Page 102 of California Wild

Hayley blinked. “What?”

Jesse’s lips tugged into something that wasn’t quite a smile, but wasn’t fear either.

“I’m happy to hear that,” he said simply.

Her stomach flipped.

“What?” she repeated.

He turned fully toward her, reaching out, his fingers sliding gently against her thigh, grounding her. “Do you want this?”

She chewed her lip, afraid to admit the truth, but looking into his eyes—the truth slipped out anyway. “Yes, I want this.”

“We’ll figure it out then,” he said. “Move in together. Get married. Get a place. Make it work.”

Hayley’s heart slammed against her ribs.

She had braced for an explosion.

Instead, he was calm. Certain.

Like he had already decided. Like it was that simple.

But it wasn’t simple.

She ran a hand through her damp hair, shaking her head. “Jesse, this isn’t just some easy next step. My life—my career—everything is happening so fast. The band is blowing up. The label is pushing us harder than ever. I don’t even know what my life is going to look like in six months, let alone—”

She broke off, rubbing at her temple.

“I don’t know how to have it all.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I feel like I have to choose. One or the other.”

Jesse watched her.

Then—he exhaled, reaching for her, tucking her into his arms, holding her like he had every intention of never letting go.

“You don’t have to choose.” His voice was steady, firm. “I’m all in. We’ll make it all work. Whatever it takes.”

Hayley pressed her face into his chest, closing her eyes.

She wanted to believe that.

More than anything, she wanted to believe that.

Jesse’s fingers tilted her chin up, his golden eyes dark and unreadable, his touch grounding, steadying.

“If I was going to have a surprise baby with anyone,” he said, voice low, raw, “it would only ever be you.”

Hayley’s stomach tightened.

His thumb brushed over her jaw, gentle, reverent.

“The sick part of me?” He exhaled sharply, the ghost of a smirk curling his lips. “I’m fucking thrilled that you’re locked in with me now.”

He picked up her left hand as if trying to assess the size of her ring finger.

Her breath hitched, heart pounding, emotions tangled.

And maybe it was the exhaustion, the jet lag, the overwhelming weight of everything, but—

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