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“I love you,” I whisper.
He breaks out into such a big grin my hands are shifted to the side. “God, that sounds so beautiful coming out of your mouth.”
Grinning, I kiss him, relieved to finally let him in. An overwhelming mixture of joy and uncertainty washes over me.
“What do we do next?”
Chapter Fifteen
Phoebe
“First, we need to get you ready for finals this week.”
I shake my head and roll the edge of the comforter between my fingers. “I’ve kind of given up on finals.”
Ben stills my hand, scooting closer to me. “You don’t have to give up everything you’ve worked for, Phoebe.”
“But I do. I can’t have a baby and be this far from home for another year. I’m moving back to Washington as soon as I get this room packed.”
“No.” Ben glances around the room and rolls his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’m moving to Connecticut.”
I sit up a little too fast and grab my stomach, woozy with nausea. “No. You can’t.”
“And you can’t miss finals. Have you studied?”
“Yeah, I’ve studied all semester. But I’ve barely had enough energy to make breakfast.”
“I’ve got breakfast covered.”
“Why?”
He scowls and smooths the blanket over my legs. “Why what?”
“Why are you being so nice? For all you know, I tricked you into this.”
The lines on the pregnancy test Lani made me take are burned into my eyes so permanently it’s all I see when I try to sleep. Apparently, the pill can fail for some people and I’m one of those people. The last thing I want Ben to think is that I tricked him. But he has to be suspicious.
“I don’t think you tricked me. If you did, you’re doing a horrible job trying to get something out of it.” He smirks, and I ignore the way it warms my heart.
I don’t want to be reminded of how great we are together. Of how easily he makes me laugh. I definitely don’t want to admit to him—or myself—how nice the thought of him being in this baby’s life sounds.
“This was my mistake—you don’t need to be burdened by it.”
Ben’s eyes narrow, and he gets to his feet, towering over me at his full height. “Phoebe—” His voice cracks and I feel about two inches tall. “Don’t you ever, ever, refer to my child as a mistake.” He drops back onto the bed, resting his hand gently on my belly that’s more bloated from nachos than anything else. “Last time I checked, we both made this baby. I won’t let you be some martyr, keeping me from my child.”
I gulp, a little turned on by this aggressive side of Ben. “I’ll be in Clover Creek. It’ll be up to you whether or not you see the baby. I won’t keep anyone from anyone.”
“I’m not your father,” he murmurs, softly stroking my arm. “Let me into your life and I’m not going anywhere.”
It’s tempting. More tempting than I thought it would be, as I ignored his calls. Elijah told me to talk to Ben and assured me I’d be surprised by his answers, but I couldn’t trust him.
But now? Seeing him here in Connecticut? The raw honesty in his words shifted something in my heart.
“Don’t give up on your dreams, Phoebe. I promise you we can make it work with me moving to Connecticut—money isn’t an issue—”
Shaking my head, I rustle up the courage to admit something to him I can hardly admit to myself. “I want to move back to Washington. I hate it here. The only reason I’m here is to prove something to everyone. To myself.”
“What’s that?”
