Page 2 of Hard To Love

She looked up at me, and when our gazes met, I felt the beauty of her soul and pain in her heart like a Mack truck. So much my hands clenched around the edge of the porch until my knuckles turned white.

“He left,” she repeated with a wobbly smile. “I told him I was pregnant and ...” The words stopped, and my body had a mind of its own.

Finally.

Timing was shit.

But this was it.

The moment to stake my claim was finally right in front of me. I sure as hell wasn’t going to fuck it up like I had in the past. I pushed off the porch, and as if catching the quickness in my movements, her eyes widened.

“I’m fine.” She tried to step away, but I didn’t let her get far. I wrapped my arms around her and scooped her up.

“August West!” she gasped but didn’t fight me as I sat us down on one of her brightly painted rocking chairs. “I’m okay. I promise.” Her bottom lip trembled, but she wouldn’t let her light brown eyes meet mine, and I knew why.

She was shielding herself.

She didn’t want to crumple into pieces in front of me. She had no idea I wasn’t going to let her.

Not this time.

Not again.

I’d be there while her heart broke and stay to make sure it healed. And it would. Her heart would mend, and it would belong to me. Because even though she had no clue, for years, mine had already belonged to her.

“Give it to me,” I said. Her body went still in my arms, and her eyes searched mine for an explanation.

“Give you what?” she asked, exactly like I knew she would.

My brave, sweet girl never backed down, and this sure as hell wouldn’t be when she started. Her breath picked up slightly, sounding soft and breathy as I pulled her in closer.

“Give it to me,” I repeated, and she looked at me like she thought I’d lost my mind.

“August, I don’t—“

“Every tear. Every worry. Every strand of stress. Give it to me.” I pulled her in, but she pulled back. Not to push me away but to look up at me, her almost black eyes meeting mine.

“Are you crazy?” I could see the tears she was holding back.

“Only about you. About you and that little bundle of mischief I’m sure you’re baking up,” I finally admitted out loud for the first time.

I watched as she opened and shut her mouth. Clearly shocked by my confession. Jesus, even then, she was freaking adorable. So damn cute I had to fight from smiling. She looked like a fish out of water. I couldn’t blame her.

I’d never let her see my feelings when it came to her. I’d been a chicken shit before her ass-face of a boyfriend stepped into the picture.

Ex-boyfriend now. Good riddance.

“What? Auggie, what…” She shook her head, and I was done. I pulled her further into my chest and loved that not two seconds later, her cheek rested against me. I was taking liberties I shouldn’t, but this was my moment, my chance to claim what was mine, and I wasn’t going to lose it. I wasn’t going to let her slip between my fingers.

“You’re mine,” I spoke to the top of her head and felt the fists holding my shirt tighten. I wondered if she could hear the way my heart was beating furiously against my chest.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” she whispered. “You’re sweet.” She shook her head as she pulled back, and our gazes locked. “I know you’ll be there.”

“I am.” I sat straighter. My hands rested at the small of her back. “You’re mine,” I repeated, not hiding just how fiercely I believed it.

“You keep saying that like…” Her voice faded, and the most adorable lines formed at her brow.

It was do-or-die time.