Page 109 of Devilish Ink

I chewed and chewed and couldn’t seem to swallow. I feared Liam removing his hand altogether. I was quite sure he would actually.

But he didn’t.

“Ry,” he said softly. “He’s going to find out soon when you can’t hide your belly under loose clothes anymore.”

I nodded. Of course I knew this. Sometimes it felt like it was all I thought about. Anguishing through the hours of the day, checking myself in the mirror constantly, begging Liam to come home and make all those worries just fade away.

“I know.” My voice broke. Tears I hadn’t intended pricked at my eyes. “I’m sorry. I know I have to— I know Ishould— I just—”

“Shh,” Liam cooed. “I know you know, baby. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, Liam—”

“Hush,” he said, running his thumb over my lips. “Wait here a second, alright?”

I’d wanted to reassure him that I was with him. That despite my love for Rian, I washis.

Telling Rian was going to be devastating. But I would do it. I would.

Forhim.

Liam returned, smiling like nothing at all had happened. He placed a black velvet jewellery box beside my plate of pasta and my heart leapt at the sight of it.

I watched him take his seat once more, lips parted stupidly.

“Go on,” Liam said, scooting back in and nodding toward the box.

I suddenly had the ridiculous thought that I wished I’d donemy hair better, put on a little lipstick, fuck, at least changed out of this stained sweatshirt I’d been living in.

It was ridiculous because it wasn’t what I should have been thinking at all. I should have been thinking that marriage to Liam meant no more running.

I should have been panicking. Fear should have been creeping up my spine. I should have been glancing round my shoulder at how far away the front door was.

Instead I was worried about how I would look when I said, “Yes”?

I reached a shaking hand toward the box. It was harder to pop open than it should have been, the lid snapping open almost violently.

There on a plush silk cushion was a bracelet.

It wasn’t a ring.

Disappointment hit me like a truck. I quickly hid it with a smile, knowing that Liam was searching for my reaction.

“Liam,” I whispered, not yet trusting my voice. “You shouldn’t have.”

Liam laughed and his tanned, weathered fingers entered my shimmering field of vision. He took the bracelet out and indicated for me to give him my wrist to try it on.

“You can’t say that every time I get you something nice, baby. Because I plan on doing nice things for you a whole hell of a lot of times.”

I laughed, too. Laughed at myself for being so silly. Laughed at myself for getting upset. Laughed at how I’d somehow ended up with such a great guy despite myself.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

Liam finished clasping it in place and I twisted it around in the light above the table.

“It’s a sonogram bracelet,” Liam said with a smile at me.

“Is it?” I asked.

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