Page 70 of Nitro

“I don’t want to rush you or anything,” I added.

His expression softened. We had time, and I wanted to make sure we were both ready for such a significant step.

Tommy reached for my hand, a gesture that both comforted and concerned me. Taking a deep breath, he looked into my eyes.

"There's something I need to tell you," he began.

I tightened my grip on his hand, a silent encouragement for him to continue.

"I'm listening," I assured him.

“Hicks made sure I couldn’t have children,” he whispered.

Anger surged within me and all I saw was red. Tommy had endured so much. This was so unfair.

However, before my anger could consume me, Tommy squeezed my arm, grounding me in the present.

Unlike the time when I had lost control in front of my former fiancée and best friend, I felt more anchored now.

Tommy was here and he wouldn’t let me go off the rails.

As I processed the weight of his words, I realized that I had unintentionally touched on something deeply painful for him.

Guilt crept in, and I quickly apologized.

"Tommy, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." I began, my voice trailing off.

Tommy shook his head, a faint smile on his lips, though tears lingered in his eyes.

"It happened a while back. I don't even think about it anymore," he confessed, his attempt at brushing off the pain evident.

"But," he added softly, "I'm just sad that I won't be able to give you kids."

Those words struck deep, and I felt an ache in my chest. Tommy searched my eyes, a silent question hanging between us.

"Is that... is that a dealbreaker for you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

My heart broke at the thought that Tommy might believe this could be a reason for me to reconsider.

I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the mouth.

"Tommy, nothing about you could ever be a dealbreaker for me. I love you, and that's all that matters," I assured him, my thumb gently wiping away a tear that had escaped.

“Come here,” I added.

Tommy left his seat and perched on my lap. I held Tommy close in a reassuring hug.

"I love you so much too," he confessed.

I never got tired of hearing those words. I nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"Tommy, it's more than okay. If we both decide we want kids in the future, we can explore adoption. What matters to me is your happiness," I assured him..

"I am," Tommy said, his voice more certain. "I'm the happiest I've ever been. I just wish this whole affair is over."

I pulled back to look into his eyes.

"We'll find Dylan's attacker, Tommy. I'll put an end to this so we can focus on building our tomorrow together," I promised.

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