Page 22 of Accidentally in Love

“Because you told me you’d never get married again. I’m not trapping you into a loveless marriage because we made a mistake one night, and now we have to live with the consequences!”

“Avs, please.”

She gestured to the ring in my outstretched hand. She took it but placed the box on the nightstand. “You’re gonna be a great father, but it doesn’t mean you have to force yourself into a marriage you don’t want.”

I’d forgotten I told her all that stuff about never wanting to get married again or how I wasn’t a settle-down kind of guy. That wasn’t true. I just didn’t think I deserved it. Until I met her. One small smile from Avery could pull me from the depths of the foulest of moods. She unearthed all those feelings I locked away after my divorce. She made me yearn for something more.

Her saying no to my proposal was like Kath ripping my heart out all over again. It reminded me why, before Avery, I drowned myself in casual hookups.

I stood up from my kneeling position. “You still want a ride home?”

She nodded, and I saw the emotions swirling across her face. I didn’t know what that expression meant. I steeled myself and threw on some clothes, trying not to think about how she crushed my heart into a million pieces. It wouldn’t have been a loveless marriage for me, but I wouldn’t force her into something she didn’t want.

I went down the steps and grabbed my keys while I waited for her. We drove across town in terse silence.

“Thanks,” she said in a quiet voice when I parked in front of her apartment.

I grunted in response.

She frowned but leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Do you want to come to my next prenatal appointment?”

“Yes.”

“Okay…” she muttered meekly. “I’ll call you later.”

She got out of the car without another word. I wasn’t sure why she sounded so sad. She was the one who rejected me.

I watched her cross the street and climb the stone steps until she reached the porch of the duplex. She waved, but I didn’t return the gesture. I waited until she was safely inside before I banged my head on the steering wheel.

I drove home to sleep off my anger until I had to go into the brewery. Hopefully, I could fix the fuck up that happened yesterday with the tank calibration. Allen, my right-hand brewer, had mentioned something to me previously, but I had waved him off, saying it was fine. It wasn’t fine, and now we were going to lose a lot of money because we had to dump a whole batch of beer.

When I got to the brewery, I was my usual grouchy self all day. Someone must have told Declan I was in a shit mood because he made me take a break with him in the office.

“Dude, what’s your problem?” he asked through a mouthful of fries.

I picked at my food. “I asked Avery to marry me this morning.”

He stared open-mouthed at me. “Oh.”

“She basically told me to go fuck myself.”

“Ohhh. Bro, all of this is coming at her fast. She just found out she’s pregnant. She’s probably scared and needs someone to support her.”

“That’s what I was trying to do,” I argued and shoved some fries into my mouth.

“Sure. But what are you offering her? A marriage and a home, but love? Avery’s a hopeless romantic. She wants to find her soulmate.”

“I want to give that to her too.”

He kicked my boot. “She doesn’t know that! She thinks you only did it out of obligation. Man, you’re really smart with brewing beers, but you’re a dumb fuck when it comes to women.”

“Are you any better?” I snapped back.

My brother had no room to talk. His bedroom had a revolving door because he still wasn’t over his high school girlfriend breaking his heart years ago.

He shrugged. “Not about me right now. Give her time and show her it’s not just because of the baby.”

“But she doesn’t want me!”