Page 80 of The Sweetest Chirp

“Truly,” he claims. “Audrina, there is no one but you for me.”

My shoulders drop a bit as my heart swells in my chest. “I feel the same.”

“I’ve known you for twenty-nine years. I know who you are. I love who you are. You are the best mother I’ve ever met, and I’d be crazy to let you go a second time.”

I lean into his touch. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” he says, so damn sure of himself I can’t help but giggle. “I may be rushing things, but—” He pauses, taking a deep breath before letting it out with a whoosh. “I lived over three years without you, Audrina. If things hadn’t gotten so fucking out of control, you’d have been here. I would have done everything to get you to forgive me, and I truly believe we would have already been married.”

“You think so?” I tease, and he flashes me a smirk.

“I know so,” he says, his confidence so damn sexy. “I wasn’t just blowing smoke up your juicy ass when I said I wanted to show you how much you mean to me,dushen’ka. I want to do just that. I want to show our kids what real love is until we’re both in the ground, holding hands as we decompose as one.”

“That’s such a sick romantic statement.”

His grin is unstoppable. “I mean it.”

“I don’t doubt you,” I tell him as tears burn the back of my throat. Breathlessly, I ask, “What are we going to tell our parents, Ingrid?”

“About what? I’m not telling our moms I spent the night filling you up,” he teases, and I snort. “My mom will smack me.”

I laugh from my gut at that, knowing she would. “No,” I say, slapping his chest playfully. “They’re going to know things have shifted between us.”

“And?”

“What do we say?”

His eyes lighten a bit, a contented smile on his lips as he glides his fingers along my lips. “That we got our heads out of our asses,” he starts, his eyes searching mine. “That while we’ll always be best friends, we are way more now.”

My breath catches, my soul singing for this man. “We are?”

“We are,” he agrees, cupping my jaw in his hand. “I’m going to marry you, Audrina Maria, I’m going to fill you with all my babies, and I am going to be the best father in the world. Most of all, I am going to love you like there is a chance I could lose you.”

Tears burn in my eyes as I cover his hand with mine. “But you’ll find me?”

His promise is in his eyes. “Always.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I’m not like other hockey players in the National Hockey League.

I mean, we’re all a bit superstitious, but unlike my fellow league mates, I don’t let the team manager wash and care for my gear. It started after my first year in the league. My main bag of gear was left behind, and so I had to use my backup gear. It was awful, and I sucked so badly that I convinced myself noone could care for my gear the way I could. I mean, shit, I’ve been doing it since I thought it was weird for my mom to wash my jockstrap. My gear is precious to me. It helps me be the player I am, and so right now, I sit in the garage, making sure everything is clean and ready to go.

I have to head to the airport soon, and with each passing hour, it gets harder to know I have to leave. Especially when Arwen is fluttering around me. My girl is full of questions. She has asked me what every single thing is in my bag; she has tried everything on, and that has made the process take even longer than it ever has.

And I don’t mind one bit.

She is helping me load my bag when I notice her eyes are a little misty. I reach for her hand, grasping it before pulling softly to get her attention. Her sweet brown eyes meet mine, and my stomach drops.What’s wrong?I sign, pulling her to me.

I don’t want you to leave.

Who knew six words could bring a man to his knees? She looks up at me, her watery gaze doing me in as I stroke her cheeks.I don’t want to leave you, but it’s my job.

Can I come?

God, I love this girl.I wish, but then Mommy would be alone.

She can come too?

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