“No. I’m pleased it is. I love her. You see it as a curse, and even I saw it as a curse before. These feelings, they’re not made up. It’s not based around lust. They are real, and it’s what makes every second of pain worth it.”
Pulling up outside his parents’ house, he keyed in the code that allowed him entry. Driving down the long road, he exited the car. This was it. He was going to see his woman. One week he’d stayed away, checking on her through phone calls. He hadn’t heard her voice in so long. Damn, he wanted her.
Entering the house, he made his way toward the kitchen, only to find the house was empty.
His cell phone started to ring. Abel pulled it out of his pocket and saw his father was calling him.
“Why are you in my house?” Maddox asked.
“Where’s Harper?”
“She went to go and see a friend. Your mother and Tamsin are spending the day with me, so Bruce escorted her.”
“How was she?”
“She was looking sick but healthy. Your mother believes she’s pregnant,” Maddox said.
Abel paused, taking a seat on the steps outside of the home that he’d grown up in. “Pregnant?”
“I thought that was what you were hoping for?”
“It is.”
“Good. Then I would advise you buy a pregnancy test. She’s constantly getting sick, and the scent of coffee offends her, as does the smell of fish. Let us know if you’ll be making us grandparents as well.”
His father h
ung up. Damian came to stand beside him. “Is everything okay?”
“My woman may be pregnant.”
“I thought that was what you wanted?”
“It was, but what about her? What if she doesn’t want a kid by me?” Abel ran his hands down his face, cleaning the sleep away. “You know what, I’ll handle it. Whatever trouble comes, I’ll handle it.”
“Are we heading toward her apartment?” Damian asked.
“Yeah, we’re going there now.”
****
“You’re pregnant?” Harper asked.
“Yeah. I went to the doctor, and he confirmed it with a blood test. I wouldn’t believe those packet things. I had one that was a false negative.” Betty blew her nose. Tears fell down her cheeks, and Harper grabbed a tissue to dab at her own tears. “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”
“I took a test. It read negative,” Harper said.
“I did the same, but I got worse.”
“If you were with Damian, doesn’t that mean you’re, like, four months along?”
“We hooked up a couple of months ago. I’m only two months along. I don’t know what to do. This was not in my plans, and I’m scared, Harper. What do I do?”
The doorbell sounded, and Harper got to her feet to go and answer. Lara was at class, but Betty had called her, begging for her to come over. She had stopped off to get some pastries, and now she wished she had taken another pregnancy test.
Opening the door, she gasped. Abel stood before her, and he looked … a mess. His hair was all over the place. His jacket was creased, and his shirt had a ketchup stain down it. At least, she hoped it was a ketchup stain.
“Harper.” He spoke her name, and she couldn’t help it. She went into his arms, breathing in his scent. The moment he touched her, she just knew everything was going to be okay. He calmed her in ways no one else could.