Page 13 of Under the Mistletoe

“And if I don’t?”

“Then, we’re done.” His dark eyes grew even more intense. “I love you, Beck. You know that, but I’m not gonna piss my life away because we made some stupid mistake.”

“I don’t think this is a mistake. I think it’s anything but.”

“What? You’re actually considering having it?”

“Yes, actually I am.” I could feel my anger rising inside of me. “I know the timing isn’t great, but that doesn’t mean that...”

“You’re such an idiot.” He shook his head. “You’ve got no idea what it’s like to live in the real world.”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“I mean it, Beck. I want no part of this.”

“Understood.”

He rolled his eyes and started out of the room. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”

He walked out, and that was it.

He came back for his things, but he stayed true to his word. He didn’t go to any of the prenatal appointments or help buy a single outfit, bottle, or bootie. But I didn’t expect anything less.

I was on my own, and I was okay with that. I had Ava, and that was all I needed. And I couldn’t help but smile when she ran over to me with wide, hopeful eyes and asked, “Are you almost done?”

“Not even close, sweetie. But it would go a little faster if you would help.”

“Okay.”

Ava dropped her doll and rushed over to me. I was struggling to secure one of the metal brackets, so I told her, “I just need you to hold this until I get the screw in place. You think you can do that?”

“Um-hmm.”

She nodded as she held it with determination. I started turning the screw, and it popped out and fell to the grass. I reached down and grabbed it, trying once more, but once again, it wouldn’t go in. I was on the verge of giving up when I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Need a hand with that?"

I turned, and my stomach took a nosedive when I saw that it was Torch.

He’d always been handsome—very handsome, but now, he wasn’t just a boy that I had a crush on. He was a man with big, broad shoulders, thick biceps, and the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen. He had this short, rugged beard and full, kissable lips, and his hair was tousled in this sexy way that made him look like he’d been out riding. And while it was impossible not to be attracted to him, I hadn’t forgotten all those times he’d broken my heart as a kid.

It was that hurt that brought anger to my tone as I answered, “I’ve got it.”

The words had barely left my mouth when I dropped that damn screw for the umpteenth time and couldn’t help but mutter, “Dammit.”

“You sure about that?”

“I said I’ve got it.”

“Oh, come on, Beck.” He stepped closer and pushed, “Stop being a stubborn ass and let me help.”

“Fine.”

He took the screwdriver from my hand, and without the slightest bit of trouble, he was able to get the screw to go in thebracket. Ava beamed up at him like he was a superhero while I wanted to punch him right in the gut.

He stepped back and looked at the part of the swing I’d managed to put together. He made a little grunt before looking down at all the pieces I’d laid out on the grass. "Got a lot to tackle here."

"Yeah, you could say that.”

“Well, let’s see if we can get this wrapped up.” He gave Ava a wink. “’Cause I’ve got a feeling someone’s ready to see how high they can swing.”

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