Page 59 of Bound By Love

She pulled a sleep shirt on, sans panties, and left the room. Another light turned on, but I couldn’t see what she was doing. I put my dick back in my pants and zipped up quickly. A moment later, she returned to the room with something in her hand. A stuffed plushy?

I strained my eyes, trying to make out what it was, and when its identity became clear, my stomach churned and I almost threw up.

In front of the mirror, she put the little bear to her stomach and smiled.To the moon and back, she mouthed.

I stepped away from the window, gasping for air, and ran to my car. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think as unsolicited tears streamed down my face.

Miranda’s pregnant?

The black truck returned as I slammed the rental car’s door shut. Derek hopped out with a bag in hand. The door opened as he made his way up the steps. Miranda beamed as he kissed her and the door closed.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I banged my hand on the steering wheel as my world crashed and burned. First, I considered the baby might be someone else’s. Maybe this Derek guy. But I knew better. Miranda was loyal, faithful, and in love withme. She had begged me to not go to Vegas. And we’d only been apart three weeks.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks. It suddenly hit me. The last night I made love to her, her body seemed different. Her breasts had been fuller.

It all came rushing back like an epic wave.

Miranda had stopped drinking coffee and wine, saying she was doing a cleanse. I didn’t question her because she did one every few months. She’d been moody and emotional and appeared more exhausted than usual after work, to which I’d blamed myself for and the fake affair.

Miranda was pregnant withmybaby.

And the dude, who the fuck was he? I bolted out of the car, remembering she was only wearing a T-shirt and no fucking panties.

To hell with my father’s orders. To hell with Axel’s concerns about Miranda’s safety. My baby was in the woman I loved, and no man would put his hands on her.

I banged on the door, heart ricocheting against my ribs. “Miranda! Miranda, open the goddamn door!” I yelled, not giving a shit about my insane behavior.

The door flung open. My enemy stared, his jaw clenched tight.

“What the hell, man!”

“Derek…” Her hand wrapped around his bicep as she peered around him.

“Who is this guy, Anna?”

“Her name isn’t Anna, asshole. It’s Miranda,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Will, stop!” She raised her voice, lip trembling and tears at the rim of her beautiful blue eyes. “Please… just stop.”

I took a step back, hating myself for hurting her again. Our eyes were fixed on each other for a long moment. We’d always been in sync, so I was sure her heart was racing like mine and that her body felt the pull to mine. I needed to take her into my arms, kiss away all the shit from the last few months and never let her go.

“What is going on?” Derek asked, still blocking her from my grasp.

Her eyes darted from him to me. It stung as she struggled to make a choice. “This is my ex-boyfriend.”

“Ex?”

She nodded.

“Then what is he doing here?”

“Do I look fucking invisible or deaf? Speak directly to me,” I snapped at douchebag Derek. “I’m here to see Miranda. What do you think? It seems we have some unresolved business.” I dropped my gaze to her stomach.

She stepped to the side, hiding behind her new guy. It killed me a little more.

“Don’t we, Miranda?” Only an asshole would press her, and that was me at this very moment, a selfish asshole.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

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