Say You Want Me(27)

Because once upon a time when I believed in fairy tales, I was the girl who wanted to be married and have a family. I believed that it would happen, yet it never seemed right. No man seemed worthy of my time. No prince ever showed up, and I learned the hard way that a lot of men would treat me like shit, so I let go of that stupid dream and lived in reality. I built my own damn castle with really high walls. It was a fortress, sturdy enough to ensure I could never be hurt. Now, here Wyatt is with his cannon, finding ways to break my armor. He’s finding cracks in the foundation, and I have to stop him.

That girl can’t be uncovered.

That girl is stupid.

That girl will get her heart broken because this man only wants her because she’s pregnant.

“Because . . .” I trail off. “You’re . . . such an . . . Ugh! I don’t even know!”

Wyatt steps forward, and I have to lean back to see his eyes. The sun is setting behind me, shining on his face, and the way he looks at me . . . leaves me breathless. It’s as if I’m the center of his world. It reminds me of how Zach looks at Presley. “I’m doing what’s right. You can call me whatever you want. But you’re pregnant with my baby, and that means I’m takin’ care of you.”

“I’m completely capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been alone and been perfectly fine.”

“It means you belong with me,” he carries on as if I haven’t spoken. “I’m gettin’ pretty tired of explaining this to you. I’ve made it clear to you that I want to make whatever this is work. You’re so hell bent on doin’ this on your own that you won’t even see anything else. If I gave you space, it would solidify your point that you should stay away. You can do this on your own, I know that. But why would you want to? Why are you so adamant about being alone? Why won’t you see that there’s a whole lot of people who want to be a part of your life?”

“Because it never stays that way!” I yell and cup my hand over my mouth. A tear falls from my eyes as the truth comes out.

And there it is.

In my heart, I know why. He’s the kind of guy I want to want me. He’s strong, sexy, caring, and so much more. There are layers to Wyatt, and I want to peel back each one of them. It was why I kept finding ways to be around him when I visited. It was why I practically jumped at the chance to sleep with him. Because Wyatt makes me feel alive. He’s excavated the parts of me I’ve buried under sarcasm and attitude, the girl who wants a man to love her.

But fairy tales don’t come true.

People die.

And I’m destined to be forgotten.

Wyatt’s thumb brushes the tear away. “You’ve been through a lot of shit, but you haven’t actually dealt with it, have you?”

I shake my head. “No, you don’t get it, Wyatt. I’m happy. I’m genuinely happy alone. I like my life, my job, my apartment, and now everything is changing. I’ve kept things exactly the same because they work that way!” Another tear falls. “I don’t want to like you. But you’re making it impossible. You’re going to realize I’m a giant pain in the ass. I’m stubborn, and I won’t give up my life for a man. I can’t do it. Because when you do realize I’m not worth the effort—You’ll go.”

“I’m not leavin’ you. I’m not leavin’ my kid. You’re going to have to get used to that.”

“You don’t know that. You can’t possibly know that.”

He pulls me against his chest and holds me there. My fingers grip his shirt, and I hold on. I want to believe that he means it. But I’ve never had a guy stick it out with me. I’m moody, more so with a kid wreaking havoc on my hormones. There are girls like Presley who have epic loves, then there is me. I’m not the type of girl guys love. I’m the type they fuck and move on from. I’ve been fine with that. Happy even.

Wyatt lets out a deep sigh. “I’ll prove it.”

I sure hope so, because I could use a Prince Charming rather than the frogs I’ve been kissing.

We make it the rest of the way home without anymore outbursts. I mull over everything he said and try to put it into categories.

The reasons why I should keep myself guarded.

There’s all the pros of why I think Wyatt is great, which is slowly making the former column damn near obsolete.

My world has pretty much been flipped around, so it’s likely I’m a little off my game. Normally by now, I’d have found a hundred reasons why he’s the last man on earth I want to be with. It doesn’t usually take long. I find things annoying pretty quickly, but that list . . . is tiny.