“I don’t know what….” I shoot her a look that makes her go quiet.
“Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay. Are you not happy? Am I too overbearing?”
“No,” she says softly. Her shoulders slump forward, and her eyes move to my neck.
“Do you need me to give you space? Do you not like it here? We can sell this place and?—"
“I’m pregnant,” she blurts out and swallows hard before her gaze moves up to meet mine.
“What?” I swallow hard, because I’m not positive she said what I think she said.
“I know you said things in the heat of the moment. And I’m not sure if it was just dirty talk or not, but we haven’t really talked about the future. Real things like kids and stuff. And we get carried away all the time, and I didn’t think. If this is too much, we can figure it out. We’ve been together for a month, and a baby is a lot of change, and I can move out if that’s what you want and—" It dawns on me that I’ve been quiet this entire time.
Holy shit.
A baby. My sunshine’s going to give me a little rainbow.
“Fuck no,” I grunt, rolling her over onto her back, my body hovering over hers. “You’re not leaving. This is home. Both yours, mine, and this little baby’s.” My hand moves down to her tummy, and she smiles, hope shining in her eyes.
“You’re not upset?”
“Were you worried I would be? Is that why you’ve been acting…off.”
“I just… I love you, Reed. I love you so much, and every day just gets better with us, and I was scared this was too much for you. Cou like peace and quiet and a baby obliterates that!.”
“Camila, I moved your sweet ass in here two days after I had you.”
“I know, but… a baby.”
“A baby,” I repeat with the biggest smile I think I’ve ever had. I kiss her lips and move down her body until my face is above her belly and I pull her shirt up. “You’re giving me a baby,” I say in wonder as I look at the tan flesh and glance back up at her with tears in my eyes.
“Are you happy?” she asks, and I laugh.
“Never been happier, baby,” I confess as I drop a kiss on her tummy. She strokes my hair, and we stay like that for a long time. I tell her how much I love her, and then I talk to my little guy or girl.
“Thank you,” she whispers hours later as we’re cuddled into one another, her head in the crook of my neck.
“For what?”
“For giving me a place to belong,” she says, and I hold her tighter. My girl has been alone for a long time, and if I have anything to say about it, she will never feel that way again. Not ever. If that wasn’t enough, my girl keeps talking, “Thank you for giving me this little family we’re about to start,” she whispers into the darkness, and fuck, my heart can’t stand when she’s this sweet.
“Thank you for giving my life a reason. Purpose,” I confess honestly, completely vulnerable.
That night, I love her nice and slow, letting my body tell her everything that’s in my heart. Just like I will for the rest of our lives.
EPILOGUE
REED
Ten years later
Ipull into the drive, putting my truck into park, and rest my head back. I’ve had a delivery in Hollywood. Some damn movie starneededone of my pieces and paid a pretty chunk of change for the delivery to be done by yours truly. I tried to get out of it, but Cami insisted I go.
I don’t like to leave my girl on her own for too long. Thankfully, I have four boys watching after their mama to make sure she doesn’t get into too much trouble. Because Cami does crazy shit all the time. You’d think four boys and working for herself would slow her and her shenanigans down, but nothing stops my girl. Plus, about two weeks after we found out we were expecting, her best friend, Stella, came to town, and lucky for my brother Eli, she never left.
But that isn’t my story to tell.
I open the door, and a smirk forms on my face. All the windows are open like usual, and music is playing loudly. The sounds of laughter dance in the air, filling my heart like nothing else.
