Page 49 of Risk

“I guess we were in the small percentage it fucks up for, huh?”

“I guess so.”

I see his throat bob on a swallow.

“You said you’re keeping the baby?” His words are so careful, measured, like he’s afraid to mess up again.

“Yes. And I want you to know that if you don’t want to be involved, I’ll totally understand. It’s my—”

“Let me stop you right there. There is no way in hell that I don’t want to be involved with my child. I want to be so fucking involved that it’ll probably annoy the shit out of you. I’ll be there for everything. I’m in this with you, Beautiful. This pregnancy might not have been planned, but I want this baby. Once I got over my initial shock, the only thing I felt was fucking happy,knowing that you’re pregnant and you want to keep it. We’re doing this together. We’re having this baby together.”

The relief I feel at his words is immeasurable. I knew I was worried that he wouldn’t want to be involved, but I didn’t realize the actual level of vulnerability I was feeling until this moment.

My eyes fill up, and this time, I can’t stop them.

Fucking stupid hormones.

“Fuck, Beautiful.” He’s off the chair and sliding into the space beside me, taking me into his arms. “Don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry.” I sniffle into his shoulder. “It’s the damn hormones. I can’t seem to control my emotions, and I’ve just been so scared and stressed since I found out that I was pregnant. I was worried you wouldn’t want the baby, and you do.”

He moves me back and takes my face in his hands. “You’ll never need to worry again. I’m here, Beautiful. I got you. I got the three of us.”

That only makes more tears run from my eyes. Kaden catches them and brushes them away with his thumbs.

Then, he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead before pulling me back into his arms.

He stays quiet, allowing me to get myself together. When I do, I shift back and dry my face with my hands.

“Sorry I got your shirt wet,” I murmur.

He glances down at the wet patch near his shoulder and shrugs. “A few tears are nothing. I’m sure I’m going to have worse things on me once the baby arrives.”

He smiles, and I manage a little laugh.

“Have you told anyone else that you’re pregnant?” he asks.

“You mean Zeus?” I snap, which I didn’t mean to do, and he immediately looks contrite.

He eyes me carefully. “Not specifically Zeus.”

“Sorry.” I shake my head. “I didn’t mean to snap then. Just…why are you asking?”

“Because I’m wondering if I’m the first to know about the existence of my child or not.”

“Oh.” Well, that makes me feel even shittier. “Lo knows. I called him when I did the first test.”

“The first?”

“I took three tests all together. To be sure, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“And Lo knew this girl who thought she was pregnant and had a positive test, but she actually wasn’t pregnant—it had been a false positive.”

“That’s actually a real thing?”

“Apparently so. So, yeah, Lo went to the store to get another test, but he bought two just to be doubly sure, I guess.”

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