Page 12 of Fight for Me
He’s silent.
“No. You’re not.” I don’t need him to say the words. It’s written all over his face. “You’ll go back to New York, once again leaving me wishing I were worth more to you.”
“Sydney, stop.”
“No. I’m not going to stop. I’m never going to stop wishing you were still the man I fell in love with when I was a little girl.”
Declan steps forward, his hand gripping the back of his neck. “Why does it have to be so complicated?”
I feel the moisture building in my eyes, but I hold it back. I need to say this so I can walk away from him with my head held high. “Because you promised a ten-year-old little girl that you would love her until the day she died. At thirteen, you gave that girl a ring you made out of a spoon and promised her that you’d replace it with a diamond. Then, at sixteen, you held her in your arms, kissing her as though she was the sole reason for your existence, and she gave herself to you. Do you remember that? Do you remember how we snuck out to the barn with candles, blankets, and made promises?”
His green eyes are intense and unwavering. “I remember it all.”
“Then you must remember when you broke that promise, right? Did it slip your memory that you came to that same girl who would’ve done anything for you and told her that you were over trying to force yourself to make this work? You want to know why it’scomplicated, Declan? Because you fucking ruined that girl.”
And then, just like the scene so many years ago, I turn my back on him and walk away, leaving the remains of my shredded heart at his feet.
Chapter Four
Sydney
~Two Months Later~
This is the moment of truth. I walk into the bathroom where my pregnancy test sits on the counter. Ellie and I are both late and … I don’t know … I’m hoping I can find out I’m not pregnant and then suddenly start bleeding tonight.
I pull in a deep breath and walk over to my test. “No matter what, it’ll be fine,” I whisper.
My hand trembles as I reach for the innocuous little white test, and I lift it.
No.
No. This isn’t … it can’t be.
I can’t be … pregnant.
Oh, God. I’m pregnant.
The breath whooshes from my chest as I drop onto the toilet seat. This isn’t possible, right? I can’t be pregnant. It was the one time. Just one time with Declan at the pond.
Tears prick my eyes as I stare down at it.
Maybe I grabbed the wrong test. Maybe Ellie switched them accidentally. Yes, that has to be what happened.
I reach for the other test on the far side of the counter. It’s positive too.
Ellie is going to have a baby … and so am I.
I hear Connor’s deep voice outside the bathroom, and I push down the nausea that bubbles up. I can’t do this right now. I can’t face Connor, or any of the Arrowood brothers, for that matter. I need to get out of here, go home, and think.
I’m going to have a baby.
Declan’s baby.
A child that is ... ours.
My mind can’t seem to think in more than six-word increments.
I will myself to grab my test, slip it into my back pocket, and count to five. After that, I will walk out of here and keep myself together.
