Page 97 of Pieces

Hooking a finger under her chin, I tilt her face up so she has no choice but to look at me. I keep my eyes trained on her—every inch of her. Her flushed cheeks, the curve of her lips, the tiny, barely noticeable bump that holds the best thing that’s ever happened to me. My heart stalls mid-beat. Mistake? No. She feels like coming home to the smell of freshly baked cookies. The world makes sense when she’s close.

“This isn’t a mistake,” I say, my voice steady. “It’s…everything, Daph. You’re everything. Both of you.” My throat tightens, but I push through it. “You’re my favorite people, and I haven’t even met one of you yet.”

Her lips part slightly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. For a second, I think she might cry, but instead, she leans into my hand, her cheek soft and warm against my palm.

“I mean it,” I add, my thumb brushing lightly over her skin. I fight the swell of emotion rising in my throat and simply focus on her as I lower my lips and lose myself in her kiss.

***

“Should I wear something different?” Daphne asks, turning left and right in front of the mirror, her eyes scanning her reflection critically. Then she pivots to check out her butt, lifting one eyebrow. We’ve been here for a while, but it’s okay. I like staring at her. Especially since that little baby of mine is desperate to make itself known. When she turns to the side, I notice that tiny lift in her belly and it makes me feel all kinds of giddy. Who fucking knew this would be my life? Not me, but damn if I’m not here for it.

“Daph, princess, baby girl, honey pie, sugar tits—”

That gets her gaze whipping to mine. “Sugar tits? Really?”

“I mean, the tits do look great.” I grin, having her full attention now. “You look good in everything, princess.” I walk over to her, slipping my arms around her, splaying my hand over her belly that’s currently covered by a skintight white shirt. “Or nothing. You know you could go naked? Mmm, I like that option.”

She laughs, a sound that I’m fully addicted to. Stepping forward slightly, she lifts her hair, revealing the slope of her neck. The spot I’d left a little mark on this morning when things got…intense is right there. Fuuuuuuck, and she loved it.Don’t think about that right now, Hudson. Not unless you want to derail this whole outing.

“You don’t think my birthday suit will attract too much attention?” she teases, glancing at me over her shoulder with that sly smile.

Tapping my chin, I pretend to think it over, eyes roaming her body as I step back. “Hmm. You’re right. Naked is only for me.”

“So if I’m not wearing my birthday suit and this shirt seems to scream baby on board with all the bloating, then…”

“Wear the pink sweater. That’s my favorite. Pink’s a good color on you. Makes you look extra…” I pause, letting my gaze drift slowly from her face to her bump and back again, just to make her squirm. “Hot.”

She pulls the sweater on, shaking her head like she’s exasperated with me, but the way she smiles as she smooths it down tells me she knows I’m right.

“See? Perfect,” I say, gripping her hips and spinning her around to plant a kiss on her lips. “Now let’s go. I’m hungry, which means my baby must be hungry too.”

“You’re ridiculous.” She giggles, and my heart does a little flip as we walk out hand in hand.

Within fifteen minutes, we arrive at Mug Life just on the edge of campus. The coffee aroma hits us as we step inside, and I scan the room for my friends. Liv isn’t here yet. She got stuck in traffic so she’s meeting us soon, but she already knows and told us to go ahead.

They’re over in the usual corner table, occupying both since there’s so many of us. Indie must not be working today since she’s sitting on Seb’s lap without her pink apron. Miles and Quinn are laughing with Jay about something, and I suddenly get a wave of nerves erupting in my stomach.

My hand squeezes Daphne’s as we approach them, once, then twice in quick succession.

“What does two squeezes mean? You’ve done it a couple of times now. Is it some kind of code?” she whispers, leaning in close behind me. “Do you want me to make a scene so we run out of here?”

That gets a smile out of me despite my nerves. I turn to face her, and the sight of those baby blues staring back at me is all it takes to settle my racing heart. How does she do that? Every single time.

“The two squeezes means…” I hesitate, scanning her face. “It means, you good?”

She takes in what I’ve said, but there’s something else that sparks in her eyes, that I can’t quite read. Then she nods, giving me an easy smile. “I’m good. Let’s hard launch this.”

That confidence in her voice fills me with confidence too. For about two seconds. Then it hits me. I have no idea how I’m going to introduce her to them.

My steps falter, and I stop us just a few feet away from the table. “Wait,” I say, spinning and pulling her gently back toward me.

She looks up at me, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

I open my mouth, then close it again, suddenly hyper-aware of what I’m about to ask. We’ve not had the boyfriend-girlfriend talk, but in my head, that’s what we are. “Will you, uh, be my girlfriend?”

Her head tilts as her eyes flick between mine. Shit, does she already think she is? I mean, I think she is; I just wasn’t sure if she thought we are, or do we both know she is but haven’t said she is… Am I spiraling?

I clear my throat, trying to find my footing. “I just… I wanted to introduce you this time as my girlfriend. And then I realized I never actually asked you, and I—I want that. For you to be mine. My girlfriend. Just mine. You and the baby.” I take a breath, my heart practically in my throat now. “Is… Is that okay?”

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