“The next day, he came home and told me to get an abortion. I was shocked at his callousness and pointed out it was far too late for that, and even if it weren’t, I wasn’t harming my child. He said we’d have to put it up for adoption, then, and tell people it had died. It. He kept referring to my baby as an it. My beautiful little girl as an it—as if she were nothing. All because of a missing limb.”
I had to keep my hands tight to my sides. I wanted to punch something to release the anger I was feeling. What a bastard.
“I told him to go fuck himself. He walked out. The next time we saw each other was across the table with our lawyers. I accepted his settlement, he signed away his rights, and I never looked back. I found a job, had Lucy, and eventually, met Beth. We became each other’s family.”
I knew there was more to her story than she was saying. More details, more fears, and more trauma. But I also knew she was getting near the end of her rope. Her voice had become thicker, and she curled in on herself, as if warding off the emotion.
I had to touch her. To hold her close and break the chains of her past. Turning, I scooped her up, settling her on my lap.
“Your ex was an asshole. A complete and total bastard. He didn’t deserve you or Lucy. And he was wrong on so many levels, Sweet Pea.”
She looked up at me, furrowing her brow.
“He was no better than the kids who bullied Evan. You were vulnerable, and instead of helping, he kicked you when you were down. All the words he said to you? All the nasty names and the neglect? That’s on him. Not you. Something I’ve found is that bullies hate themselves and take it out on people around them. He picked on you because you were everything he was not.”
I held her closer. “You are beautiful, Paige. You’re warm, kind, an awesome mother, an incredible human being.”
She opened her mouth then closed it.
“And you’re sexy. So sexy, it boggles my mind. Your eyes are like the sky on a lazy summer’s day, the blue soft and warm. I love everything about you. How thick your hair is and how it feels between my fingers. Your skin is like silk, and I love to touch it. I love how you smile. It lights up my chest. Your curves drive me wild. And I love the fact that you’re shorter. You’re easier to pick up and carry around.”
That earned me a little giggle, the corner of her mouth quirking in amusement.
“I can’t erase what he said, but I can tell you this. It was all bullshit. To make himself feel better, he had to make you feel bad. And his behavior over Lucy? I would like to find him and beat him senseless.” I paused. “But in the end, I won, because I got you and her.” I ran a finger down her cheek. “I plan to never let you go.”
“Liam,” she whispered.
“How I feel won’t change. How I treat you won’t change. I’m not him.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I know it’s scary for you, Paige, but I’m going to lay it on the line. I love you. It’s as simple and complex as that. I don’t care if it’s been a week, a month, or a year. I love you. You and Lucy are going to be my world. Somehow, I’m going to prove that to you.”
For a moment, there was silence. She blinked.
“You don’t have to say it back. I’ll wait for you. Anything you need is yours. All you have to do is ask.”
“Anything?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Anything.”
“Hold me,” she pleaded.
I wrapped her closer, and she flung her arms around my neck. I breathed in her flowery scent, drawing it deep into my lungs.
There was so much I didn’t say. So much I didn’t tell her. That I planned to marry her. Make Lucy mine. Keep them both safe and happy always. I wanted to tell her she would never worry about money, love, or anything again. She would have it all as long as she was mine.
Instead, I let my embrace soothe her. I had a feeling she’d been needing this for a long time.
She pressed her lips to my ear, her wet cheek warm against my skin. “I love you too, Liam Callaghan. So very much.”
My eyes filled with tears, and I pulled her closer.
That was what I needed.
Chapter Seven
Liam
Paige cried herself out in my arms, her sobs muffled in my chest as I held her tight. I didn’t try to hush her. I didn’t croon and tell her everything was okay. She needed to let it out, and as much as it hurt me to hear her sobs, I needed to let her. When the last of the painful sounds faded away and she drooped in my embrace, I brushed the hair away from her damp skin and peered down at her.