Sweet relief flows through my veins as she slides her fingers against mine and tugs me toward the couch. She drops onto the corner cushion and tucks one leg under her so she’s facing me. I arrange myself on the low, uncomfortable couch in a similar way, so I can see her. The back of my hand brushes her knee and she inches closer.
“So, I have to ask, why does Emily seem to hate me now?”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, after Dex’s visit,” she slants an incredulous look at me, “she did a little Googling and uncovered some unflattering Lost Kings MC stories.”
I burst into harsh laughter. “Well, shit. Good to know our reputation still precedes us.”
She nudges me with her knee. “It’s not funny. She was worried you hired Dex to come find me. I had to explain that’s your club,” she whispers, as if she’s worried she did something wrong.
“I’m proud to be a King, honey. You don’t have to hide it. They’re my brothers. Dex wasn’t going to drag you up to the clubhouse or anything. I was just worried about you.” In hindsight maybe sending Dex here wasn’t the smartest choice.
She nervously bites her bottom lip and twists her fingers in her T-shirt, one that I recognize. The corners of my mouth lift. “Did you steal my shirt?”
Her eyes snap up to meet mine, like she’s worried I’m mad. “I like it. It smells like you.”
“Well, I’m sitting right next to you, now.” I slide my hand over the cushion and wrap it around her leg, tugging gently. “Come closer.”
She scoots a few inches.
“Closer.”
Her leg bumps up against mine.
“Closer.” I pull her into my lap. “That’s better.”
Stiff and unsure, she perches on my leg and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Did I do something wrong, Serena?”
“What? No. It’s me.” She touches her forehead. “I’m all messed up and needed to think.”
“You had me worried.”
Her body relaxes a notch, her weight sinking into me. She turns and finally looks at me. “I’m sorry.”
Serena
I feel lower than low. Unable to express what’s really wrong.
But oh, being in Gray’s arms is a flame melting away the ice-cold fear surrounding my heart since I saw those three positive tests.
He shifts, leaning forward to kiss my cheek.
“What did I tell you?” he rasps against my ear.
He slides his hand over my hip, splaying it over my belly. My heart rate speeds up.
“What?” My quivering whisper barely breaks the silence.
“You can’t run from me, Serena.” He pushes my hair out of my eyes. “I’d never hurt you for any reason. And I’ll always find you.”
I nod but can’t force any words out of my mouth. Gently, he tugs up my shirt and rests his palm against my stomach again.
Just like the day we met, I’m frozen in place when our eyes meet. “Are you really pregnant?” he asks.
There’s so much hope tied up in his quiet question.
Maybe this isn’t the disaster I thought it would be.
But I’m still cautious. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I found…those stick things. At the clubhouse. They were yours, right?” The spark of hope in his voice falters.
Oh. My. God. He found the tests? I can’t do anything right.
“You found them?” Heat crawls over my cheeks.
He huffs out a humorless laugh. “You didn’t exactly hide them, buttercup.”
How could I be so careless?
“Three of them. All positive.” He stares at me and the weight of the question he’s asking seems etched into every line of his face.
“Yes, I took the tests. I’m pregnant.” I hold my breath waiting for the inevitable “are you sure it’s mine” question.
But it doesn’t come. He curls his hand around mine, lifting it to brush his lips across my knuckles. “Thank you.”
Thank you.
“You’re not mad?”
“That we’re having a baby? Hell no.”
“You really…you want to do that with me?”
“Fuck, yes. I want to do everything with you.” His jaw ticks and he glances at my stomach. “Are you sure? Have you seen a doctor? I’m worried about getting my hopes up here.”
Getting his hopes up? “Not yet. I took several tests.”
“Yes, I know,” he answers dryly, “I found them, remember? Three sticks and no woman to give me the good news in person.”
“You…you think it’s good news?”
“The best.”
“But when I asked you…about having kids. You didn’t sound thrilled. At all.”
“When did you…oh, right. I was distracted with all that shit going on.” His voice falters. “I’ve always wanted a family. But I thought I missed my chance. At a certain point, I made my peace with it. Prison and all the time I lost stole the possibility of a family from me.”
Tears of shame slide down my cheeks. I can’t believe I handled this so badly. “So you’re happy about this?”
“Yes.” His jaw tightens. “Don’t you know me better than that by now? I take care of my responsibilities, Serena.”