Page 13 of Hook, Line, Infinity, Part 3

I snub her question and continue to stare at the baby bump, my brows fused tightly. “You’re… pregnant?”

Rein stares at me, eyes narrowed, “What are you doing here, Talon?” She repeats. “Paris told you where to find me, didn’t she? God, I’m going to kill her.” She rages and spins on her heel to leave, but I wrap my fingers around her upper arm and stop her.

Her fiery gaze slowly lifts and locks with mine. “Is that baby mine, Rein?”

She blanches, and her face takes on a whole new look of rage. “Is that really all you have to say to me right now?!”

“Answer me!” I demand, taking a step closer to her, her head tilts back when I tower over her.

“Yes!” she retorts, placing her hands on my chest she pushes me back again. “Of course the baby is yours.” My shoulders drop and I stare down at her stomach again. Everything is happening so fast my brain is grappling to catch up.

I couldn’t believe it, she’s pregnant and with my baby. Holy fucking shit. I’m going to be a father.

“You’re having my baby and what? You weren’t going to tell me?” I question tersely. I didn’t want to believe that Rein who grew up without a father herself would keep my child from me.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you. You really want to be throwing stones while you’re in a greenhouse, Talon? Last I recall, you just love to keep secrets. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“That was different!”

“How?!”

“I never set out to intentionally hurt you, Rein. I tried to explain but you wouldn’t even listen to me. You up and fucking disappeared on me. It didn’t matter to me that I lost my job, what killed me was losing you.”

She scoffs and veers her gaze from mine as though she’s afraid to hold my gaze for too long in fear I would see something I’m not supposed too. “You seem perfectly fine to me.”

“The fuck I am,” I snarl taking hold of her shoulders I turn her pretty face, so she is forced to meet my gaze again. “I’ve not been okay since you walked out of my life, Snowflake. I’ve spent months going out of my mind looking for you. All these months and I’ve never, not for a moment stopped loving you.”

Rein’s gaze softens and they brim with tears almost instantly at my declaration. I cup her face and brush away the tears that roll down her cheeks. “Tell me you don’t love me, baby,” I whisper, stepping closer and pressing my forehead to hers.

“I don’t love you.” I would have believed those words had it not been for the way her voice trembles.

“Liar,” I whisper, inching closer to her heavenly lips, inwardly praying she won’t withdraw. “Taylor was my past, but you were always meant to be my future, Rein, and the fact I’m standing here today is proof of that. The entire universe has conspired to help me find you and I’m not making the mistake of letting you go this time. I don’t care if I have to grovel on my hands and knees for the rest of my life to prove to you that my love for you is true,” I declare truthfully. “I want you and I want our baby.” My mouth sweeps down; closing the minuscule gap I draw her in for a slow and deliberate kiss.

I feel all her forbearance surrender for the briefest moment until she places her hands on my chest and pushes me back.

“Stop.” She whispers. “You can’t just fix everything with a kiss, Talon. You really hurt me.”

I nod, “I know, and I’m truly sorry for not being honest with you from the start. I was going to tell you. I swear I was, but then other shit kept getting in the way and… I bottled it. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, Rein.”

Rein shakes her head slowly and tries to back away, but I tighten my hold on her arms and keep her against me. “Why couldn’t you just trust me and been honest from the start? I would have understood.” She cries, pressing her hand to her chest. “I know better than anyone what it’s like to lose someone you love.”

Fuck, I can’t bear to see her cry, and it truly kills me that I’m the one responsible for every single one of those tears. I pull her into my arms, “No, don’t,” she whimpers fighting in my hold, but I tighten my arms around her waist keeping her body flush against me.

“Snowflake, I’m not letting you go this time. You hear me?” I declare lowly in her ear, and she stills. “You can keep fighting me all you want, but I’m going to do everything in my power to win your trust back.” I vow. Rein draws back, her eyes still on mine. I take that moment to affectionately brush my fingers along her jaw and revel in the way her beautiful body still responds to my touch, despite her best efforts to hide it.

“You’ll be waiting a long time.”

“Have you forgotten how persistent I can be?” I question with a knowing smirk. I take hold of her chin and gently tilt her head up, “Or would you like me to drag you into that bathroom and remind you?” Rein’s face rapidly fills with blood, adding to that gorgeous pregnancy glow she’s got going. “Everything I want is right here. A life with you and our baby…”

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