She did.
“Whatever comes next, whatever we find out, we will deal with it.” Sloan assured her however he could. “We are a team.”
When she remained silent, just staring at him with that lost look in her eyes, he knew she had doubts, and he understood. Words were easy. Promises were easy. Becky needed more than that, and he would give it to her. Every day. Every hour. For as long as it took.
“I mean it.” His thumb brushed over her cheek. “You don’t carry this alone.”
Becky leaned into him then, her forehead pressing against his as she cried, and Sloan held her there, breathing her in, letting her break because he would be strong enough for both of them until she could stand on her own again.
CHAPTER 12
Becky woke slowly, her eyes searching for Sloan, but he was gone. She stayed still for a moment, waiting to see if the nausea would hit before she moved. So far, nothing.
Slowly, she sat up, her gaze landing on the table beside the bed. Tears filled her eyes as a small smile tipped her lips.
A glass of water and a package of crackers sat there.
During their long talk last night before she fell asleep, she had told Sloan that when she was pregnant with Frankie, it had been the only thing that helped with the nausea when she first woke up. He had asked her so many questions about her pregnancy with Frankie that it had surprised her, but then Sloan seemed to do that a lot.
He surprised her in ways she hadn’t expected, in ways that slipped past her defenses before she even realized they were there. It wasn’t just the big things, the moments that demanded attention. It was the quiet ones, like this, where he listened, remembered, and acted without needing to be asked.
Becky reached for the crackers, her fingers trembling slightly as she picked them up. Something so simple meant so much to her. It shouldn’t have brought fresh tears to her eyes, but it did.
She pressed the package to her chest for a second, closing her eyes as fresh tears slipped free. She was one big emotional mess.
Just as the warmth of Sloan’s thoughtfulness settled in her chest, reality pushed its way in, ugly and cruel.
Sloan believed her. He knew she hadn’t betrayed him, and that meant more than she would ever be able to put into words. But what about everyone else? What would they think when they found out? How would they look at her? At him?
The thought made her stomach twist, and this time it had nothing to do with nausea.
She could already feel it, even though no one knew yet. The questions. The silence that would fall when she walked into a room. The quick glances people thought she wouldn’t catch. The pity she didn’t want and the judgment she wasn’t sure she could survive by people she cared deeply for.
And Sloan would see it too. That was what made her throat tighten until it hurt.
Sloan was the leader of the VC Warriors. Respected and feared. Untouchable in a way very few men ever could be. What would this do to him? To the way they saw him? Would they pity him? Whisper behind his back? Wonder if his mate had betrayed him?
Her fingers tightened around the crackers until the package crinkled in her hand.
She could handle people looking at her differently. At least she thought she could. She had survived enough in her life to know people’s opinions didn’t have to break her.
But Sloan?
The thought of anyone looking at Sloan like he was less once the truth became impossible to hide made anger flare through the fear. He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve one whispered word, sideways glances, or doubt from anyone because of something he had no control over.
None of this was his fault, yet somehow, she knew he would blame himself. Because that was Sloan. He carried more than any man should.
And now this.
Becky looked down at the crackers in her hand, her smile gone now. Last night, Sloan had told her they would do this together, and she believed him. She did. But believing him didn’t stop the fear from crawling back in. It didn’t stop the sick ache in her chest when she thought about what together would cost him.
She wanted this baby. The thought came so suddenly that it stole her breath.
Her hand moved to her stomach before she could stop it. She didn’t know how that could be true. Didn’t know if she was allowed to feel this way after everything. But there it was, soft and terrifying and very real. A part of her already wanted to protect the life inside her, even while another part of her wanted to scream at the unfairness of how it had happened.
Pushing those thoughts aside for right now, Becky opened the crackers and took one out before placing the package back onthe table. Taking a small bite, she sat cross-legged on the bed as she looked around the bedroom. Sloan had sold his apartment downtown by the river and bought them a house on fifty acres outside of the city. It was beautiful, quiet, and she loved it here. They had made a home that she was proud of.
It still amazed her sometimes that Sloan had so easily parted with his apartment. He had been perfectly fine in the city with the noise, the river, and the compound close enough that he could be there in minutes. That life had fit him. But then he had brought her here, to a place with trees, open land, and room to breathe. He told her to make it theirs, which is exactly what she did.
