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The side of his face was thrown into view by a sliver of light between the curtains. Full moon.
Gorgeous.
His lips were parted, breath whistling in and out of his mouth. I traced the line of his nose, admired his long eyelashes, and tried not to get nervous all over again.
What if this was too good to be true? What if it didn’t work?
The doubts crept in. The fears over what it would all mean.
I’d already lost my best friend once because of this. I had only just started talking to her again, and now I worried she might be gone for good. Was I willing to trade my friend for this man?
God, I loved him. Too much. The silly childhood crush had developed into so much more than I’d ever imagined, and it both hurt and overwhelmed me with joy.
Matt’s eyes opened, and he zeroed in on me. He smiled, changing the geography of his face. He was even more handsome this way.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey,” I replied. “I’m… wow.”
“I love you.”
It was what I needed to hear. That it was true and that he hadn’t suddenly changed his mind. That or this wasn’t some weird hallucination brought on by pregnancy stress.
Pregnancy.
“We should talk about what happened,” I said.
“Sure. It was amazing. Which part do you want to discuss in particular?” he asked, running his fingertips down my arm and back up again.
“Very funny. But I’m serious. We really should talk.” I hesitated. “About the baby. You said all that stuff in there, but I don’t think you grasp the seriousness of the situation.”
“I grasp that I love you, that you’re having my child, that we’re going to date and take it slow, and that I am going to provide everything you need financially.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You’re the mother of my child. I have the means to make you comfortable and happy, and I’m going to do that.” He tucked my hair back from my face then traced the shell of my ear with another finger. “Don’t you get it? I love you, Summer. I love you, and I’m not letting you go.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want your money,” I said, somewhat indignantly.
“I never said you want it,” he replied, “but I’m going to give you some of it. I want you to be able to relax. Don’t think I haven’t seen how hard you’ve been working or heard about it. When we were in the Bahamas, you couldn’t relax for a second. You were applying to schools and teaching dance classes, for god’s sake.”
I swallowed, choking on tears.
“You need to rest. And when you’ve had your rest, and our little boy or girl is in this world, I’m going to help you follow your dreams.”
I hiccupped, holding back more tears. “Are you serious?”
“Of course, I’m serious,” he said. “I love you, and I want you to succeed.”
I choked on emotion. “But I can’t possibly…”
“Everyone needs a big break in life, Summer. Just a shot to do what they’ve always wanted to do. I got it much earlier on. I lucked out. It’s your turn now. I want you to quit your jobs, OK? I want you to spend the next nine months relaxing and loving life. And then, when you’re ready, whether it’s next year or two years from now, you can go to whichever college you choose.”
“I can’t believe this. It’s too much.”
He kissed me on the lips gently. “No, it’s not. The only thing left for me to do now is to talk to Emilia about all of this.”
“I have to too. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”
“I’ll set it up, OK?” he said, drawing me on top of him. “And after that… well, shit, there will be nothing but happiness left for us.”
I laughed, uninhibited, and Matt kissed my face, my nose, my eyes, and my lips.
“Ready for round two?” he asked.
“Please.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Matt
“God, I love this view.” Summer stood on the balcony of my penthouse suite apartment, her hands clutching the railing and her gaze fixed on the horizon. Gorgeous swatches of white sandy beach stretched along the Florida coastline, and the ocean was blue and smooth today.
The day.
Each time I thought about it, my abs grew rock solid. The anticipation was the worst part of all of this. The waiting.
“Don’t get used to it, gorgeous. The baby needs a real home, not a penthouse suite view.”
“You’re not going to sell this place, though, are you?”
“No,” I said, laughing. “But I am going to buy a more appropriate place for you to live. For us. When I do eventually live with you.” It was strange to think we weren’t already living together, but I’d figured that Summer wasn’t ready yet.
I’d gotten her a bigger apartment in the same building as mine and kitted it out with everything a baby and expecting mother would need. Of course, Summer had input on all of it. For now, that arrangement was OK.
