Page 5 of Inked Craving

“Leia, I need to take Paige home. She’s my friend.”

The other woman, with her gorgeous cheekbones, legs like a giraffe’s, and the most beautiful curves I had ever seen in my life, pouted. “But, Lee. You promised.”

“I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.”

Leia narrowed her eyes. “Fine. You’ll just have to make it up to me.” Then she stomped off, taking the umbrella with her.

Lee cursed under his breath. “Well, that was my umbrella.”

My gaze tracked the other woman as she turned the corner. “I’m ruining your date. I’m ruining everything.”

“Fuck, Paige. What’s wrong?”

Everything.

“I need to go home. I left my phone there.”

Lee met my gaze and then nodded before taking my hands and walking me around the building to his car. I didn’t remember getting in. I didn’t remember him taking a blanket out of the back before wrapping it around me and driving me home. Everything was a blur, but I was still present. I had to be.

“Fuck this. If you won’t let me take you to the hospital, I’m calling your sister or one of your brothers. Your parents are on a cruise, right?” he asked as he walked me inside my house after taking my keys from my purse.

I shook my head, pulling myself out of my misery. I was stronger than this. I did not break down and act as if I were losing my sanity. I had let the idea of Colton take so much from me, and I would not let him take this, too.

“I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to call my family.” I let out a shaky breath, then rolled my shoulders back, telling myself I needed to be an adult and deal with this. I walked to my linen closet, pulled out a towel, and then another before tossing one to Lee. “I’m sorry you got drenched because of me. But thank you. I was having a moment out there.”

Lee wiped his face but otherwise stood there, dripping on my floor, just blinking. “And that’s it? You’re not going to tell me what’s going on? If you’re not going to tell me, then I’m going to call one of your numerous siblings to come over here so you can talk to them. Because you were standing there in the rain alone, Paige. Looking as lost as I’ve ever seen you. What the hell’s going on?” His jaw tensed. “Is it that bastard? Did Colton come back? Do I need to kick his ass?”

He stood there like a stone god, his dark hair slicked back, his beard longer than I had ever seen it, though it wasn’t a full one like my cousins tended to have. His dark eyes narrowed, and I wanted to reach out and hold him. Of course, I couldn’t. This was Lee, after all. He was a few inches taller than me, and without heels on, I fit under his arm comfortably. Lee was a hugger when it came to those he cared about, and he always gave good hugs.

Sometimes, I never knew what to do with them.

“I just had a moment. Colton isn’t here. He’s not coming back.” My voice didn’t break when I said that, and I counted that as progress. “I just had a moment where I needed to think, and then the rain came that I wasn’t expecting, and things got out of hand. Thank you for being there. Seriously.” I reached out. Gripped his hand. “Thank you for always being there, Lee.”

“Paige. Talk to me.” He huffed out a breath. “You can always talk to me. I’m not going to judge you. I just need to know. It wouldn’t be right for me to leave you right now without someone knowing what happened. So, I’m here. Talk to me.”

He would know soon enough. Everyone would. And I’d have to deal with it. I might as well tell someone who wasn’t a Montgomery. A man who had never judged me once in my life, even by accident. So, I figuredwhy not.

“I’m pregnant.”

Lee blinked a few times before sitting down on the stool next to the kitchen island. “Holy shit.”

I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. “Oh, good. We’re on the same page with the words that have been running through my mind since I found out. There are a dozen or so tests in the bathroom that all say the same thing. I’m pregnant. Having a baby. With child. All those things that I have no idea what to do with. But it’s here. I’m pregnant. It’s Colton’s. He’s gone. And I don’t know what I’m going to do. Only, damn it, I’m going to figure it out. Because I’m done being weak. I am done waiting for someone else to help me with the next phase of my life. I’m pregnant. I’m keeping it. And now, I’m going to promptly cry.”

And when the tears fell, Lee held me close and didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. Because nothing made sense, but it would have to soon. It needed to. I was having a baby. I didn’t have time to wallow in my heartbreak any longer.

I would live for me, for my baby, and for no man.

Never again. Because falling in love only hurt in the end, so I wouldn’t.

Ever.

ChapterTwo

Lee

I’d had dreams all night about a pregnant Paige, angry Montgomerys, and little babies in diapers crawling all around my house. When I woke up, I was confused as hell and wondered why my brain had conjured those images. I finally just pushed it all from my mind and told myself maybe I should stop drinking beer with wheat before going to bed.

Now, I was at work, doing my best to focus on my assignments and not on the fact that one of my good friends was having a baby with a man I wasn’t even sure she would be able to speak to again.

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