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“She hasn’t planned a thing. We don’t even talk about it.”
Jaxson and Ricky’s gazes looked a mixture of shocked and sympathetic. The sudden silence grated on his nerves. This was why he didn’t want to talk about it.
“No date set? No looking at dresses? Venues? Nothing?” Jaxson finally asked.
Corey shook his head with one tight nod.
He looked down at the table wondering if he should even admit it.
Then decided if he didn’t, he might not get a solution to the problem forming like a huge black hole that was sucking the life right out of him.
“We haven’t had sex in two months. Not since the pregnancy scare.”
Ricky choked on the swallow of beer he’d just taken. “Pregnancy scare? What are you talking about?”
“When I asked her to marry me. She thought she was pregnant. The test came back negative.”
“You have me all kinds of confused, bro.” Ricky’s frown made him wish he kept his mouth shut. “Why did you ask her to marry you? Because of the potential baby on the way?”
“No. Absolutely not. I told her it didn’t matter what the test came back with. That I needed her in my life. Amelie and I both do.”
Jaxson’s brow lifted, looking at him quizzically. “And that you love her? You said that, too, right?”
“It was implied.”
Ricky snorted. Jaxson laughed as well.
“That shit is never implied, bro. Women are fickle creatures. They need to hear things. They need to know it directly or their mind goes wild with too many scenarios that aren’t true. You said you needed her. That you and Amelie did. I hate to say it, but it sounds like you want her because she does so much for Amelie. Not because you actually love her and want her in your life.”
Corey couldn’t tear his eyes off his brother or ignore everything he said. And damn it, he wanted to pretend they never even started this conversation.
“But that’s not true. I shouldn’t have to say the words for her to know that. I want to marry her and for us to be a real family. For Amelie to know that she’s her mother. I was even thinking about talking to her about adopting Amelie. Making it real.”
“Then tell her. Say those three little words and I bet you get lots of sex tonight,” Ricky said, slapping him on the back with encouragement.
Corey wished it were that easy. Saying those three words terrified him. Like the last time he said those three dreadful words to someone, he felt like if he said them, he’d lose her.
Of course, he was already on the verge of losing her.
17
She inhaled deeply, letting the light rose-like scent with a hint of citrus fill her senses. So beautiful. And pink. The perfect color for the perfect day.
“What’s that?”
Genevieve turned at the sound of Corey’s voice. Her hand grazed the pink peonies sitting on the counter.
“Flowers.”
His eyes sparkled with merriment. “Yes, I know they’re flowers. Who are they for? Decoration for Amelie’s party today?”
She matched the teasing she saw in his gaze with a grin of her own. Although, it wasn’t real and she had to force it out. He wouldn’t like the answer she gave him.
So she wouldn’t give it to him.
“You have to clarify next time, silly. Mrs. Reverson stopped by and dropped them off.”
“Oh, that was nice of her. We’ll see her at the party, I assume.” Corey kissed her on the cheek and walked past her to grab a cup of coffee from the coffee pot she had made him. They only carried a pot that made a max of two cups because she never drank it. She liked her tea and would never cross over to the dark side.
