Page 95 of Before I Loved You

I look at her and nod. “You could say that.”

“But when you two were here for Thanksgiving, I could have sworn I heard wedding bells ringing above you.” She smiles, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

I shake my head. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Well, why don’t you start by telling me the overall problem.”

I stare up at the ceiling. “She kept a secret from me.”

A big fucking secret.

My mom nods. “Do you know why she kept the secret from you?”

That’s the part that has been bothering me most.

Why didn’t she tell me she was pregnant?

We could have been going through all of this together.

I could have been by her side these past few months with every doctor’s appointment and buying her whatever she and the baby needed.

“Not a clue,” I muse. “I thought we were close enough to tell each other…things. But she never told me, and I kind of found out by accident, and then it just makes me wonder if she ever planned on telling me.” I sigh. “That’s what I’m upset about. I only found out accidentally when she didn’t want me to know.”

My mom purses her lips. “Is this secret something you can forgive her for?”

I rub the back of my neck, squeezing my tense muscles. “I don’t know. I’m trying to understand why she wouldn’t tell me, but I just can’t.”

“Honey…” She places her hand on my shoulder. “I’m not saying whatever happened between you two is okay, but until you know why she did what she did, I don’t think you should write her off just yet. I think there’s more to the story. And I think you know that too.” She pats my knee reassuringly. “You know I pride myself on being a good judge of character, so truthfully, I like her. I like her a lot. And I especially like her a lot for you.”

“I like her a lot too,” I admit.

“So, why don’t you talk to her? Find out what’s going on.”

I rub my hand over the top of my head, my hair grazing the palm of my hand. “I don’t know if she wants to talk to me. I kind of left in a hurry…”

My mom’s eyes narrow at me. “Did I raise you to run from your problems?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I think I was so hurt I didn’t know what to do. I needed to get away to think.” My eyes drift to the ceiling, lost in thought.

I’ve been so upset, mulling over that moment of anger in her apartment, that I haven’t even had a chance to think about Greyson’s phone I left with her.

I rub my temple. That’s going to be a whole other damn problem to deal with. But Sarah, being pregnant with my baby, takes precedence.

“And what have you been thinking about?”

What have I been spending my time thinking about?

Easy.

I’ve been thinking about her emerald-green eyes that I want to gaze into for the rest of my life.

I’ve been thinking about how good she feels in my arms when she lets go of everything in her mind, giving herself entirely over to me for me to take care of.

I’ve been thinking about how I can be myself with her and how she makes me feel…normal.

I’ve been thinking about a future with her and our baby. One where they both wear a matching jersey with my last name on it, cheering for me at a game as I run up to them, taking them both in my arms, feeling the happiest I’ve ever felt in my life.

“About…” I hesitate before saying, “How she’s the woman I’m going to marry.” I look from the ceiling to my mom. “She’s the woman I’m going to marry, Mom.”

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