Page 87 of Sometimes You Fall

My sister grows quiet. “Um, why not?”

“Because I could tell she was freaked out by it, and honestly, I didn’tneedto say anything. She fucking kissed me, Astrid. That means she wants me, and that’s all I need to know.”

She wants me, and I’m tired of us both pretending she doesn’t.

“Don’t push too hard, Grady,” my sister cautions. “Just because she kissed you, doesn’t mean she’s ready for more yet.”

“I know, but it means she can’t deny our connection, Astrid. And fuck, I’m tired of denying it too. This trip is the make-or-break point. I need her to open up to me, to give me a shot. We can go slow, but if I don’t at least try to get her to see that she doesn’t need to be scared of me, then I’m going to regret it.”

“God, this is so romantic,” my sister says through the phone. “I feel so invested and really want everything to work out. For both of your sakes, I hope she doesn’t make you wait as long as I did with Penn.”

“Your situation was a little different though too, sis.”

“Yeah, but still, the fear is the same. Make her feel safe, and then she’ll let her guard down.”

“Protecting her and our baby is the only thing I can think about most days.”

“Please promise to call me after your trip and let me know how it goes, okay?”

“I promise. Give Bentley and Lilly a kiss for me.”

“I will. Good luck and be safe, Grady.”

We say our goodbyes and then I end the call, shoving my phone in my pocket before zipping up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder, eager to get to Scottie’s house to pick her up. When I pull into her driveway, I see her outside on the lawn in front of her mother’s house, talking to Lisa and Gigi.

“Good morning, ladies!” I call as I step out of my truck.

Gigi grins at me and Lisa sends a wink my way, but Scottie is standing with her arms wrapped around her body, almost as if she’s trying to comfort herself. But her eyes? They’re dancing appreciatively up and down my body. The weather is supposed to be warm this weekend, so I’m wearing khaki shorts, a navy shirt, and, of course, abaseball cap.

The way Scottie is looking at me right now tells me she likes what she sees, and the feeling is mutual. She has on a light pink sundress that fits snugly at the top but is loose enough around the waist to conceal her growing stomach. For a second, I’m disappointed, but then she uncrosses her arms and the fabric stretches across her bump, revealing the evidence of our growing child.

Mine.

These two are mine and it’s only a matter of time before Scottie accepts it.

“I appreciate you two looking after Chase while I’m gone,” she says to her mom and grandma, turning away from me as I join their circle.

“Of course. Don’t worry about him. We’ll make sure he stays out of trouble.”

“I already threatened him if he tries to pull any type of shit,” Gigi says with an arch of her brow.

“He’d be a fool to double cross you, Gigi,” I say.

“Any man would. Maybe I should share with him what happened to the last man that pissed me off…”

Scottie sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “As much as we’d love to sit around and let you regale us with tales of your insanity, we have a long drive ahead of us and really should be going.”

Gigi rolls her eyes. “Fine, but you two had better be careful. I can’t handle raising another teenager. I barely survived getting this one through high school,” she says, jutting her thumb at Lisa.

“Oh, I wasn’t that bad,” Lisa protests.

“Do we need to share your crazy antics with the group?” Gigi teases, popping her hip and hand out at the same time.

With a laugh, I say, “I’d love to hear these stories, but another time.” Reaching for Scottie’s hand, I pull her toward her house.

Gigi calls out to us before we get too far, “I’d tell you two to use protection, but it seems kind of redundant now!”

Scottie groans and I stifle my laughter, leading her to her front door. “I can’t even apologize for her anymore.”

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