Page 45 of CurVy Baby

“Who?” He frowns, pretending he hasn’t watchedBeauty and the Beastwith Molly more times than I can count, and turns to pick up a post, avoiding my bright gaze—avertingit. Every time he fixes something or does something sweet or kind, he does it in the shadows. I enjoy it after the fact. This is usually too open and vulnerable for Donnie Vaughn.

I wrap my arms around his strong waist, pretty confident he is the one who instigated this. “You don’t just want me out of your room, do you? Threatened by all the model covers and bare abdominals?”

His dark brow cocks, unimpressed. “You’re not leaving our room, Pup. Just your book boyfriends. And no, not threatened—possessive.”

Warmth moves through me.

“Hey”—Tyler opens his arms— “I helped.”

Turning to face him, smiling hard, I say, “Thank you, Baby.” I look at Dexter. “Thank you, Daddy. This is so exciting. It’ll get my mind off…” My words trail to a sad pause. “Off the other thing.”

They sigh, heavy with empathy.

This is a distraction… The room, the bookcase.

I welcome it. Them. Donnie, Tyler, and Dexter are the best things that have ever happened to me. And they didhappento me. They sledgehammered into my peaceful, boring, unfulfilled, lonely existence. The weirdest, wildest, most-fucked up, and incredible experience of my life.

The Vaughn brothers are not my great ‘what-if’ anymore. They are my forever. My, I didn’t miss a moment, I lived, really lived, each day.

My lower lip wobbles. I regret nothing… A ball of anguish fills my throat, expanding, demanding I recognise it. Nothing except not giving them children of their own from my body.

Ugh.

It is month five of ‘not trying to not’ get pregnant, and each month gets a little bit harder. I am due to get my period soon—though it’s been so irregular. It’s probably bloody sheets and hard fucking tonight to soothe me and help me forget.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, I hide my sudden sadness, staring at the ground.

“I got a stick this time,” Tyler says, crossing the room to stand in front of me. He dips to catch my lowered gaze. “Hey.” He lifts my chin with his finger. “I got the stick so you can pee on it, and then you’ll know now, instead of having to wait each day for your period to decide to show up. It was on the 5th, then the 9th, then the 2nd, then the 7th. I just don’t want you in limbo. Those days suck. I can feel it, baby. Hear it. It’s a C, F-sharp, tritone. It’s unsettling. And I can taste it, too. When I lick your pussy, I can taste how sad you are on those days.”

And there it is. I smile. Somehow, he can soften any situation with his brand of lunacy.

Looking between the three men, I nod once. It makes sense. Get it out of the way each month instead of waiting for that bloody spot to arrive and drive a stake through my hope. “Okay. Let’s go pee on a stick.”

I sit on the toilet lid with my naked thighs peeking out from under Tyler’s shirt. I jig in place, waiting. Patient.

Not so patient.

Hurry up.

Tyler is leaning on the wall opposite me with his thick arms folded over his chest, tattoos and scars moving over his contracting abdominal muscles, adding to the dark expression drawing his brows in. He glares at the pee-stick as if he’s going to snap it in two.

“It’s okay, Tyler Baby.” I bite my lip to stop it from trembling. “It doesn’t matter either way. We can adopt again. Or foster.”God.Elbows to my knees, I cover my face. “Ugh! I’m sorry. I wish?—”

“Baby!Widor.”

I lift my head and my vision blurs. “What?”

In his hand is the stick. On his face is resounding awe, and I’m too afraid to look away in case it’ll change. I refuse to blink away the tears. Too afraid my mind is playing tricks on me. I hold the pools in my eyes.

Tyler’s wide, blue gaze flicks from the stick to my face and back again. He presents it to me, as if it actually were the infant, with caution and possessiveness.

“It’s positive, Baby.”

Rising to my feet, I take it.

As I look at the test, tears rush down my face.

Tyler lifts me up for a cuddle. “Vallie, Vallie, Vallie, yes!” I squeal. “Whoops. Gotta go easy. All my favourite songs combined.” He sets me down, greeting me with his stunning grin. I’ve seen this grin so many times, and for so many insane and dubious reasons.

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