Page 28 of The Promise
“Sinead,she—”
“WHAT?”
“Don’t be mad, Blake. She came to see me to apologise because she thought we’d split up because she took them. She was scared I was going to die like Kayleigh.” I see his eyes soften as he thinks about heractions.
“I didn’t eventhink—”
“No, nor did I. That’s the only time I’ve taken them late, and apparently it was enough to stop itworking.”
I talk for almost an hour about how I found out, my trip to London where I changed my mind right at the last minute thanks to Juliette, and everythingsince.
“I’m glad you found someone to talk to,” he says when I tell him about meeting Orla. “But I wish it wasme.”
“I didn’t know how to tell you. I was so mad at you when I found out. I was a mess, Blake. It’s been one thing on top of the other,” I say as tears start to fill my eyes. “I just didn’t know,” I stutter as I start tocry.
“Hey, it’s okay. I know now and I’m here,” he says into my hair as he holds me tight. “Come on.” He effortlessly lifts me into his arms and carries me to my bedroom. His promises of licking and fucking go out the window in favour of making love, like he suggested. It’s tender and passionate, and when I come, tears leak from my eyes because it’s all just too much totake.
“What do you want to do now? About us, I mean,” he whispers. We’ve been wrapped around each other, lost in our thoughts, for the longesttime.
“I don’t think we do anything right now. We can’t rush into anything; we’ve both got things we need to sort through and we can’t forget about Sinead in allthis.”
“We’re together though,right?”
“Yeah, but we’ll continue to take it one step at a time. Things ran away with us before and look how that turnedout.”
“I guess, but I don’t want to miss out on anything,” he says, his hand flexing over mybelly.
“Youwon’t.”
“I will, though. I won’t know when you’re craving something in the middle of the night, or when you first feel him kick.” Sadness washes through me knowing he’s right, but I’m not moving straight in with him just because I’mpregnant.
“I’ll be sure to ring you in the middle of the night with my requests,” I say, trying to keep the conversationlight.
“I’m sure you will, but I’m serious. I want to be there for everything, and the second you feel like it’s the right time, there’s space for you at our house. I know Sinead will want that,too.”
“I loveyou.”
“I love you too, bakergirl.”
* * *
“Hey, what’re you doinghere?”
It’s the evening before my bakery opens and I haven’t left the kitchen all day. Every inch of my skin is sticky and I’m sure my hair is full of flour and icing sugar dust, but I want everything to beperfect.
“We’re coming to take you away from this for an hour for dinner,” Blakesays.
“No arguments,” Sinead adds. “We’ll come back after and spend all night helping you if necessary, but you need abreak.”
We haven’t told anyone about my pregnancy yet but I’m sure Sinead senses something. She’s the only one who sees Blake and I together often, and she can’t have missed how he is with me, constantly checking I’m okay, little touches to mybelly.
They both help with some cleaning up while I finish off my icing before dragging meaway.
“You look exhausted, Addison. You’re doing toomuch.”
“I’m fine. Mum and Aunt Addy have been with me most of the day.” Mum seems to have come good on her promise of help and, much to my surprise, she’s been amazing. It’s a relief, seeing as in just over seven months’ time, I’m not going to be about so much. Aunt Addy is healing well. It hasn’t really phased her, and I’ve no doubt that as soon as she’s off her crutches she’ll be out and about again without a secondthought.
“Addison, could you come up here a minute, please?” Sinead calls down the stairs. We’ve been at their house about twenty minutes. I was ordered to sit on the sofa and not move the second I stepped foot in here, and I’m bored, seeing as they both disappeared in differentdirections.
