Page 110 of Dublin Charmer
“Yes. And then, instead of a romantic reunion and talking things out, I rushed here not knowing if you were going to live or die.” Her voice shakes. “And I’m furious with you. What wereyou thinking, going to a meet alone? No backup? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”
I look away. “Maybe after what you did, I just didn’t care enough to be careful.”
“That’s not fair,” she whispers.
“Fair?” I laugh, a harsh sound that pulls at my stitches. “You want to talk about fair? You called me to dump me and then shut me out. It’s been six weeks of silence. You ended things and that most definitely wasn’t fair.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “I know how badly I hurt you, but what you said that night hit me hard. I knew Gio needed me, but he was only half the problem. You were right. I needed to fix myself. You said his attachment to me was unhealthy, but it went both ways. I’d been taking care of him for so long, I didn’t realize how bad the co-dependency had gotten. I couldn’t be with you the way I wanted until I figured out who I was without my brother.”
I stare at her, trying to process what she’s saying through the haze of drugs and pain.
“So, what about Gio? He couldn’t have taken that well.”
“He’s angry, but I hope, in time, he’ll get over it. He’s got the trailer and can travel and heal. I hope one day he’ll put the advice we were given to good use and find his own happiness.”
“The advice you were given? You sought help?”
“I did. I started seeing a therapist and then got Gio to come with me a few times. You were right about his needing me being unhealthy, but I needed him, too. He thought we could pull ourselves out of this life but that won’t ever be possible. I love you and we’ll be tied by that love whether I’m with you or not.”
She’s on a roll now and I’m having a hard time following.
“And even more than Gio needing me, I needed to talk to a therapist about what would happen when someone more important needed me. What it would mean for me to return toyour world. To be part of the Quinn family. Was it selfish or safe? After what happened with Laine, I had to be sure.”
My mind is spinning out. “What happened with Laine?”
“And then you go and nearly get yourself killed. Do you have any idea what you risked? What you almost threw away? No. Of course you don’t because I haven’t told you yet.”
I close my eyes and give myself a mental shake. Is she talking in circles?
“Babe, maybe it’s the drugs, but I only understand half of what you’re saying.”
“I know. I’m sorry. You see, I didn’t call you that night to dump you. I called to tell you something. Something I didn’t want you to hear over the phone, but I also didn’t want you to freak out and come find me when Gio was so agitated.”
I draw a deep breath. “Tell me what, luv? I don’t understand.”
She shifts her legs around on the sleeping bed and tosses the mound of blankets to the side. Only, the mound isn’t part of the blankets… it’s her belly. “Remember the night I straddled you on the floor in front of the fireplace?”
She points at her rounded tummy. “Finn, meet your very own Baby Q.”
My mind blanks out completely on that and I feel like my body is floating. Am I dead? Maybe none of this is real.
It takes a bit of maneuvering for Nyx to extricate herself from the sleeping chair, but then she stands at my bedside. She takes my hand and presses it against the round of her body. “He’s going to be joining us in less than five weeks, and he needs his papa alive and well. So, no more recklessness. No more lone-wolf bullshit. Got it?”
I pride myself for quick thinking, but none of my synapsis are firing.
The night she straddled me by the fire? Of course I remember. That moment has been on the highlight reel of my time with Nyx since it happened. We were both so swept up…
And we…
“Wait. Did you say,he? It’s a boy?”
Nyx is wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her. “Surprise!”
I can’t even wrap my head around that. Five weeks. My son will be born in five weeks. “I’m going to be someone’s da?”
“Or papa.”
My head is spinning. I want to grab her up and pull her onto the bed with me, but I can barely fucking move. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
