Page 32 of Luke

“It’s the only way I will agree.” She was sticking firm on this point.

“I can get that drawn up asap. Well, not me, but I know who can and then get it back to you. Standard clauses?” he asked Luke.

Luke shrugged. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“I’ll have her get in touch with you both to get this drawn up, probably tomorrow before it’s done then. Once it is, do you want a wedding or to just going to the courthouse?”

“We need to talk,” Luke shut Jon down. “Her and I. Then I’ll be in touch. For now, we are proceeding with everything as planned before. Do the prenup. Nothing else changes.”

Jon opened his mouth and then closed it, clearly changing his mind about whatever he was going to say. “You got it. Stay in touch.”

Luke walked Jon to the door and locked it behind him.

Paisley stayed at the table, knowing that Luke was going to come back and want to talk.

“You don’t have to do this,” he started, taking a seat opposite her, Garrett still in his arms, now sleeping. “I know you don’t want to get married, and I won’t have you forced into it.”

Paisley sighed. “I’ve thought about it, Luke. I don’t feel forced. You have made it clear that I don’t have to.” A thought occurred to her just then. “Unless you don’t want to anymore? Which is totally fine.”

“What changed?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Not a lot and that’s what made me realize I was fighting nothing. Nothing would change between us. We already live together and sleep together. We have a kid together.”

“I don’t want you to feel forced into this. If we get married, then it’s for real. I don’t plan on half-assing this.”

“If you don’t want to anymore, that’s totally fine. We don’t have to. Don’t feel pressured on my behalf,” Paisley worriedly backtracked as he kept giving her a way out and repeatedly reminding her about it. It was possible that he knew her answer would be no, or he thought it would be and had already changed his mind.

“It’s not that. Far from it. I just don’t understand how you went from absolutely not and not trusting me to deciding that you wanted to get married.” Luke shifted Garrett to his other hip and ran a hand through his hair. “I want you to make this decision because you want to, not because you feel like Jon or I pressured you. I shouldn’t have brought it up the other day, and I will let Jon know not to bring it up again either.”

“I just thought about it again and realized that very little, if anything at all, would change between us. We are already living like we are married as it is.” She stood and took a yawning Garrett from him. “Let me put him down and we can keep talking.”

Luke nodded before she walked away.

The whole way up the stairs, she contemplated what she had done wrong. It was clear that Luke didn’t want to get married anymore and she had clearly thrown him off by agreeing. Now she had to figure out how to backtrack without either of them getting hurt.

It would be her that was hurt in the end, though. She already felt it, knowing that he didn’t want to get married anymore. What were they doing here if he had changed his mind? She needed to find more work while she had his help and put money in the bank for when all this mess with his father was over and it was time for them to leave.

Nothing in her life had ever worked out, why should this be any different? Every foster home was going to be the best and the last. None of them were even remotely good. Promises might be well intended, but that rarely mattered in the end. The only thing she could do was what she knew and protect herself and now Garrett from the heartbreak before it happened.

Maybe they could draw up a custody agreement now when they were both not hurt. It might be for the best to decide these things early.

She laid Garrett down and started the sound machine for him before giving him a kiss and backing quietly out of the room. He yawned and stretched as she did, not making a sound.

Luke was in the living room when she returned, his feet propped up on the ottoman and the TV off. Anyone else would assume he was relaxing, but she saw the lines creased on his forehead, showing he was deep in his thoughts.

She took a seat on the other end of the sofa. “I think I might have spoken out of turn in front of Jon earlier,” she started before Luke raised his hand.

“Wait. I’m doing a shit job of explaining myself and I think I need to try again.”

“You don’t have to explain anything,” she countered.

“I really do.” He brought his feet to the floor and leaned forward in his seat on the sofa. “I absolutely want to get married to you. That’s not the issue so don’t even worry about that.”

She studied him, trying to figure out everything at once.

“I’m just worried that you are doing this not because you want to, but because you think that Jon’s idea is the best reason. I want to marry you, Paisley. I don’t know that I would have brought it up as soon as I did if it weren’t for my father, but it is what I want and I mean it in the forever type of way. This isn’t something I am going to change my mind about.” He held her gaze as he spoke, sincerity clear in his words.

“I—”

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