a baby. You didn’t ask for this.”
Neither of us did. I wasn’t upset by it, though. Which was all kinds of messed up, but there it was.
“Nor did you. But doesn’t that make the gift a thousand times better?”
Gift. He called our child a gift.
His hand settled on my belly.
“Gift?”
“Gift. We are going to have a baby. You and me.”
“But I left you.” Why was I arguing. He was here for me and wanted our child. I should be basking in the glory of it instead of trying to convince him I was unworthy. Which, I was.
“And I followed. So, as I see it, we can raise our baby here or back in Mapleville.”
“You would stay here—for me.”
He loved Mapleville. He talked about the people in town as if they were family. He was willing to give that up for me.
“I’d pretty much do anything for you. I was only a shell when you left.”
I knew the feeling.
“My aunt fired me at least seventy-two million times for crappy work.”
I could so see her doing that, too. She was a hot ticket. I could also see her being a great grandmother type for our child. When she wasn’t teaching them inappropriate things, anyway.
“Seventy-two million?” I rolled in his arms, needing to see him.
“Fine. A bunch. If you want to be here, here I will be.”
“And if I want to go to Mapleville?”
“Then I will help you pack later.”
“Later?”
“Yes, Later. Right now I need to feel you are here, with me, all mine. I need to taste you, touch you, mark you from the inside out.”
That was a plan I could get behind. Or in front of. Or whatever he had planned. He was mine.
“You kind of already did by putting a baby in there,” I sassed.
“So, try for twins?”
My mouth fell open, until I saw the glimmer of amusement in his eye.
“You know that’s not how that works, right?” I played along, glad we could so easily fall back into our playfulness.
“Of course, it doesn’t, but can’t blame a man for trying.” He shrugged. He had me there.
“I’m so sorry.” I was apologizing for all things. He would never ask it of me, but I needed him to know—to never doubt.
“No need to apologize. I love you just as you are.” His lips found mine before I could respond. I sank into his embrace and enjoyed every nip, lick, and suck. When our lips separated, both of us were breathless and ready for so much more.
“Does that mean I can have your knot?”
“Always.” And his lips found me once more.