Chapter Seven
DREW
She was going to be a mother. I’d finally given her something good and pure. Something untainted by my world that could be raised in any world she deemed fit.
Ayda was going to be a mother.
I was going to be a dad.
The minute her words fell against my lips, I reached up and gripped her hair tightly, holding her mouth to mine and sealing our moment with a kiss so true and heartfelt, it made my skin prickle. Her tears were against my cheeks, and I released her slowly, pulling back to take a look at her beautiful face.
A tear I could no longer hold back fell and rolled over my rough cheek while I stared into her pretty blue eyes.
“We’re having a baby,” I croaked.
“We’re going to be parents.” She sounded stunned. Her hands landed on my shoulders, and a radiant smile blossomed over her face. “We made a life.”
“I’m ready,” I said, without any hesitation or reservations. I was ready. I was ready to have something I could call my own, something I could nurture and protect in a way that didn’t require me going to war. Now I would have something that would ground me and remind me that life deserved more thanfighting. It deserved peace, and it deserved respect. “I’m ready to do this with you.”
“I can’t imagine ever doing this with anyone else. I didn’t know I wanted this but now...” She gave me another broad grin. “I can’t imagine not wanting it.”
I released a small huff of laughter and shifted, pushing up until I was standing over her and brushing her hair away from her face. Even beat up and bruised, she was perfect to me, but the wounds of that battle would be the last she’d ever have on her skin.
On my life, they would be the last.
Pulling her to stand with me, I wrapped my arms around her and rested my chin on her shoulder, just needing to hold her tight. She felt tiny in my arms, but the responsibility I felt holding her, and now my child, made my heart want to break free from its chest and shout to the world how fucking happy it was.
I’d never felt anything like this before.
Not with this much power.
“Just promise me one thing,” I breathed over her shoulder, emotion closing my throat up tightly.
“Anything,” she whispered.
“Promise me this is my baby and not Harry’s. I know how close you two were.”
Ayda’s laugh came as a sputter before her forehead landed on my shoulder, and she unraveled. Her laughter had her shaking in my arms, and took a while to die down, her words coming as a guffaw. “I promise.”
I laughed, too, because I had no fucking idea what else to do. The tension was cut right on time, stopping me from choking on my own heart and falling to the floor. I’d never felt such a twisted combination of weak and empowered all at once.
Without another thought, I picked her up, wrapping myarms around her and spinning her around in a circle as carefully as I could. My head fell back, and I looked up at the ceiling, my happiness pouring out of me before I pressed a hard kiss to her head.
“Thank you,” I told her sincerely. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“You’re half responsible for this. I should be the one thanking you.”
Planting her back on her feet, I held her and looked down into my favorite blue eyes. “You’re welcome. Now tell me that you’re okay. Tell me what we do next.” I inhaled slowly. “Tell me where we go from here because I don’t have a clue, Ayda.”
“I’m perfect.” Her voice was wistful but honest. She meant it. “As for the rest, I’m as clueless as you are. What I do know is that I need to see a doctor at some point. We probably need to talk about how we deal with this when it comes to our current situation, but aside from that, I was hoping you had all the answers. You normally do.” She winked playfully.
I brought my hands around to her flat stomach, resting the heels of my palms together and creating a cradle for my child growing in there. The thought and idea of it was unimaginable. A miracle brought to the hands of a man who had done so much harm and brought so much pain to the world.
Maybe second chances were real after all.
“First thing I’m going to do is get you a doctor,” I told her. “Doc can be here in no time, and we’ll get you checked over. I need to know everything’s okay right now. Once I know you’re good, I’m going to figure out a way to get shit out there sorted, get the men out of this mess we’re in again, and make sure the life we’re bringing this child into is one we’re proud to call our own. Andthendo you know what I’m going to do, Ayda?”
“I have no earthly idea.”
