Page 82 of Hard Hitter

He glanced at Chloe’s door. “Good luck. I hope she’s worth it.”

“She is.”

“Then I hope I’m around to see how it all shakes out.” His eyes lingered on me for a beat, then he inclined his head and walked toward the parking lot with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Not one word about how having a kid ruined his life. The opposite, really.We were happy once.I wasn’t even sure Craig had lied so much as pasted his own misbeliefs onto Micah’s life.

The roar of a motorcycle starting up dragged a memory from the depths of my mind. Dad laying under a shiny chrome bike with tools scattered around him. Mom turning on music and dragging him up from the ground to dance with her.

I had no idea how old I was or what I’d been doing, but they were both smiling, completely lost in each other. Some of the happiness he’d been talking about.

Chloe was that happiness for me, and she was waiting.

* * *

I sat in my bathroom,alone, trying to suck in enough air to keep my brain functioning. Eva had hovered and pestered me until I wanted to shove her head in the toilet, so I’d kicked her out. Anywhere else.

When the door creaked open, I grabbed the extra toilet paper roll and aimed for the face. My shot was good, but instead of bouncing off my tiny best friend’s nose, I nailed Noah in the pec.

Being an elite athlete, he caught the toilet paper on the rebound and held it up. “Everything okay?”

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me. “Yep. Totally fine. Just sitting here chugging water, waiting for my boyfriend to finish talking to his long-lost father so we can see if Prison Daddy should be Prison Granddaddy.”

I dropped my head into my hands in an attempt tostop talking.

Noah chuckled and tossed the toilet paper into the sink. He slid his arms under me, lifted me with about the same amount of effort, and sat down with me in his lap. I curled my arms around his neck, already feeling the tension melt away from being in my favorite spot in the whole world.

He nuzzled my neck, breathing me in. “Can we please not call him Prison Daddy?”

“How about Daddy Micah?”

Noah let out a long-suffering sigh. “This wasn’t anywhere on the list of things I thought you’d torture me with, Trouble.”

I perked up. “You have a list?”

He nipped the sensitive skin at the base of my neck, and I yipped. “How much longer do we have to wait?”

“I think I’m ready now.” My stomach clenched, but with nerves instead of the urge to purge all the food I’d had in the last day.

Noah set me on the ground, then moved out of the way. The instructions were straightforward, but trying to pee on a tiny stick without getting my hand was impossible. At least Noah found the situation amusing.

He sat on the floor with his back to the cabinet and offered useless advice until I set the test on the counter and started my timer. After washing my hands several times, I joined him on the tile. He pulled me between his legs so I could lean against him, and we traded horrible nicknames for his dad until my phone went off.

I turned to meet Noah’s brilliant green gaze, and all I saw there was confidence—in me, in us. Whatever the stick said, he’d be there. I cupped his rough cheek and kissed him. A quiet promise sealed with lips and breath.

I’d been afraid before, but nothing would stop me from loving this man who held my entire heart.

Without looking away from him, I reached up for the test. Noah squeezed my waist and gave me a full, dazzling smile, then we peeked together.

Not pregnant.Thank fuck. I wasn’t having a baby—I was just dying from some unknown stomach bug. I should probably call my doctor about that just in case.

Noah engulfed me in his arms and lifted me off the floor, tucking his face against my neck. “I love you, Chloe.”

“I love you too. No offense, but I’m glad your giant baby isn’t going to wreck my vagina.”

“Yet,” he growled into my ear.

My breath caught when he pulled back and lifted his brow in challenge. Yep, giant babies were definitely in my future.

---