Now, we wait.
Stillness takes over the room, thick and suffocating. The only movement comes from Colt’s leg, bouncing slightly, the restless motion contradicting the firm kiss he presses to the top of my head. Our gazes remain locked on the test sitting on the counter, the seconds dragging like hours. The only sounds are our uneven breathing and the quiet, rhythmic bounce of his knee.
And still, we wait.
“Before we find out, I want you to know that I’m in. I’m all in, Dee. If we are pregnant, then we’re going to do it together. I’ll be there for every appointment, every late-night feed, every back massage, and every sleepless night. I’ll be with you. You know how I feel about you, and nothing will ever change that. I acted like an arse, and it’s inexcusable,” he reassures, breaking the strained silence between us.
“If I were watching where I was going, you wouldn’t have found out the way you did, and the whole world wouldn’t know what they think they know.” I rub my sore knees.
“You can’t help tripping. Are your knees bad?” Colt kneels in front of me, his fingers already tugging my jeans up to inspect the damage. He winces at the sight and then, without a word, stands and gently pulls me up from the bathtub. His hands move to my jeans, unzipping them with effortless ease before helping me step out of them.
I stay quiet, watching as he crosses the room, grabs the first aid kit, and comes back to me with that same determined look—the one that always makes my heart stutter. “You’re gonna endup with scars on your knees if you don’t stop falling over, baby,” he says, kissing my thigh, then tends to my battered knees.
After he patches me up, Colt pulls me into his arms, holding me close, his warmth sinking into me like an anchor. We stand there, wrapped in each other, for what feels like forever. Moments like these remind me why I love him, and why, no matter how much we fight, he always finds a way to bring me back.
Then, he leans back just enough to look me in the eyes. His voice is soft but steady. “Are you ready?”
I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, inhaling deeply before nodding.
Together, we step toward the counter.
My pulse pounds as I reach for the test, my fingers trembling slightly. Holding my breath, I lift it, eyes scanning the result.
One.
Pink.
Line.
Relief crashes over me like a tidal wave, so strong that my legs nearly give out. I sink into Colt’s arms, pressing my face to his chest.
But then—his voice,laced with something I don’t quite expect.
“Baby, can you tell me what’s going on right now?” The slight panic in his tone is impossible to miss.
I pull back just enough to meet his eyes, a soft smile forming. “It’s one line,” I say, the words barely above a whisper.
His brows furrow slightly. “And that means?”
“We’renotpregnant.”
The second the words leave my mouth, a strange sensation washes over me. A wave of something I hadn’t expected—sadness.
I see it on him, too.
Colt laughs, but there’s a hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable behind his eyes. “So… all this was for nothing,” he says, chuckling, but the way his fingers tighten on my waist tells a different story.
A little giggle escapes me. “Um… yeah. Now we have to tell the world we’renotpregnant.”
“Well, I am relieved, I’m not going to lie. But I’ll have Sia and Rob make a statement. The person I’m most concerned about is your father, Dee. He already hates me. What’s he going to think now?”
“Oh, he’s already on his way to Australia to kill you with his bare hands,” I joke.
He swallows hard but doesn’t get a chance to say anything because my cell rings.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” I point to my phone. “It’s Daddy.”
Colt raises his hands in an‘I surrender’motion and steps back, giving me room to head into the bedroom to take the call.
