He hugs me, watching our best friends. “I think they look really happy.”
I turn my face so my mouth touches the side of his. “We are too.”
Jakob chuckles, nodding. “We were happy before them,” he says with a kiss. “When you finally gave in to me.”
I lean my nose into his cheek. I don’t know if it’s the place, the ambiance, or what, but I’m feeling such strong emotions. Overpoweringly in love. “I’m sorry I made you work so hard for me.”
He kisses my cheek. “Best thing I ever worked for.”
I grin. “Even better than the NHL?”
“Way better. This is life, kiska. Life.”
Man, he makes it really hard to breathe. “I love you, Jakob.”
“I love you, my love,” he says with a wink, and when he brings me in closer, I lean into him. I rise up on my toes, ready to kiss him, but he doesn’t meet me. “So, I went to your car to get my night meds I had asked you to bring me, and I saw the bag on the passenger seat. Actually, it was the Skittles I saw. And you know…Skittles.”
In that instant, everything stops. I know why I’ve been feeling a certain way all day. Actually, it’s been more than a few days, but I sure as hell wasn’t ready to face it. Or discuss it with Jakob yet.
“I saw the test.”
I swallow hard, leaning into him to hide my face. “Yeah.”
“You think so?”
I press my lips together as I snuggle my nose into his neck. “I’m eight days late.”
“That’s over a week,” he says slowly, and I feel his heart rate pick up in speed. “So, more than likely, you are?”
I swallow hard. “I don’t know,” I say breathlessly. I refuse to cry. Why cry? We’re the ones who were banging without condoms. We’re the ones who weren’t careful and never even seemed to think of the repercussions. Nope, we were just having sex with no cares whatsoever. Well, we had cares—getting off—but no concerns about what could happen.
I feel his hand in mine before I realize he is pulling me out of the room. There are people everywhere—Elli has the biggest family imaginable, and even my family is here. He somehow dodges everyone, and when we start up the stairs, I find myself asking a question I already know the answer to. “Where are we going?”
“To the bathroom,” he says, and then he pulls the test out of his pocket. “It’s test time.”
My stomach drops. “Now?”
“Now. Right now.”
And for the first time, I can’t read him. Is he happy? Scared? Mad? I don’t know. I do know that I’m a lot terrified and unsure what is about to happen. We go into a room, opening the door with a keycard he apparently had. “I got this for us.”
I would usually be all excited and thinking how sweet he is, but that test in his hand is taunting me. He locks the door behind us, and I take the test from him. “I’ll be back—”
“Ha. Nope. We’re doing this together.”
He takes the test and starts to open it as I walk into the bathroom. I pull up the skirt of my costume as he hands me the stick for me to pee on. I sit on the toilet and look up at him as I pee. “Wow, a glimpse into our future.”
He laughs. “It’ll be the best part of my day. Watching you pee.”
“Well, if it is positive, we’ll be teaching someone else to pee in a toilet.”
“Again,” he says, stealing my attention, “it’ll be the best part of my day.”
A warm feeling burns throughout me as I put the stick on the sink and wipe. When I stand, he comes over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his head on my shoulder as I wash my hands. I’m pretty sure the test showed positive before I even set the stick down. I just tried to ignore it. I feel his intake of breath when he realizes what we’re looking at. Tears flood my eyes, and I close them tight.
“Are you happy?” he asks, and I find myself smiling.
“I am.”
“Good, because I am too, kiska. Honestly. I couldn’t ask for anything better,” he says, and then he turns me in his arms, kissing me hard on the lips. I’m terrified, but I feel safe in his embrace. With him. As we kiss, my body is vibrating with energy. I really don’t know how I got here.
But hell if I’m not thankful this is where I am.
For Real? For Real.
Jakob
I lie between Harper’s legs, my head on her pelvic bone as I run my fingers along her stomach while she’s on the phone. She doesn’t have a bump, and no one knows or even suspects she’s pregnant, but I know. I know my baby is growing inside the love of my life. Talk about punching you in the stomach and it feeling damn good. I swear she is glowing, and every single fiber of my being is in love with her. I just want to stare at her and tell her how gorgeous I think she is. I know she is nervous, that she is scared, even, but I’ve got her. I’ve got her the way she had me when I got hurt.
She’s my favorite team member.
I move my finger in circles as I watch her talk. “I told you we were looking. Just because you have commitment issues doesn’t mean I do,” she says to Elli. I guess it’s hard for Elli to wrap her mind around the fact that we’re buying a house together. Unlike her, and probably Harper, I knew from the jump that this would happen. I didn’t plan the baby this soon—I thought maybe we’d have some years just us two—but this is a surprise I wanted. I was hoping we would be married and all that jazz first just so our parents wouldn’t be disappointed, but I don’t care. Nothing and no one can take this joy from me.
I have it all.
“Great. I’ll text you the address.”
She hangs up and looks down at me as she types something quickly. “She’s being difficult and acting as if just because she doesn’t want to commit, that I can’t. I mean, I get it. I was very resistant, but then I almost lost you—”
“I tore my MCL. Hardly almost lost me,” I say dryly. “Won’t be the last time either.”
She visibly ignores that comment and says, “It felt like I was losing you when I couldn’t speak to you. And like I said, that woke me up. I refuse to live without you.”
I cup her waist in my hands. “Right back atcha.”
“Especially now that you’ve knocked me up.”
I chuckle. “You weren’t going anywhere before that either.”
She shrugs. “Probably not.” She exhales heavily as she closes her eyes, and I watch her. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I’m seeing her for the first time. Like she’s brand-new and all mine. “I feel you staring at me.”
“Well, you’re so beautiful.”
She winces. “I’m pretty sure I still have puke in my hair.”
“You don’t.”
She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath. She reaches up, cupping my face. “We need to get ready.”
“In a few,” I say softly, leaning into her hand. “Are we telling Shea and Elli today?”
She doesn’t even hesitate. “No. Not yet.”
I bring in my brows. “Why not?”
“I want to wait to tell people,” she says slowly, her eyes searching mine.
“Why? Do you want to be married first?”
“No. That’s not it at all,” she says, waving me off. “I wouldn’t ask that of you. It’s fine.”
“Do you want to get married?”
“Are you asking?”
I grin. “I might be.”
She shakes her head. “I want you to ask me because you want me.”
“Well, that—”
“Jakob, not now,” she says softly, her eyes holding mine. “I’m just worried is all.”
“Worried?”
Now she hesitates, her eyes locking with mine. “I lost two babies before.”
I narrow my eyes. “With who? And why didn’t you tell me this?” I sit up, getting on my knees. “I thought you didn’t have relationships.”
She sits up too, holding up her palms to me. “I didn’t. I really didn’t.”
“But you were with someone to have a baby?”
She gives me a look. “We both know I was not a saint before you, Jakob. Come on.”
My eyes burn into hers. “When?”
“I got pregnant in high school, but I lost it almost immediately. At the time, it was for the best since I wasn’t ready. Plus, the guy cheated on me a couple days later, so that was awesome.”
What a dick, but I’m still annoyed I’m just learning of this. We’ve been together a while, and she never mentioned anything.
“Then I got pregnant again a couple years ago, and when I told the guy, he left me. And right when I decided to do it on my own, I lost the baby.”
“I wouldn’t leave you.”
She cups my neck, holding me close. “Oh, I know, Jakob. I know that.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you tell me before now?”
She looks away, pulling up her shoulders. “I don’t know. We’ve never spoken about kids, and I don’t like talking about it.”
“But it’s me,” I say. My feelings are hurt. “I’ve told you everything.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I think it’s because I thought I couldn’t have kids and you’d leave me.”