Page 24 of Still Burning

“I said I’d help pay for the baby. I didn’t say I’d put up with you. If you want me in that child’s life, then you’ll learn to be nice to the woman I love. She’s not going anywhere. I intend to put a ring on her finger.”

She blinked, wide-eyed, as if she were trying to make herselftear up. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Oh, yes, you did, bitch. You meant to,” Nina snapped angrily.

Nixie’s eyes narrowed as she swung them to her. “Don’t call me that.”

Nina cocked her head and looked at her with disgust. “I can call you whatever I want. And what you just did was a bitch move. Don’t fuck with me, Nixie. I’m an ole lady. You’re just a stripper who got knocked up.”

Nixie swung her gaze back to me, as if I was going to defend her.

Turning, I left the kitchen to go find Salem. I had more important things to deal with. I should have told her yesterday, but I couldn’t do it. I was going to do it today, but after going to Strokes with Brick to deal with a fight that had broken out, I’d gotten back to Nixie demanding I talk to her. Micah had gone with us to the library to discuss the pregnancy. I hadn’t wanted to be alone with her without a witness.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I made my way to my room, knowing that was most likely where she had gone. If she wasn’t in there, then I’d panic. Right now, I had to keep a calm head and make sure she understood this changed nothing. She’d listen to me once she was over the shock.

I swung open my door, not sure what to expect when I saw her, but the sight of her standing over by the small window in my room, staring with her arms crossed over her chest, looking almost lost, wasn’t it. I’d thought maybe she’d yell at me or cry. Hell, I didn’t know.

Closing the door, I locked it, not taking my eyes off her. It wasn’t until I was almost across the room to her that she turned her head to look at me. The depth of emotion darkened the cornflower blue.

Fuck, I hated this.

“Angel Face, this changes nothing between us,” I said, and sheremained silent. “I swear it. Please don’t look at me like that. You’re killing me.”

“How long have you known?” she asked me.

Dammit. Why hadn’t I told her?

I sighed heavily. “Yesterday. I was going to tell you this morning. I should have yesterday. I just…I couldn’t accept it myself. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, and I was scared.”

She licked her lips and then turned to look out the window again. “She’s young, and she’s going to need you.”

“No, she will need money, and I’ll give her that. She doesn’t need me,” I said, wrapping my fingers around her upper arm and turning her around to pull her against my chest. She didn’t fight me.

Her gaze lifted to meet mine reluctantly.

“You. All I want is you.”

“She will need support. She can’t do that alone. It’s…it would be terrifying.” Her voice broke as she said it.

If she started crying on me, I was going to shatter.

“She will be fine. Let’s not worry about her. It’s us I want to talk about. You are my priority.”

Her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. “I’m not asking for that. The baby needs to be your priority.”

That was asking something of me I couldn’t do. The baby wasn’t taking Salem’s place in my priorities. No one was.

I cupped her face with both my hands, keeping her eyes on mine. I needed her to see how fucking serious I was.

“The baby will be taken care of, but, Angel Face, I want you. You’re my future. You were meant to be my future from the moment we met. I knew it then, and I fucked it up. I won’t lose you again.”

A tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. I caught it with my thumb.

“Please don’t cry,” I begged. “I’m sorry. If I could go back andnever touch Nixie, I would. It would have always just been you.”

She said nothing. I needed reassurance that we were going to be okay. That she’d stay with me through this.

“Don’t shut me out. Love me,” I said.

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