So far, I haven’t lost much, but I will. And I’m afraid of what Sadie will think if I don’t have the sort of money that I did when we first met.
I’ll always be able to take care of her. I’m too rich to ever go back to being totally broke. But I don’t know if I’ll be as wealthy as she’s used to, and that makes me nervous.
One thing at a time, though. I pull up at the usual spot and wait. She’s not there, but I’m not surprised. She has to break out of her prison first. The thought of what her father has put her through makes me so angry I can barely breathe.
If she’s pregnant with my child, she’s not going back to them. No way in hell will she go back into that apartment without me. I’ll fight them all off for her, and I know I’ll win. Because Tillman wants to use Sadie as a pawn in his game, but I want to genuinely take care of her and make her happy.
After a few minutes pass, I start to get worried. But before I can pick up my phone and call her, I notice someone running toward me. It takes me half a second to realize that it’s Sadie.
She gets to my car, out of breath from running, and jumps inside.
“Go!” she yells.
“What?” I ask, grinning at her.
“They’re chasing me!”
I look into the rearview mirror and sure enough, two guys are running down the block.
I laugh and peel out, leaving them in my dust.
“I can’t believe they actually chased you.”
“I know, right?” She laughs, breathless and pink from exertion. She looks so fucking beautiful, and I suddenly realize with a pang that I may be looking at the mother of my child. “They were trying to get me to stay, but you were right. They didn’t touch me.”
I grin at her. “I’m impressed.”
“Me too. I didn’t know I could run so fast.”
I laugh and drive us back to my apartment where the tests are waiting. We talk about her escape as we go, though I can tell we’re both just trying to avoid the real subject. When I’m parked, we head upstairs. She drops her stuff on the kitchen island and bites her lip.
I can tell she’s afraid. I wrap my arms around her and pull her tight against me. It feels so fucking good to be touching her after this long, torturous month. I kiss her hard on the mouth, enjoying her, tasting her, not thinking about the real reason she’s here.
We enjoy the kiss for as long as it lasts, and finally she breaks away.
“I’m nervous,” she admits.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I’m here for you.”
“Do you…?” She trails off and looks at me expectantly.
“In the bathroom,” I say. “There are a few tests in there. I did some research, I think I got you the best tests.”
She nods, taking a deep breath. “Is it too early?” she asks.
“No,” I say. “I think they say a week is the most accurate, but six days should be fine.” I take her hands and squeeze. “Do you want me to come with you?”
She nods a little. “Yeah. It’s embarrassing but… I don’t want to be alone.”
I smile and kiss her softly. “I think I can handle you peeing a little bit.” I grab a small juice glass from the counter. “Here.”
She looks at it, confused. “For what?”
“Pee in there,” I say, laughing. “Then you dip the stick.”
“Oh,” she says, nodding. “Of course. Makes more sense than trying to pee on the stick.”
I kiss her one more time and then she goes into the bathroom alone. She pees into the glass, and when she’s done, she calls me inside.
We stare at the little glass of her urine. She opens the first box, dips in the stick, and then we wait.
It’s an agonizing wait. Neither of us speaks. She stares at the stick and I wish I could read her mind in this moment. I wish she could read mine as well, because that way she’d know that I’d never leave her no matter what.
When the test finishes and it confirms that she’s pregnant, I surprise myself by laughing.
She looks at me, a little wide-eyed. “Why are you laughing?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I think I’m happy.”
She looks surprised. “You’re happy?”
I nod, grinning. “You’re pregnant! I never thought I’d be a father but… god, I’m going to be a dad. And you’re going to be the mom.”
She bites her lower lip. “You’re not mad? Or afraid?”
“Of course I’m afraid,” I say. “But mad? Not even a little bit.” I grab her hips and pull her against me. “You’re my girl, Sadie. I told you I’d take care of you.”