Page 115 of Burning Love
But the reasons he wanted to get married were ludicrous.
He ran his hands through his hair. “You’re not taking my child from me,” he stated firmly.
Her jaw dropped. “What the hell, Jace?! Do you really think I’d do that to you? Is that the type of person you think I am?”
“No,” he said.
“But you said it so you think it deep down.” Like if her last name was Rigby he’d have a hold on her. What a horrible way to be wanted by a man.
He was pacing. “What I know is I want to talk about this and you don’t. You waited days to tell me you were pregnant. You’ve got a lot more than I’ve got. This is what happened with my mother and father. She worried that would happen and she took me away.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “You’re crazy. We’ve been together almost every night that you’re not at the firehouse since we found out.”
“Talia. You work out of New York. Who is to say you won’t take our child there, or decide to do it? I’ll fight you not to go, but we both know where this would end up. I don’t have your resources.”
It was breaking her heart he thought she’d do that.
“I wouldn’t. I can tell you until I’m blue in the face, but I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t get the support there that I would here. I love my family, but they are all crazy busy. My mother is here.You’rehere, but you can’t seem to see what is in front of your face.”
“Obviously I can’t,” he said. “And you’re so stubborn and won’t talk to me.”
“I’m talking now,” she said, putting the chips down and folding her arms. “You don’t justtellsomeone to marry you because they are pregnant.”
How much clearer could she be without having to come out and say the words to him?
“That’s not the only reason,” he argued.
“Then what else? What am I to think?”
He held her stare. “I want to be in my child’s life. I want to be there for you. Isn’t that enough?”
“No.” Yep. There it was. It was about the baby and not her. Exactly what she feared. She ran her hand under her nose. “It’s not. Until you can figure it out, it’s on you.”
“Figure what out? Are you going to leave on me again?”
He ran in front of her before she could get to the door.
“Get out of my way,” she said. “You’re a smart guy, but you’re not seeing this.”
“Will you fucking talk to me and stop playing games?”
“I want to know how you feel aboutme. You don’t know. I get it. You’re trying to do the honorable thing, but I don’t need that. I only need you and for theright reasons.”
His lips stayed shut for five seconds before he said, “Maybe I need the same thing.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that all you said was that you needed help and you’d get that from your mother and me. So that is what you want? If that was the case then you’d move in with me at the very least.”
“It’s like talking to a brick wall.” How much clearer did she have to be without asking if he loved her? He obviously didn’t and she didn’t need to have that confirmed. She nudged past him to grab her purse. He was blocking the door though when she went back. “Move. Now!” She was staring him down and almost growling at the same time.
He stepped back with his hands in the air.
“Don’t do this.”
“Do what?” she asked desperately. She saw the tears gathering in his eyes just like the ones in hers. “I need space and you need to figure your life out and what is really important to you. Not honor, not doing the right thing if it’s not right for you. I’m not your mother. I’m not going to steal our child away from you and I’m completely insulted and disappointed that you’d even think that.”
She marched to the door, flung it open, and drove home with tears running down her cheek.
