“Twins? You’re pregnant with twins?”

Haley nods.

“Oh my God. Wow.” I hug her, suddenly conscious not to be too rough with her. When I met her she seemed so hard--bitch shield and all--and now, her guard is totally down. Her face is flushed, and she looks like she might even break down crying tears of happiness. I inhale her scent, running my hand through her cherry red hair.

I release Haley from a hug and hold onto her shoulder.

Haley’s face is totally flushed red. I can’t tell if she’s nervous, or if she’s glowing, or what. She looks dazed.

The doctor notices too. “I’ll give you two a minute alone.”

“Thank you.” I say.

“So this is it? Is this really happening? Liam, what the hell are we going to do?”

There’s a desperation in her voice, and hey, I don’t blame her. She just got the kind of news that you get once or twice in a lifetime. The news that changes your life.

I don’t know what to say, so I just hug her and hold her. We stay like that for a long time, until the doctor finally kicks me out and finishes doing the rest of the checkup.

I help Haley into my truck after the visit ends.

We take off down the road, and she’s still silent. The sky above darkens by the minute, clouds looming overhead.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her nonchalantly. I still can’t get a read on her.

She stares at me like I just asked her why the sky is blue. “How am I feeling? Oh I don’t fucking know, Liam! I don’t know. Like I just got a bomb dropped on me! What am I gonna do now? Move back to New York to be closer to my parents? Don’t get me wrong, I did want this--I’ve always wanted kids.” She pauses, and starts to sob. “Just not like this. Not yet. I don’t want my kids to have to struggle, you know?”

My expression is stoic on the surface, but inside, I can feel the emotion bubbling up.

“You’re right.” I say humbly. “This timing sucks.”

I turn down Main Street and make a detour as the drizzle keeps on.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I hate when you say that! I am worried about it! I’m worried about a lot of things right now, actually!”

“I know.” I say evenly. “Me too.”

I pull up in front of the corner property, the abandoned one that caught her eye three months ago. Her eyes light up when she sees it, like a puppy arriving to the dog park.

We approach the double doors facing the corner. It’s got a lock on it, but I easily break it with a wrench.

“You just have a wrench on you?” The corners of her lips quirk in an almost-smile.

I shrug. “I’m a mechanic. You should see what else I have in my truck,” I wink.

She gives me an up-and-down, and I know she knows what I’m packing in this truck

Metaphorically speaking.

I push the doors open, and just in time, because as I do, the rain begins to pour down heavily.

A thin layer of dust covers the furniture inside the building. It’s an immense space, just basically an empty former mechanic shop.

I chuckle a little.

“What’s so funny?” Haley asks.

“I just remembered. This is the mechanic shop my dad’s place put out of business ten years ago.”

“The space is big. And beautiful. It’s just waiting to be filled in.”

I arch an eyebrow Haley’s way to see if she has the same dirty mind I do. The way she says those words, I can’t help but think of somewhere else I’d like to fill.

I grin, but I’m brought back to reality when when I see Haley staring out the window at the pouring rain, crying.

She’s not just tearing up. She’s full on sobbing.

And now, for once, I feel like an asshole for thinking dirty thoughts while she’s in such deep sadness.

I don’t know what to say or do that can comfort her, so I stand in silence with her as the rain pours down, beating on the window. Finally after a few minutes, she turns to me.

“What do you think?” I ask.

“I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

“I mean about the place. Do you like it?”

She snorts, her eyes still a little teary. “Yes. Of course, it’s the perfect location. Close enough to Main Street so that it will have foot traffic passing by. But far enough away that the busy street won’t be noisy. It’s perfect!”

“So you like it.” I say. Putting a hand on her hip. She doesn’t pull away, but she doesn’t lean into me like I’m used to.

“Yeah, of course I do! And it’ll never be mine! My dream of starting a place here, it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve got a baby to worry about now. Two babies! I was silly to ever think it.”

“No you’re not.” I say firmly, and grab hold of her other hip.

Her breath picks up. I can feel her nervousness exude with every inhale and exhale.

“Liam.” She whimpers, leaning her head against my chest. “What are you doing?”

“I bought the fucking place.” I growl as I inhale her scent. Nerves and beauty and femininity with a toss of motherhood now. It’s such a fucking turn on.

She wraps her hands around my back. “What do you mean you bought the place?”

With the back of my hand, I wipe a tear from her cheek. “I mean, when I got back from our….week long fling, I went to the real estate office, put in an offer, and I bought the fucking place in cash.”

“You did that...after I told you off? Why?” She swallows, her blue eyes glossy.

I shrug. “Have I ever told you about how I got all these tattoos?”

“No. Although I’ve never asked. How did you get them?”

I back her into the window. Her body feels so soft and gorgeous and welcoming. “When I want something, I just go and do it. I don’t ask permission. I wanted these, I went and got them. No hesitation. Same with this place. I just felt like buying it, so I bought it.”

“You just had ten grand lying around?”

I shrug. I used up every last dime of my savings.

She doesn’t need to know that, though.

“Look. Dagny.” I say her nickname with a growl. I press her body up against the window, the rain pouring down, and the Gods bringing the thunder.

Her mouth hangs slightly open. She’s gazing up at me, and I know I’m winning.

“You don’t want to be with me because you don’t want to get your heart broken again. I get it.”

She closes her eyes and nods, leaning into my chest with her forehead. Still, she says nothing.

“Fine. If that’s the way you feel, I can’t change that. But I’m going to fucking be there for you, Haley. I don’t give a shit if I’m calling you Haley or Dagny or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I don’t know how the hell you walked into my shop and into my life, but I’ve been feeling things since I met you that make me wonder who the hell I am and where the old Liam has gone. But you know what, I like the new Liam better. He’s still an asshole, sure. But he’s a damn asshole in love with a girl. So that’s it. All the cards on the table. I fucking love you, Haley Rosebaum.”

She wraps her arms tight around my back and pulls herself into me. “You do?” She sniffles.

“Yeah,” I say. “Although I’d love to give you a new nickname sometime soon.”

“What name is that?” She asks, looking up at me.

“Mrs. Blackwell.” I grin.

She licks her lips, and it’s all the opening I need.

Pinning her against the wall, I attack her with a ravenous desire I’ve never even felt before. Hell, this is surpassing desire. This is need.

She crumbles under my touch in a way I’ve never felt before.

Where during our first magical hookup in the truck, I could feel the tension coursing through her soul as if she was trying to one up me every step of the way, now she softens under my touch.

I respond by kissing her soft lips delicately, lightly running my rough hands on the outside of her shirt, barely pressing into her skin.

We make out like that for the next hour, while the thunder booms and lightning flashes.

I know I’m the big one between the two of us. I’ve always been a giant. I might as well be twice her size.

But next to her, it feels like she’s the one protecting me.

After some time, the rain eases up to a drizzle, and we let each other go.

“You want to know something crazy?”

I nod. “Crazy is as crazy does.”

“I think I love you too, Liam.” She says.

My heart swells, and as corny as the thought that goes through my mind is, I have to admit I think it.

This feels like fucking true love.

Six months later