And so let’s see, asshole, idiot and let’s add
coward to the CV.
She’s the one who needs someone to support
her and help her, not me. She needs me, not the
other way around.
“And if I screw it up? If I should hurt you?
Make you suffer?”
“One day at a time. We’ll try it together. I’m
letting you into my life, Patrick Doyle, I’m giving
you my trust.”
“You’re giving your trust to someone who
leaves the next day?” I ask, incredulous.
“We’ll start by spending this night together. And
tomorrow we’ll think about the rest,” she says as
she takes my hand and asks me to follow her.
And I follow her upstairs, where she lays me on
the bed and lies next to me, hugging me and
reassuring me, warming me with her body and her
heart.
I rest my head on her chest and place a hand on
her stomach and she sighs. I caress her under her
shirt to feel her skin with my fingers, to feel this
life that is growing inside of her and that is asking
me to stay.
And I want to stay, damn it.
I really do.
Tonight and tomorrow morning.
And all of the days that are to come.
17
Erin
