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Tears started spilling down her cheeks. “Yes,” she whispered. “You just met Camden, your son.”
I strode forward, closing the distance between us as my own face became wet with tears. When I reached for the mother of my child, the woman I’d never stopped loving, she threw herself into my arms and we both broke into sobs.
“Why?” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you know I would have come home?”
Pulling back, Sami looked at me in surprise. “I was there, Cord! I went to see your mother when I found out I was pregnant, and she called you! She told you about the baby and said that you didn’t want anything to do with it, or me, ever again.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “That never happened. She never called me. I didn’t know.”
“Oh my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth and her body shook as sobs overcame her. I tightened my grip around her waist, knowing she would have fallen to the ground if I wasn’t there to hold her up.
“Can we go somewhere?” I asked, catching sight of a sudden movement in the window of the house.
“Yes,” she nodded. “Come home with me?”
“I’ll drive,” I said as my heart soared.
Chapter Eight
SAMI
We fell onto my bed in a tangle of arms, legs, and kisses. Was this really happening? Cord’s hand reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The touch sent sparks flying through me, but I couldn’t let myself feel like this. Not after this long. Could I? Was it safe for me to let go and trust him again?
“I always wanted a family,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I thought you knew that, Sami. I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me about the baby yourself.”
I swallowed hard, forcing down the lump that had formed in my throat. “I know we talked about getting married and having kids someday. But I also knew how important going to college was to you. I was so afraid to tell you I was pregnant, especially since you had just left. I never wanted to be the reason you didn’t get your degree.”
His gaze held mine, intense and unyielding. It was like he was peeling back the layers of my defenses, leaving me raw and exposed before him. And yet, the touch of his gaze was so achingly familiar.
“Maybe I could have handled it better,” I admitted, my voice trembling. The admission tasted bitter on my tongue.
He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me gently.
“Baby, you did the best you could. It wasn’t your fault that my mother lied. I’ll deal with her later. Right now, I want to make up for all the years I’ve been away from you. If you’ll let me.”
He hesitated, seeming to grapple with a whirlwind of emotions. His fingers traced a path along my jawline, igniting a trail of fire in its wake. And then his other hand came up to cradle my face, forcing me to meet his gaze head-on. His fingers were warm and tender against my skin, and I found myself lost in the man I never stopped loving—no matter how hard I had tried.
“I missed you, you know,” he continued, his voice a careful blend of longing and regret. He was so close. I could feel his hot breath against my lips.
Tears welled up again in my eyes, threatening to spill over yet again. I was surprised I had any left, but the longer I lay in Cord’s arms, realizing this wasn’t a dream, the more all the feelings I’d kept bottled up tumbled out. “I missed you too,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Every single day.”
He let out a shaky laugh. “I just wish…I just wish I had done things differently. Knowing what I do now, I would have tried harder. I would have showed up on your damn doorstep.”
His thumb gently wiped away a tear that had escaped its confines and was making a path down my cheek. My heart pounded in my chest as he dipped his head lower until our lips were just a breath apart. The air between us was electrifying, as if we were standing on the precipice of something monumental.
“I wish I had fought for us,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
My heart squeezed painfully at his words. “We were young,” I said, softening my tone in an attempt to soften the blow. “We made mistakes. God, we were barely adults and didn’t know what to do.”
He nodded, an acknowledgement of our shared past, our shattered dreams.
“But we’re here now, and things are different.” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.
I nodded, not trusting my voice to cooperate. His hand slid from my cheek to my hair, fisting gently in the loose curls. His other hand slid down to hold my waist, pulling me closer to him until there was no space left between us.
The anticipation was almost unbearable, a tangible entity that stood between us like an unspoken promise. When his lips finally met mine, it was like coming home after a long time away. His lips were warm, intoxicating, a familiar taste that sent me spiraling down memory lane. I reached up, tangling my fingers in his hair as our mouths moved in sync, a dance we both remembered despite the years apart.
His kiss was soft, tender, a question hanging in the air. I answered with equal intensity, assuring him that this was what I wanted, what I had always wanted. His arms tightened around me, pulling my body flush against his. The feel of his heartbeat against mine was eliciting feelings I hadn't known were still there.
