Page 138 of Cuffed By Love

“Hormones.” Devin presses a kiss to her pulse point, his large hand splaying out over her stomach where their unborn baby lay.

“Kids, what do you say to a wedding in Hawaii?!” Devin’s mother calls out excitedly.

Mira laughs when Devin curses under his breath. “Can we please get out of here already?”

Mira nods, “Oh my God, yes, Ayla’s coming over with Bridal Magazines. Run.” Devin takes her hand, and they both leg it out of the house, leaving their families clucking over the arrangements of their wedding—details they’ve not even discussed yet. They still have quite a bit up in the air to hash out between them. Such as, where they’ll be living once they do get married, will the wedding be before the baby or after? And the ultimate question they’re both dreading asking. Who will be the one making the ultimate sacrifice to give up and uproot their life?

* * *

Two months later.

Thursday afternoon,a livid Mira storms into Devin’s office. “Devin King!”

Devin frowns and looks up at her, confused and a little scared, while she stomps over to his desk. “What are you full naming me for? What have I done now?”

“Did you tell your dad I was moving to Singapore with you before the baby is born?” Mira questions furiously. Devin blinks and opens his mouth to speak while Mira places her hands at her waist and glares at him, waiting for a response.

“I may have mentioned it.”

“Oh, you did, did you? I didn’t realise agreeing to marry you would come with the consequence of you making decisions on my behalf!” Mira snaps hotly. Devin raises a brow and stands from his desk.

“Mira, for God sake, I’ve been trying to have this conversation with you for two weeks straight, but you keep evading it.” Devin grouses, walking around his desk and stepping closer to his angry fiancée. “My dad asked me what our plans are if we’re going back to Singapore in a couple of months, and I said it’s likely.”

“It’s likely? This is not a decision you can just make for me. I have a say in this too!”

“Then say something! Tell me what you want, Mira?!” Devin fumes throwing his arms out to elucidate his frustration.

“I don’t want to move to Singapore!” She fires back hotly. “I want to have the baby and raise it here around my family, my home, our home.” She expresses. Devin’s hands fall to his sides, and he heaves a sigh.

“Mira, I’ve only just gotten full control of my record label after battling with Megan for weeks to buy her out. I’ve poured my blood, sweat and tears into growing that label, not to mention millions just to give it all up now.” Devin justifies. “My life is in Singapore.”

“And my life is here; I don’t want to move to a foreign country where I don’t speak the language or know anyone, Devin. Even if I did choose to move with you, what about my responsibilities here and Evans and King?”

“Mira, you’ll be the Director. You can easily run things from the firm in Singapore, too; you don’t need to stay here.”

“What if I want to, Dev! You keep saying your life is in Singapore, but it’s not, your work is in Singapore, your life is here, it always has been.”

“Mira, I can’t just pick up my damn record label and move it here. It’s not a bloody piece of lego!”

“Neither am I!” Mira retorts and starts to pace back and forth. “I’m going to have a baby; I’m scared. I need to be around family, people I know not stuck in a country all alone with no support system.”

“I’m your family, Mira! The three of us will be a family. And you’re not having this baby on your own; I’m scared too!” Mira shakes her head, her fingers curling in her hair.

“Devin, you’re not getting it!”

“You know what I’m getting, Mira? I’m getting the feeling you don’t really want this, or me for that matter because if you did, you wouldn’t be so damn difficult!”

Mira turns sharply and looks up at him, “I can say the same for you then! Why should I be the one to give up everything and move? If you want me, why can’t you make the sacrifice for us, Dev? Why is it all on me? Is my life not as important as yours?” Devin fists his hands by his side and stares into the fiery eyes of the woman he loves.

“Did I say your life isn’t important? Of course, it is, and I get your reasoning for wanting to stay, but you’re asking me to give up on a dream I spent years building.”

Mira blinks up at him, her shoulders sagging. “It’s just bricks and water, Dev. I want us to raise our child the way we were raised, surrounded by our memories, the warmth and love of our families. Everything that made us, you and me… is here, not in Singapore.”

“Mira, if we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet. Our memories will always be with us, and we can make new ones. The three of us together.” Devin says, taking her hand into his, but Mira shakes her head.

“Devin, I’ll be miserable there.”

“Home is where the heart is, Mira. If your heart beats for me the way mine does for you, then you’re already home, baby.” Devin declares devotedly, cupping her face and gazing into her eyes.

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