Page 105 of Force of Nature

“I... How long have you known?”

“Since March.” I rest a hand on the top of my belly, not even realizing I’m doing it until Thad’s eyes follow the movement before coming back to my face.

“But it’s May.” He shakes his head again. “The night you fainted on set.” He seems to be slowly putting it together. I hadn’t even realized he knew about that but I shouldn’t be surprised that someone told him. “But why... Why didn’t you tell me?” He takes another step back.

“You know why I didn’t tell you,” I say, not sugar coating it for him.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” he questions, the hurt evident on his face.

“I just recently decided that I’m keeping her,” I say, watching his eyes widen further.

“It’s a girl?” he croaks, his eyes glossing over with unshed tears. “You were going to get rid of my daughter?”

“I was going to protect her.” I swipe at a tear that slides down my cheek. “I didn’t want you to have the chance to hurt her the way you hurt me.”

“I would never,” he starts but stops himself. “So why tell me now?”

“You say you want a chance to prove yourself, here it is. I can’t promise you anything or tell you that we’ll have a future together. It’s too early and the wounds are still too fresh. What I can tell you is that if you’re serious about moving here, if you truly mean it when you say you’ll stop running, then I want you to know your daughter. I want you to be a part of her life. But only if you want that too.”

“Of course I do.”

“Then move here. Get yourself a place. Find a job. Show me that you mean everything you say and I promise to never keep her from you ever again.”

“I don’t just want her though. I want you too.” The tears swimming in his eyes make it damn near impossible to hold my composure. How easy it would be to give in. To collapse into his arms and trust that everything will be okay. But I can’t do that this time. I have to protect my heart, and more importantly, I have to protect my daughter.

“I won’t lie and say I don’t still love you. I do. No matter how hard I’ve tried to stop I couldn’t. But that doesn’t mean all the pain and uncertainty just goes away because you’re here now. I need more than that.”

“I can give you more.”

“Then show me. I can’t just forgive you, Thad.”

“I know.”

“I want to believe everything you’re saying. Truly I do.”

“But you need to see it in my actions,” he finishes my thought.

“I do.”

“Then I’ll show you. I swear to you, Laken. From now until the end of forever, I will spend every day showing you how much you mean to me. I will love you and our daughter with everything I have. I promise.” He pulls me close, his arms going around my shoulders as he secures my body to his. “Thank you,” he whispers into my hair.

“Please don’t make me regret this,” I plead softly.

“Never.” He pulls back, cupping my face once more. “I love you,” he says, laying a light kiss to my mouth before sinking to his knees in front of me. “And I love you,” he says, placing both hands on my stomach as he kisses right below my belly button.

I can’t resist the urge to slide my fingers into his hair and hold him against me when his arms close around my waist. He trembles slightly and I realize he’s crying.

The flood gates holding back my own tears open as they begin to fall in quick succession. I slide down to my knees in front of him, pulling him into my arms. He buries his face into my neck and holds me tightly and I know right there in that very moment that he won’t ever let me go again.