Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness 2)

We pull apart when we hear somebody sniffling behind us. Turning around, we find Aimee wiping tears away from her face. "I'm sorry, I was studying but I heard and I just...that was so nice," she says with a cry before walking over and giving me a hug.

"Would you like to be a bridesmaid, Aimee?" I ask quietly against her shoulder.

She gasps loudly and backs away from me. "Hell yes!" she exclaims, making us laugh.

"Does this mean Greg's gonna be the best man?" Aubry asks.

My eyebrows shoot up. "Good question. I don't know, I didn't even tell Cole I was asking you to walk me," I reply with a shrug at the same time the doorbell rings.

"Well, I guess he'll find out now," Aubry murmurs as he walks off.

When he swings the front door open, Cole is standing on the other side with his arms folded at his chest. His lips form a grim line as he works his jaw and narrows his eyes at me. I smile and offer a small wave as I shift from foot to foot before he stomps over to me.

"Why the hell did you leave while I was in the shower? I thought you were going to run to the grocery store or something and then I find a little note that says you're coming to Aubry's! Were you gonna have a fucking sleepover without me too?" Cole fumes, his eyes boring into mine.

Sputtered laughter escapes my lips before I can hold it back. I bring my hands over my mouth to cover it, but it's futile since Aubry and Aimee join in, making me laugh even harder. "A sleepover, Cole? Really?" I ask in between laughs. "When have I ever had a sleepover that didn't involve you?"

His lips curl up, forming a slow smile and he raises an eyebrow as he strides to me. He tilts my chin to look at him and dips his head, placing soft kisses along my jaw until he reaches my ear. "That's a good question," he murmurs, making my eyes close and my body hum. "I like to think that your sleepovers only ever involved me," he rasps, nipping my earlobe and sucking it into his mouth, making a shiver run through me. "Did they?" he asks huskily, brushing his nose up and down my earlobe. "Was I the only man you ever let share a bed with you?" he continues, his voice making my heart go into overdrive, so much so that I have to remind myself to breath and that there are other people in the room with us.

"Cole," I breathe. "Please stop."

"What am I stopping?" he asks, making my breath hitch when he licks the shell of my ear.

I bite down on my lip to keep from making any embarrassing sounds in front of Aubry and Aimee, who I'm sure are enjoying the show.

"Please," I whisper.

Cole backs away and looks down at me, his green eyes twinkling as he flashes his smile and that darn dimple that makes me want to bite him and slap him at the same time. "Why'd you come over here without me?" he asks as he places a kiss on my parted lips. I begin to laugh when he continues. "Is it about where the wedding is gonna be? Aubry, by any chance do you know where this wedding is taking place?" Cole asks, tilting his head at Aubry.

My laughter instantly dies and I take off into a sprint toward Aubry, jumping on him to cover his mouth with both hands. "Don't you dare say anything, big mouth!" Aubry's body shakes in laughter under mine, and he bites the inside of my hand, making me yelp and let go. "Ouch! Bastard!" I yelp, punching him on the arm.

"My lips are sealed!" Aubry says, still laughing as he pulls me into his side and ruffles my hair.

"Let her go, dick," Cole warns playfully as he pulls me by the arm.

"His lips are sealed because I haven't told him the location," Aimee says, shaking her head. "I gotta go back to studying. Blake, I fucking hate you for not having to study this much."

She walks off, closing the door behind her and the three of us take a seat in the living room, Cole pulling me into his lap as soon as his ass hits the sofa and Aubry siting across from us.

"I came to ask him to walk me down the aisle," I say quietly, shifting my body to look at Cole.

He looks from me to Aubry and back to me before a smile appears on his face. "That's such a great idea, baby," he says, tucking my head under his chin.

I fall asleep in his arms in the middle of the Cubs game they have on and wake up when he stands with me in his arms.

"I can walk," I mumble sleepily. "I'm not a baby."

He cradles me closer to his chest and I drift off again until my butt hits the seat of his passenger seat and I'm startled awake.

"We'll pick up your car tomorrow," he says before closing the door and walking to the driver's side.

I take a deep breath and pace around the bathroom as I wait. Ninety-seconds is a long time when you're waiting for such a vital answer. My heart picks up speed when I walk over to it and see that there's something written on the screen. I screw my eyes shut and bite down on my lip as I lift it up, not knowing what I want the answer to be in the first place. I take one last deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth and look down.

Pregnant :)

My hands begin to shake as I stare at the little screen in disbelief. The smiley face throws me off for a second. What if I didn't want to be pregnant? I think before a smile spreads over my face and a mixture of exuberant laughter and tears erupt from within me. I hop up excitedly, covering my mouth to keep my excited shrieks low. I open my sock drawer and hide the stick in the back before gathering up the opened box and throwing it in the bag to get rid of evidence. Cole isn't home, but I don't want to risk him finding out yet.

I walk to the kitchen with an extra bounce in my step and get the trash bag to take out while grabbing my phone to call Becky. I dial her number and shriek my news as soon as she greets me, jumping up and down enthusiastically at her answering scream.

"What made you take it?" she asks once we've calmed down.

I shrug. "I don't know. I was sleeping the majority of the day, my tits are extra sore, I feel gross all day even though I haven't thrown up, I haven't gotten my period in well over a month now!"

"I'm so excited!" she shrieks again. "What'd Cole say?"

"I haven't told him yet," I reply, biting down on my lip.

"Oh?"

"I think I'll tell him on our wedding night," I respond, wiping my free hand on my jeans.

"True and what a great wedding present! He's going to be so exciiiteeddd," she sings.

"I know," I reply with a laugh. "You want me to pick you up on Thursday?"

"Sure! We get in at noon so we should have plenty of time to shop before we leave for the hotel. Does he know where the reception is yet?"

"Nope," I reply with a smile. "Unless Big Mouth found out and told him."

Becky laughs. "Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him. You better not tell him you're pregnant unless you want Cole to find out in five minutes!"

I'm able to get some studying done before Cole gets home, but it doesn't occur to me that we have no dinner until I hear him walk in the door. I scramble to put my things away rapidly and greet him at the door, the smell of pizza stopping me dead in my tracks. Suddenly I feel like I haven't eaten in days and I quicken my steps, reaching him and taking the box out of his hands. Before I even have time to process what I'm doing, I place it on the kitchen counter, open it, and take a big bite of a slice, my chewing only slowing down when I feel his eyes on me.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asks in his pissed off voice, making me look up to find him with his head tilted sideways as he squints at me with his arms crossed.

"Lunch," I reply before taking another bite. My eyes widen and I drop the pizza before quickly wiping my hands on a napkin. "Ohmygod, I'm sorry! I didn't even say hi!" I scoot between the stools and go around the counter to wrap my arms around him, nuzzling into his chest. "Hi baby, thank you for the pizza and for always smelling so good. I missed you and I love you."

His answering chuckle vibrates through my body, coiling my insides and instantly making me want him. I run my hands flat on his hard chest up to his tie and untie it while looking up at him and licking my lips. I see the way his throat bobs when he swallows and his eyes darken as he watches me slowly undo the buttons o

n his dress shirt.

"Remind me to bring you pizza every night," he says hoarsely, roaming his hands all over my back and down the sides of my body before reaching back up and cupping my sensitive breasts. I throw my head back with a moan, placing my hands on the waistband of his pants as he continues to massage my breasts over the thin material of my cotton shirt. "No bra. I approve," he murmurs, dipping his head and flicking my hard nipple with his tongue.

Pleasure shoots through me and he wraps his arms around my back, bringing me flush against him as he places feather kisses over my neck working up to my jaw and finally landing on my mouth with a searing kiss. He backs away a few inches and rubs his nose against mine before sighing a breath and gazing into my eyes.

"I missed you too," he whispers against my lips. "Let's eat so we can finish what we started."