Page 25 of Hidden By His Side

He pulled back, glaring down at her. “Stop it. Right now.”

She bit her lip at the concern hidden in his glare. She was doing it again, making him prop her up. The craving for him totake care of her was an addiction, one that added to the dread inside of her.

Ramiro had no desire to have kids. She’d spent months listening to him talk about how Diego had become a father and how it scared Ramiro to even be in the same room as the children. He’d been around them multiple times, and his feelings had never changed.

“You’ll stay at my place for a while,” he said, sounding so certain. “With this on top of the cartel situation, I need you close.”

Every time he put her before himself, he sounded so certain.

Yearning clawed at her. She’d be with him if she gave in. She wanted to give in.

“No,” she heard herself say instead.

Ramiro scowled down at her. “Summer—”

She scrambled off his lap, and he steadied her as his hands tightened, as if he would pull her back. That she wanted him to only proved how sick her manipulation of this man was.

“You just said how you don’t want kids,” she reminded him; she reminded them both.

“I’ll take care of you, Summer. I’ll always take care of you.”

Of course he would. He was that kind of man. The only one she’d ever love.

The way she clung to him was wrong. That was why he pushed her away romantically.

She needed to be stronger if she was going to keep this baby. The darkness couldn’t suck her down like it had before.

Ruining Ramiro’s life would make that darkness spread. Her self-hatred would take over, becoming all she could feel.

“I need to be alone to figure this out,” she said, a part of her hoping he’d try to convince her she was wrong.

Ramiro never disappointed her. “You can figure things out while you’re with me.” His eyes went carefully blank. “There are options, ones you might not have considered yet.”

He didn’t think she should keep the baby. The certainty of that slid into her stomach, making it churn. The nausea was back, but she swallowed the warmth in her mouth, willing it to go away.

Ramiro knew her better than anyone, and he didn’t think she could support this baby.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Please, Ram,” she whimpered, pathetic as usual. She wasn’t even sure what she was asking him for.

Ramiro released her, running his hands over his hair. He closed his eyes, his chest expanding with the breath he took, then opened them again, staring into her. “I’ll drive you home.”

Summer nodded, relieved that was the way he’d interpreted her plea. He thought she was strong enough to be alone.

She wanted to believe the same.

He bundled her into the decadent seat of his sleek black car. She didn’t know much about cars, but Ramiro loved them, switching them out whenever he got bored. His favorite had been something called a Bugatti Veyron, but he’d only driven it for a little while, saying it was too easily spotted. He wascurrently back to a BMW M2 because it blended better, or so he said. She had to write down the name of each one and keep repeating it until she memorized them.

Cars were important to Ramiro, so she paid attention.

She sank into the leather seat, watching him as he slid into the driver’s side. Staring at him always made her shiver. Ramiro was so masculine. He wasn’t lean and sleek like the cars he liked. He had a bulk to him that enveloped her, a strength that was forceful, and full facial hair that underlined the fact that he was older. In the last few years, silver crowded among the brown, but she secretly loved it. It reminded her how long they’d been together.

How long she’d put his life on hold while he took care of her.

She looked away from him, staring out the window instead. If she decided to have the baby and raise it herself, she’d have to finally let him go. The idea that they belonged together was a fairy tale she’d been hiding behind.

Her hand moved to her stomach. She was so fucking selfish. She’d give this baby up in a second if she could have Ramiro.

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