Page 129 of Burn for You

I take a deep breath, steeling my nerves. “I’m pregnant.”

Suddenly it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the universe, because I can’t get a breath in. I don’t even try, not until Rafael lets out a shaky one of his own. He looks out to the river for a moment before meeting my gaze again, and I can’t read what he’s thinking.

“Are you okay?”

I nearly laugh. That’s what he’s asking? If I’m okay? I nod. “I’m okay.”

He nods. “How far along are we?”

We. How far along arewe. “Six weeks.”

His eyes drop to my tummy, but I’m not showing yet. He nods again, as if assuring himself of the facts.

“How?” he asks plainly.

“I have no idea,” I laugh. When I started feeling ill after one of Vanessa’s pastries on the weekend, I knew something was wrong. I never expectedthis, but when that test came back with two pink lines, all I felt was overwhelming joy. Okay, that’s a lie. I had a tiny panic attack, but knowing that I get to do this with Rafael is the thing that pulled me out of it.

“Okay. What do you…” He shakes his head. “Whatever you want to do, I support you, okay? I don’t want to impact your decision, whatever you want to do.” He laces his fingers with mine. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Not even if I wanted something different from you?”

He shakes his head. “Not even then,”

“I think I want to keep the baby,” I whisper. “If you do?”

He lets out a big breath. “You want to have a baby with me?” His eyes glass over.

I nod. Tears welling in my own eyes. “I really want to have this baby with you. I’ve never been more sure about anything. Is that okay with you?”

“Is thatokaywith me?” He grabs a hold of me, pulling me into his arms. “You are about to make me the happiest man on the planet and you’re asking if it’s okay with me?” He shakes his head, chuckling as a tear slips down his cheeks. “Yeah, it’s okay with me, May.”

He smashes his lips against mine, sealing his words with a watery kiss. “God, I love you.”

I smile against his mouth. “I love you too.”

A bark comes from beside us and our heads snap to see Clifford beside us, a stick in his mouth and his tail wagging.

“Is this why we got a dog?”

I run a hand over my belly. “He’ll need a friend.”

“He?”

I smile. “I just have a feeling.”

He shakes his head again in wonder, before his face pulls into a grin. “I can’t wait to see how angry you get when you give birth.”

“Hey!” I smack his arm, but he catches my wrist, planting a kiss to the inside of it.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? With me, I mean.”

I settle back into his arms with my back to his front, and throw the stick, watching little flashes of gold through the grass as Clifford searches for it.

Rafael brings his arms around me, entwining his fingers with mine over my tummy. “I trust you, and I trust us.” He squeezes me that much tighter.

“I think we’ll make good parents, don’t you?”

I can feel his smile even though I can’t see it. “Yeah, May, I think so. I never thought I was going to be the one who’s going to have to be the good cop, though.”

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