Page 117 of Worth the Trouble

Lili’s always been hot, but seeing her belly grow with my baby has got to be the sexiest thing I’ve seen in my life.

We weren’t planning it, but we weren’t really stopping it either. Lili didn’t like how the pill made her feel, and I didn’t want to stop coming inside her, so we kind of threw caution to the wind, and I knocked her up.

Best not-planned thing I’ve ever done. Even if at first it made me a little nervous.

I didn’t grow up with the best example of a parent. And even if I know I’m nothing like that piece of shit, I don’t know how to be a good dad either. Lili says I’ll figure it out, and I keep waiting for her confidence to rub off on me.

But even if it does, nothing erases the looming stress of knowing she’ll be going into labor soon. And with what happened to my mom, the thought of that alone is a level of fear I’ve never experienced before.

I can’t lose Lili.

“Do I look okay?” she asks, brushing her dark hair back. Pregnancy has made her ask that question a little more frequently, which baffles me since she’s never been more beautiful.

“Perfect.”

Leaning down, I plant a kiss on her forehead before leading her in the direction of the photographer. We swing through the crowd and grab Noah, Merry, Adrian, and Eloise on the way. And by the time we all find Sebastian and Cassie, they don’t seem the least bit worried about pictures.

The two of them are standing in front of a wall of white roses, her in his arms. He’s looking at her like his world would fall apart without her, and she can’t tear her eyes off him. Basically, how they’ve been for the past two years.

Her white and pink lace dress flows out like a river toward the photographer, and they lean in for a kiss.

The photo snaps, and I realize maybe I do want this sappy shit after all. I’d love to see Lili in a white dress just for me.

“There you are,” Cassie says with a big smile on her face.

She waves us over and we all gather in front of the wall of flowers. Noah’s making jokes to pick at Adrian, who looks like he really doesn’t want to smile. And Merry’s still frowning about the fact that Cassie dressed her up in a pink bridesmaid dress.

We’re all so fucked up and perfect.

“Smile,” the photographer says, and the lights are flashing.

When you’ve been in the spotlight as long as we have, you get used to having your picture taken. You’re used to it not meaning anything. But then there are those rare moments, like this one, where it feels like it does again.

I spent my entire childhood feeling like I didn’t have a family, but I made one with this band, and now I’m creating another with Lili.

I’m no longer alone.

“Ah,” Lili winces beside me, and I look down to see her holding her stomach with one hand.

“What’s wrong?”

She looks up at me. “Nothing.”

But her face winces, and she flinches again in my arms.

“Lili?”

Her eyes go wide then, and she looks down, where my gaze follows, to find a puddle of what looks like water at her feet.

“Oh my gosh,” Cassie squeals so loud half the room turns to look at us. “You’re having the baby.”

She jumps up and down with excitement, and Eloise grabs onto my arm, smiling, while Merry and the guys stand there looking terrified at the prospect of a baby falling out of Lili at any second.

“Holy shit,” I say, holding Lili’s arm. “We need to get to the hospital. We need a car. Crap, I don’t have our stuff here.”

“Rome.” Lili plants her hand on my cheek and it settles me back in place. “It’s going to be okay. We’ve got this.”

The brightest smile stretches her face. It lights up her cheeks and brings light to her eyes. She might as well be glowing from the inside out.

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