Page 11 of Waiting for Her

“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper as Max’s lips kiss the side of my head softly.

“Fair enough, but what if I promise that I just want to hold you and that nothing will happen that you aren’t ready for… I promise.” He holds up two fingers in the Boy Scout salute and I chuckle softly.

“Were you ever a Boy Scout?” When that sly smile appears on his face, that tells me all I need to know. “Figured.”

Silence surrounds us as I think about all the possibilities of what could happen tonight and for the life of me, I can’t think of a single reason why he shouldn’t stay in here with me.

“Fine. You can stay, but if I punch you in my sleep, I’m not responsible for any damages.”

Max nods, flopping back onto the mattress and burrowing himself under the covers as I do the same.

It takes me more than a minute to get comfortable and even when I fall to my left side, facing Max who is currently lying on his back, I still feel uneasy and I know I’m barely going to get any sleep.

“You okay?” Max asks, his head tilted my way and for a split second when our eyes connect, I forget about the fact that my feet are swollen, that my back hurts, and that I’m so tired that I’m pretty sure if given the chance I’d give up my next meal for a full night’s sleep.

“Yeah, just can’t seem to get comfortable.”

His gaze softens and that’s when he gets up from his side of the bed and heads into the hall. If I had the energy, I’d follow him and find out what he’s doing, but I just lie back and wait. After a few minutes of me wondering if he somehow got lost in my very small house, he finally comes back carrying a pillow in his hand.

“You know, you need to clean out that linen closet. I almost died trying to get this thing.” He winks, causing my breath to catch right before he pulls the covers off my body and says, “Lift your leg.”

I narrow my eyes, wondering what he’s up to.

“Just humor me, okay?”

My eyes roll on their own and his soft chuckle fills the room as I close my eyes, loving the sound.

“I don’t know how this is going to help,” I mutter right before he folds the pillow in half and places it between my legs at my knees. The second I lower my leg, the pressure on my hips is released and a moan escapes.

“What the fuck…” I whisper, wondering where he learned this sorcery. “How the hell did you know that would work?”

He doesn’t answer me right away, instead he gets back under the covers and mirrors my position, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw.

“I read it in a pregnancy book the other day. It’s supposed to help you fall asleep.”

I don’t know why the tears start, but when they fall, Max says nothing. Instead, he uses his thumb to wipe them away as if they don’t faze him in the least.

“I know today was a lot, and we can talk more tomorrow, but I need you to know that I’m here. I’m here for the long haul. I want everything with you, Addi, and I wanted all of it before the baby, and I want it even more now.”

God, he can’t be real.

“This can’t be real,” I whisper, not knowing if admitting any of this is a good idea. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for years, granted I didn’t expect to be pregnant with another man’s child.”

We both laugh before my eyes turn serious.

“Why didn’t you make a move sooner?”

His eyes flick to the wall behind me as he takes a deep breath.

“Honestly? There were a lot of reasons, and your brother reminded me of them today when I called him.”

My eyes widen, wondering how that conversation went.

“Before you freak out, everything is fine. We’re fine but I wanted him to know my intentions before I did this.”

“Would you have stayed away if he asked?” God, do I really want to know the answer to that question? But before I can take it back, he smiles and shakes his head.

“Not a chance. I love your brother, he’s my best friend, but Addison, you are my happy ending and I’ve known that for a lot longer than I want to admit, but I had to get over some of my own shit before coming for you.”

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