Rage.
I tear through the suite, stuffing clothes into the case, my vision blurring at the edges.
“Fuck you, Colter Slade!” I scream, my voice raw, my throat burning with the force of it.
“That’s not very nice.” The sound of his voice freezes me mid-motion.
My head snaps up.
He’s there.
In the doorway.
Watching me.
His face is unreadable, but his presence alone ignites something volatile inside me. I don’t know whether I want to run into his arms or drive my fist into his perfect, infuriating face.
I grit my teeth and go back to packing. Faster now. Desperate. Like if I can just get out of here, maybe I can breathe again.
“Dee,” he says, stepping closer. “Anna said you haven’t taken the test yet.” His voice is calm. Too calm.
It makes me want to scream all over again.
“What does it matter?” I bite out, snapping the suitcase shut with a sharp click. My chest heaves, my entire body vibrating with emotion. “You don’t want me. You don’t want this baby. You made that perfectlyfuckingclear.”
His expression shifts. There is a slight flicker of something I can’t place, but I don’t let myself analyze it.
I take a breath, force the words out with as much strength as I have left. “Colt, it’s fine. If I’m pregnant, you don’t have to be a part of our lives,” I say, my voice breaking, but my resolve holding firm. I meet his gaze, daring him to argue. “You’re off the hook.”
He grabs my arm, spinning me around, and suddenly, he’s right there—so close.
Too close.
I can’t meet his eyes.
The tears start falling again, hot and relentless, my body trembling like it’s coming apart at the seams. But then Colt’s arms wrap around me, pulling me into the warmth of his chest. I don’t fight it.
I can’t.
The dam breaks, and I let go.
Colt holds me like he’s afraid I’ll slip through his fingers, one hand pressing my head to him, the other splayed wide across my back, grounding me.
“Dee,” his voice is rough, thick with something I don’t have the strength to decipher. “I don’t want to be off the hook. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I freaked out.” His chest rises and falls against me, his breath uneven.
“If I’m being honest… I’ve never thought about being a dad. The idea scares the living shit out of me.” His arms tighten around me as if bracing for impact. “But that’s no excuse for how I treated you. And I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making this up to you.” Slowly, he lifts my face, his fingers gentle as they tip my chin upward.
His thumbs brush away my tears, and for the first time since everything shattered, the storm inside me starts to settle. My body still shakes, but somehow, in his arms, the chaos feels quieter.
“I love you so much, Colt. It’ll break me if you leave,” I sob, my voice fractured, barely holding together.
His grip on me tightens. “Baby, I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you. We’ll deal with this together.” His lips press to the top of my head, warm and reassuring, but the gnawing anxiety in my chest refuses to ease.
Colt steps away, grabbing the box from the bed. Then, taking my hand, he guides me toward the ensuite. Each step feels heavier than the last, like wading through quicksand. His words should have calmed me, but the anxious nerves only grow, coiling tighter, suffocating me.
The moment stretches unbearably as he settles on the edge of the bathtub and I on the toilet. The longest three minutes of our lives are ahead of us.
I’ve never peed in front of anyone before.Ever. But Colt is adamant that he wants to be with me every step of the way. And for some inexplicable reason, that comforts me. So, with his steady presence beside me, I did it. I peed on the little stick while he turned his back, but stayed in the room, and then I settled beside him on the bathtub.
