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Like they belong beside each other.
Tears prickle at my eyes, and I feel so utterly pathetic I can’t even put it into words. The sight of jackets is making me want to cry. If this isn’t hormone-related, then my name isn’t Jacinthe Crawley.
It takes all my strength to gather myself together, and I finally mash my lips together and walk into the house. I hear his steps behind mine, quiet on the hardwood floors. He follows me to the kitchen, saying nothing as I put the kettle on and place a few stray dishes in the dishwasher.
When I finally hand him a cup of tea and lean against the kitchen counter, him leaning against the table shoved into the corner, I lift my eyes to his and let out a sigh. “So. You’re here.”
He flicks those blue eyes to me, sending another wave of heat crashing through my veins. “I know you said you wanted to break things off, but…” I watch his throat bob as he swallows hard. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Jazz. Not once.”
“You leaked pictures of me in bed with you.”
He puts his mug down, leaning his palms on the counter. “A staff member very close to me betrayed me. We’re pressing charges.”
“My reputation is destroyed.” My voice is tight. Words feel forced.
The truth is, I don’t much care about my reputation anymore. I care about the tiny heartbeat in my belly. About the kid whose father is standing across the kitchen from me, looking tortured and emotional and ugh, so damn handsome. Something about vulnerable men spilling their hearts open really does something for me, which I didn’t realize until right this moment.
Sighing, I drop my gaze from him. I take a deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut to remind myself of all the things I know to be true.
We can’t be together.
I don’t want my child to grow up as a royal.
I need my independence.
Silas is a prince.
Those things are incongruent. They don’t fit. Square peg, round hole. Never going to happen. I won’t give up my life and independence for him, even if I’ve already ruined my reputation. I won’t crawl back to him and beg him to take care of me. I won’t live off taxpayer money when I made a career of denouncing it.
We. Can’t. Be. Together.
No matter how good he looks in a tight navy sweater.
“I quit,” he says quietly, dragging his gaze to meet mine.
I frown. “You quit…your family?”
“I quit the royal life. Retired. Told my sister I’d move out of the castle and make a life on my own. She agreed to give me a stipend for now, but I’m hoping to start a business of my own.” He stares at me, his gaze full of fire. “Hopefully, something related to learning disabilities, but I’ll see what kind of investors I can reach out to, who might be interested in helping.”
He wants me to say something.
“You quit.” I repeat the words. They taste foreign and metallic in my mouth.
Silas stares at me across the island, blue eyes looking deeper and darker than I’ve ever seen them. “I wanted—” He shakes his head. “I needed to show you what you meant to me, Jazz. I don’t need to be a prince. I don’t need the perks of being royalty. I’ll give it all up, because I need…you.”
I was not expecting that. Nope. Not one bit.
My hand slides over my stomach as my heart starts to thump. Silence stretches between us as Silas stares at me, waiting for me to respond. But what can I say? How do I feel?
Nothing makes sense. All I know is my heart is thumping and I feel something a lot like hope blooming inside me.
He doesn’t want me to give up my life. He doesn’t want me to join his family.
He’s giving that up. For me!
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, hands shaking as I grip the countertop by my hips. My eyes are wide as I suck in a breath, waiting for the reaction. The shock. The recoil. The rejection.
Because isn’t that what I’ve been expecting? A rejection?
