Page 147 of Dirty Rock

“Becausewhat?”

Her eyes rose to mine as she parted her lips to speak. “Because I think I’m having your baby.”

Chapter Fifty

Istared at her… mute.

The silence stretched on with neither one of us speaking.

Julia waited.

I waited, too.

I waited for her to tell me it was a joke. That she was kidding. That… shit, I didn’t know what! The two of us were still two broken puzzles coming together to try and figure out howwefit, and here she was telling me there was another fucking piece trying to wedge its way in.

My eyes instantly fell to her stomach.

A toned, flat, biteable, blessed stomach I’d touched and caressed over and over again in my time with her.

My lips were parted when I eventually looked up with wide eyes.

“Rhett, you’ve gone pale.” She shuffled forward just a little and reached out to press her fingertips to my chest.

“Pregnant,” I mouthed.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you… pregnant?” I asked her carefully, ignoring her.

She swallowed delicately, a wave of fear washing over her face before she raised her chin and flared her nostrils. “I think so.”

“Think? What doesthinkmean?”

“It means I’ve taken two tests, and they’ve both come back positive, but I haven’t contacted a doctor about it yet.”

“Two tests,” I mouthed silently, my skin bursting to life with goosebumps.

Julia nodded, never taking her eyes from mine.

I looked down at her stomach again, trying to imagine a life growing in there. A life that belonged to me. A life I’d helped create.

“And it’s… mine?”

“Of course, it is.” She scowled. “There’s no one else.”

“Sorry.” I scrunched my eyes together. “I didn’t mean… that’s not what I thought. I just…”

“Rhett,” she whispered, her voice pleading.

All the blood in my body felt like it had rushed to my toes. I was cold yet tingling. My head was buzzing, and white noise was threatening to erupt in my ears. That battered old heart of mine was hammering like it was about to perform a drum solo, and I didn’t know shit about playing the drums.

When my gaze rose to hers, all her doubts stared back at me.

“Pregnant,” I whispered, thinking about the cot I’d just dismantled, the nursery we’d just overturned, and all the things Jules and Sarah had spoken about over the last few days. The guilt and heartache that Jules must be feeling washed over me.

“Shit, baby,” I breathed out, immediately reaching up to grab her in my arms and pull her to me. She climbed onboard, straddling my waist, and she sank her face into my neck, letting me curl my arms around her and hold her tight.

Wet tears fell against my skin again. More tears. Too many fucking tears.

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