Page 64 of Waiting on You

“But you’re here,” he says with a soft smile. “I’m not going anywhere, Princess. If you’re here, this is where I’m going to be.”

My heart picks up speed at his words as flashes of my past flit through my memory. Me begging my mom not to give up, crying to my dad not to move us away from London. Pleading with John to choose us over his job. None of them chose me, yet Nate is here, begging me to choose us.

He didn’t leave.

He wants to be with me.

He’s choosing us.

But then my thoughts go back to the conversation I overheard in his parents’ kitchen…

“He’s worked so hard.” Valerie.

“He’s busted his ass to make this company what it is.” Dustin.

“He must be devastated. I hate this for him.” Valerie.

This is what I wanted. For someone to choose me, yet the thought of him doing so has me feeling sick because is it really a choice when he’s being forced? Either move away from everything you love to be active in your baby’s life or stay in Dallas and live long-distance from your baby. My hand goes to my belly. I hate allof this and don’t know what the right answer is.

“Hey,” Nate says, shaking me out of my intrusive thoughts. “What are?—”

His phone rings, cutting him off. After he glances at it, he puts it back in his pocket.

“What—”

His phone rings again, and when he pulls it back out, his brow furrows. “Can you give me a second?” He looks at me nervously. “It’s my dad, and he never calls twice in a row.”

“Of course.”

My God, am I such a bitch that he’s scared to answer a call from his own family when he’s around me? Of course he is because when I’m not pushing him away, I’m forcing him to choose between being here with his baby and being in Dallas with his family. This whole situation sucks.

“Thanks,” Nate says. “I’ll just be a minute.”

He answers and turns his attention to his dad.

I don’t know what they’re talking about since I can only hear one side of the conversation, but from what I can gather, something has happened with a property they bought with the intention of building another hotel, and Nate’s dad needs him to go there to handle it.

Nate argues back and forth with his dad, and my stomach sinks at the thought that he’s arguing with him because of me. He doesn’t want to leave because of me. Once again, he’s being pulled in another direction because of me and our baby. And it’s always going tobe like this if I can’t convince him to stay in Dallas.

Or you could move to Dallas?

Right…give up my house, my job, my friends…and then when he’s had enough of me—because let’s face it, everyone in my life eventually does—I’ll be stuck there, all alone.

Ugh, cue thewoe is mepity party for one. Why can’t I just throw all my inhibitions out the window and jump in headfirst?

“Hey,” Nate says when he hangs up, cupping the side of my face. “What’s going through that beautiful head of yours? And please don’t lie.”

“I’ve never had anyone fight to stay with me,” I admit, my voice shaky with emotion. “Everyone in my life has always chosen to walk away. But you actually fight to stay. I’m just not sure what’s worse—them choosing to walk away or you being forced to stay here.”

“Let’s get one thing clear,” he says, moving his hand to my jaw and tipping it so I have no choice but to look into his eyes. “Nobodyforces me to do anything. I’m right where I want to be. With you and our baby.”

“And what if there was no baby?” I blurt out.

“What?” He glances down at my stomach in confusion.

“I mean, what if I weren’t pregnant? Would you still be here? Choosing me over your job? Over the only home you’ve ever known? Over your family that you’re close to?”

I hate that my insecurities are driving me to askthese types of questions, but I need to know because nothing between us happened the way it was supposed to, and I can’t help but fear that he’s making his choices because of the baby and not because of me.

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