Page 24 of In Love With Mr. Wrong

"Maple syrup on pickles," I say, stepping toward her.

A tiny, nervous laugh escapes her. "Yeah. That was a giveaway."

I close the distance, moving slowly across the creaky floorboards until I’m standing in front of her. I set my hand lightly on her arm.

"Why didn’t you say anything?"

She shrugs one shoulder under the blanket. "Because I didn’t want to add to the chaos. Because we were already barely holding things together. And because..." She takes a shaky breath. "I didn’t know what you’d say."

I reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her cheek. Her skin is warm, and I can feel the way she leans into the touch, just slightly.

"I probably would’ve said something dumb at first," I admit. "I would’ve freaked out."

She nods slowly. "Exactly."

"But then," I say, my voice softer now, "I’d come back to you. Because it’s you. And because... I love you."

Her eyes go glassy. She blinks a few times. "Grayson…”

"This changes everything, yeah. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. About us."

She moves closer, her forehead pressing lightly against my chest. I fold my arms around her, holding her to me, letting her warmth soak into my skin. The fire crackles behind us, a steady hum of heat and comfort in the otherwise quiet room.

"We’ll figure it out," I murmur into her hair. "Whatever comes next, we’ll do it together."

She nods against my chest, and for a long, quiet moment, we just stay like that. Rocking slightly in place. Holding on. Trying to breathe. Trying to believe that somehow, this might be the beginning of something good. Margot pulls back slightly, just enough to look up at me. Her eyes are glassy, but there’s something fierce behind them too.

"Do you hate me for not telling you sooner?"

I shake my head. "No. I just... I wish you hadn’t carried it alone. You didn’t have to."

She gives me a wobbly smile. "That’s kind of my specialty. Shouldering way too much."

"Yeah, well," I murmur, brushing my thumb across her cheek, "maybe this time, you let me help."

"Even with the morning nausea and the mood swings and the cravings?"

I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her forehead. "Especially then."

She laughs, the sound soft and shaky, and presses her cheek to my chest again.

"I haven’t even let myself think about it too much," she whispers. "Not really. Not beyond the test and the symptoms. I didn’t want to get ahead of what this could be."

"You’re allowed to be scared," I say. "Hell, I’m terrified. But I think... maybe we’re allowed to be excited too."

She tilts her head back to look at me. "You think so?"

I nod. "I think this might be the most terrifying and beautiful thing we’ve ever done."

Margot exhales, then leans up to kiss me, slow and soft, like a promise, and just like that, I know: we’re already in it together. But peace never lasts long with us. Just as I’m about to say something else, maybe ask if she wants to go for a walk or start planning what's next, my phone buzzes from the edge of the table. I glance at the screen.

Three missed calls. One from Olivia. One from Cassian. And one from a name I don’t recognize: Natalia Crane.

Margot catches my change in expression. "What is it?"

I hold up the screen. "Apparently, someone named Natalia Crane really wants to talk to us."

Margot blinks. "Crane? That name’s been popping up on some of the industry lists. A new matchmaking platform, right?"

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