He knew exactly where he needed to go.
The door slammed with such force that Beck felt it in his bones. Heavenly flinched, a fresh sob escaping her. She trembled as she bit back the sound while he settled her on the edge of the oversized tub.
“Shhh,” he murmured. “Let me take care of you.”
He turned the taps, adjusting the temperature of the water until steam rose. It gave his hands something to do while his mind raced.
Seth had one fucking hour to get his shit together—or Beck was done. Done waiting. Done hoping. Done putting their future on hold.
After months of vying for Heavenly’s heart, Seth had become like a brother to him—closer in many ways than his actual brother. He and Seth understood each other. Two men of action. Two protectors. Both willing to do whatever it took to keep Heavenly safe.
Why couldn’t they agree on how to make her happy?
“I’m worried,” Heavenly whispered.
“Don’t borrow trouble, little girl.”
“What if I’m not enough? What if he doesn’t come back?” She lifted tear-filled eyes to him that wrenched his fucking heart. “What if he won’t take another chance?”
Beck crouched closer. Her cheeks were mottled. Mascara tracked dark paths down her face—remnants of the elegant makeup she’d worn to Raine, Liam, and Hammer’s wedding earlier that evening.
“Stop,” he insisted gently, reaching for a washcloth. He doused it and carefully wiped away the black streaks, leaving her fresh-faced. Even with swollen, red-rimmed eyes, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “Seth has to wrestle his demons. You can’t do it for him. Neither can I. This is about what’s in his head; it has nothing to do with you not being enough. You are, and he knows it…or he wouldn’t be struggling. Seth has to choose to overcome his fear.”
He reached for the zipper of her dress. Once he’d lowered it, she lifted her arms automatically, helping him. Such trust. Such soft surrender.
“What if he doesn’t? What if he…can’t?”
Her ragged question broke his heart, and if Seth wasn’t dealing with an implosion of his own shit, Beck would have beaten the hell out of him. Now, all he could do was comfort their girl.
“When we talked the night Raine’s twins were born, you said you were ready to have kids.” He unhooked her bra as she stepped out of her panties. “But you wanted to wait for Seth.”
“Yeah,” she murmured as he helped her into the water.
“If that’s not possible…if he doesn’t come back, do you want to stay, knowing I’ll be the one to get you pregnant?” He swallowed hard and forced himself to ask what he feared most. “Can you be happy with just me?”
Losing his first love, Blessing, had hurt. Dissolving his marriage of convenience to Gloria had been bittersweet. But losing Heavenly would destroy him.
In the steaming water, she drew her knees to her chest, her voice breaking. “Since Dad died, I’ve realized how important family is. How precious. How quickly they can be gone.” She blinked up, sadness filling her eyes. “I want both of you. I always have. But we can’t wait indefinitely. I know that. It’s not fair to you.”
Beck lathered the washcloth and stroked her back. “Don’t worry about me. I want to know what you’re feeling. What you want. And before you make any decision, I want you to be sure.”
She twisted her hair into a makeshift bun, nibbling on her bottom lip. “I’m young. I have time to have kids. But I understand. You want to start a family while you’re young enough to enjoy them.”
“That’s true, but that isn’t what I asked. You’re still focusing on me. I’m asking what you want.”
Heavenly closed her eyes with a sigh. “It’s not that simple. My head is a mess. I can’t even think straight, and?—”
“Let’s break it down, then. If Seth doesn’t come back, what about us? Just you and me?”
Her eyes sprang open, and she rushed to reassure him. “I love you. I’m not leaving.”
The relief filling him nearly stole his breath. If Seth couldn’t pull his head out of his ass and embrace their shared bliss, it was his fucking loss. Beck would do everything in his power to give Heavenly the strength, guidance, passion, and joy she needed.
“I just can’t picture what life would be like if Seth left for good. We’d figure it out, I’m sure, but…” She heaved a shaky sigh. “When we finally got together, I thought our relationship would look more like Raine, Liam, and Hammer’s. That we’d all share this love. It might take more than a night for me to change my vision of the future.”
“I get it. Changing mine will require an adjustment, too. But if Seth forces us to do that, lean on me. We’ll work through it together. I’m not going anywhere, little girl.”
She lifted her hand from the water and squeezed his. “I needed to hear that. I rely on you both so much. But if we’re going to have kids, I’d like to get married. Maybe that’s old-fashioned but?—”
