Page 27 of The Promise
It’s not until the front door slams that I break down. This is all my own fault, and I know that I should’ve told him as soon as I found out. I only have myself to blame for my misery. At least his reaction has put one of my worries to rest—that he wouldn’t want me to have it. I know I made the right decision. Fuck knows what he’s thinking about everything else,though.
I reluctantly drag my body from the bed. I stand at the window, looking out through the raindrops running down the glass at the grey miserable day beyond. How could I be so stupid as to send him in there? I blame my orgasm exhausted body for my lack of brain power. Part of me doesn’t want to wash Blake’s smell from my body but the other part wants all of what’s just happened washed away in the hope of a clearerhead.
I shower, dress in my pyjamas, and curl up on the sofa. Blake left his phone and keys here so I know he’ll be back at some point—the only question is when. I sip my hot chocolate as I stare at the TV. It might be on, but I have no idea what I’mwatching.
It’s well over an hour later when the buzzer goes off. I don’t need to look at the little screen to know it’s Blake. I allow him into the building and then hold the front door open as I wait for him. A lump forms in my throat when he appears at the top of the stairs. He’s soaked through from the rainstorm and his eyes are dark and stressed. The last thing I expect him to do when he reaches me is to pull me into his arms and against his very wet and cold body. I keep my mouth shut and allow him to take what heneeds.
We stand there holding each other for the longest time. I can feel my pyjamas soaking up all the cold water but I stayput.
Eventually, Blake pulls his head out of the crook of my neck. “You’re having our baby?” he asks, like it’s the craziest thing to everhappen.
“Yes, I’m having our baby,” I confirm, and for the first time since I found out, I don’t freak out sayingit.
Blake steps back from me. The air rushes between us and makes me shiver, but I soon heat back up when he places his giant hands on my belly. The look on his face is one of pureamazement.
“I thought what I said to you a few weeks ago about not wanting more kids was true. But this…right now…couldn’t be moreperfect.”
“Really?” I ask, thinking his reaction earlier showed something verydifferent.
“Don’t get me wrong, Addison, I’m angry, really fucking angry that you kept this from me, but I do understand why, and the knowledge that you weren’t planning on going through with this at one point really doesn’t make me happy, but I’m more excited than anything else,” he admits as he scoops me up into his arms again. “Can I stay with youtonight?”
“What aboutSinead?”
“I’ll ring mymum.”
I stand and listen as he tells his mum that I’m ill and he’d like to stay with me. Steph, being the lovely person she is, agrees to go and stay at Blake’s and make sure Sinead gets to school in themorning.
“Liar,” I comment when he hangsup.
“It was that or the truth. Are you ready forthat?”
“No,” I answerquickly.
“I’m going for a shower, and then you’ve got a shite ton of questions to answer, Addison,” he warns, reminding me that under his joy he’s still veryangry.
“Okay.”
* * *
I change into dry pyjamas while Blake’s showering and much to my delight, when he emerges, he’s only in his boxers. My eyes run over his body hungrily as he walks into the kitchen with his clothes in his hands. I bite down on my bottom lip when he bends forward to put them in the washingmachine.
“How’re those pregnancy hormones working out for you?” he asks when he sees the look on myface.
“Huh? Did you say something?” I ask hisabs.
Fuck, I want himagain.
My core clenches as he steps in front of me. He leans forward and fills my senses with his unique smell mixed with my shower gel. His breath tickles down my neck, making meshiver.
“I’ll do whatever you want later. I’ll lick you, fuck you, I’ll make love to you if that’s what you want, but right now, I havequestions.”
“Okay,” I breathe. How can just his voice affect me so much? I’m panting when he pulls away from me and sitsdown.
“Oh, I can see this is going to be fun,” he says with a salacious smile and a wink, before turning serious. “So talk me through this. How’d ithappen?”
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think it started when we had se—” I pause when I see he’s not amused. “Okay. You know I forgot to pack my pills?” He nods. “It turns out they werestolen.”
“What? Bywho?”
