Stolen Course(69)

“So let me get this straight. You love me, and I’m it for you, but you don’t want to get married?” The anger—and if I’m not mistaken, fear—paints his face. “For Christ’s sake, we’re having a baby, Emma.” The lack of my nickname suddenly makes me realize that this is really fucking serious, but he also just hit the nail on the head. We’re having a baby.

“And?”

“Ms. Erickson, we’re ready for you,” the nurse calls from behind Caleb.

“Can we please talk about this later?” I whisper-yell, standing to head for the nurse.

“I’ve got to get out of here.” He begins to walk away, but I grab his arm, stopping him.

“What is wrong with you? You can’t just leave me here.”

“I just got a really fucking bad case of déjà vu.” He pulls his arm away and walks past the nurse and out of the room.

Stunned, I look around the room, trying to figure out what just happened. Did he really just walk out and leave me here alone? Yep. Completely alone.

“Ms. Erickson?” the nurse repeats, but I’m rooted to the ground.

I can’t go in there alone. I needed Caleb to lean on, but he just walked out the door with no explanation. It was a fight. Not the end of the world. Yet here I stand, abandoned because Caleb needed to pout like a child. I don’t think I have ever been so hurt in my life.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” I walk forward to meet her. I’m so angry at him I can’t even bring myself to cry.





NO. NO fucking way am I doing this again. I will not, under any circumstances, beg another woman to marry me. Not even Emma, no matter if she is carrying my child. I will not be sucked into that black hole of heartache again. Once was way more than enough.

How is it even remotely possible for two people to talk as much as Emma and I do yet still be completely confused about where we are in our relationship? I may not have given her a proper proposal, but I sure as shit expected an overwhelming yes. I didn’t really mean to propose at all, but if I have to listen to them call her Ms. Erickson one more time, I am going to lose my ever-loving mind. I told her a month ago that she was it for me, and I meant it. However, Emma obviously meant something completely different. I know we haven’t been together long, but I know without a doubt, I want Emma to be my forever—just not enough to beg for it. I’ve been there and done that, and I’ll never fucking go back.

Forty-five minutes later, Emma finally walks out of the doctor’s office. The anger on her face matches my own.

“Take me to Sarah’s,” she says, climbing into the truck.

I try to respond calmly, but my voice is still raw from her rejection. “No. We are going home. We need—”

“I want you to listen to me very carefully, Caleb,” she interrupts me while staring out the front window—not even bothering to look at me. “I will not argue with you. I will not debate this. I will not even pretend to entertain a conversation, explanation, or apology from you. I just experienced the scariest moment of my life alone because you ‘needed to get out of there.’ Did it ever occur to you to think about what I might need? Because newsflash—I just needed you. You know what? Fuck it. Go home. I’ll call a cab.” She snatches open the door, and just as quickly as she got in, Emma gets out.

I don’t have it in me to chase her anymore. For once in my fucking life, I don’t want to have to fight for a future. Life’s a struggle—I get that—but finding, loving, and marrying a woman should not be this damn difficult.

I watch as she paces the sidewalk in front of my truck for twenty minutes. I’m not about to leave her here, but I’m absolutely not willing to plead for her to come home. I’ll make sure she’s safe, but that’s about all I have in me right now.

I instantly recognize the BMW that pulls up. Brett’s tall body unfolds out then rounds the hood of my truck. He’s got that fucking look in his eye. He’s always pissed at me about something, but he can just take a number and get in line as far as I’m concerned today.

Brett leans in the passenger’s side door. “You want to tell me why you are here sitting in your truck but Jesse just called me to come pick up your pregnant girlfriend?”

“Nope,” I answer shortly, not taking my eyes off Emma as she heads for his car.

“Jones, I don’t know what is going on with your two. This hot-and-cold bullshit has got to stop. You two are having a baby. This is bigger than Sarah. Whatever spat you two had—”

Just as Emma closes the door to his car, I swing my head over to face him. “I asked her to marry me, and she said no.”