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I shake my head, and he instantly relaxes. “Thanks, guys. Can you give us a minute?” he asks his brothers.
“We’ll be next door if you need us,” Merrick tells him.
Once the front door closes, Rushton stands, sits next to me on the couch, and lifts me onto his lap. He doesn’t say a word. He just holds me while I soak his shirt with my tears. His hand runs soothingly up and down my back, and he whispers over and over that he’s here for me, and whatever it is that it’s all going to be okay.
Eventually, I get my emotions under control, and my tears dry up. I lift my head to look at him. His eyes study me, trying like hell to figure out what caused my tears.
“I love you.” My voice is raspy from my tears, but he hears me. “I’m in love with you.”
His eyes soften. “I love you too.” He wipes at my cheeks with his thumbs. “Why the tears?”
“I got some news today. Some happy news, but before I tell you, I want you to know that I invited you over to tell you that I’m in love with you. I was going to tell you that we can try, and you’re worth the risk. I can’t stand being away from you, and pushing you away hurts us both.”
“You are my everything, Crosby Greene.” He kisses me softly. “Now, tell me about this good news that has my girl in uncontrollable tears.”
I move to get off his lap, but he tightens his hold. “I’ll be right back. I just have to grab something.”
Reluctantly, he lets me go. I rush down the hall and grab all three positive tests, and race back to him. I stand before where he sits on the couch with my hands behind my back. “I want this. I want you. I understand if this changes things for you. It wasn’t until I started seeing clearly, until I knew that I couldn’t keep running from what’s between us, that I realized this could even be an option.”
“You can tell me anything.”
I swallow back my emotions. My palms are sweating and my knees feel as though they might give out at any second. My entire life I’ve always followed my gut, never allowing myself to lead with my heart, and right now I’m doing both. I’m scared as hell that I’ve read him wrong, that he’s not going to take this news as I have. I’m happy. I hope he’s happy too, and this is the start of our life together. No matter what the obstacles, we’ll face them. Together.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hand.” He does as I ask, and I place all three tests in his palm. “Open.”
His eyes pop open, and he stares at his palm. I watch as a shock that is masked by a smile washes over him. He peers up at me. “These are yours?”
“Yes.”
“You took them today?”
“Yes.”
“This is why you were crying?”
“Yes.”
“Happy tears?”
“Very much happy tears.”
“We’re having a baby?” he asks. His voice cracks as he, too, loses his battle with his emotions.
“We’re having a baby.”
“And you love me?”
“Very much.”
He stands from the couch and crushes me into a hug. “I love you. I love you. I love you,” he repeats over and over again. Then he falls to his knees and places his hands over my belly. “I love you too, little one.” With his head tilted back, he smiles up at me. “I need to hear you tell me that this is real. That we’re going to stay together.”
“This is as real as it gets. We’re going to stay together. You’re stuck with me forever.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“You should probably tell the twins I’m not losing my mind,” I tell him a few hours later. We’re in bed after just making love.
“You’re right.” He kisses me, kisses my belly, and then climbs out of bed to go in search of his phone. “Hey, yeah, she’s good.” I hear him say. “She got some good news, and it kind of took her by storm. We’re in for the night. Nah, thanks, though.”
He walks back into the room and takes his spot beside me in bed. “We have so much to talk about,” he tells me.
“We’ll take it all one day at a time.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my Crosby?” he asks.
“When I finally decided that I was willing to take the risk to be with you, everything just sort of clicked into place. I know that my job is still up in the air, but you’re right. I can apply at Harris, or just be a substitute here, or even Harris, maybe? I know that I don’t want you to leave your family, so if I have to put teaching on the back burner, then that’s what I have to do.”
