Page 64 of Knocked Up by my Rival

“Everyone keeps saying that everything will be okay, but I can’t believe that as a fact.”

“You have to hold on to hope, Mackenzie,” Troy said.

I nodded. “I know. I just don’t want to keep saying everything will be fine and then crash and burn when it’s not. A part of me wants to believe it will be okay, but a part of me wants to prepare myself for the worst so that when it happens, I can try to get through it.” The more I talked, the more my throat swelled shut, and I struggled to breathe. The walls closed in on me, and I felt like I was falling apart.

“She’s going to die, Troy,” I whispered.

“Hey, she’s not there yet,” Troy said, coming to me and folding me into his arms. “The news so far is good overall. A few hiccups, but you can’t go there yet. Not to death. Wait until after the operation and see what they say before you decide what the next step will be.”

“She can’t afford the operation, and the rest of us don’t have a lot of money we can pool together. I don’t know the cost but it’s not going to be easy, and if she doesn’t get the help soon…”

Troy’s brows knitted together. “I can help you guys.”

“No,” I said firmly. “I don’t want charity.”

“It’s not charity.”

“I can’t take your money,” I said.

“I want to help.”

I shook my head, pushing away from Troy.

“Not unless it’s a loan,” I said. “And even then… I hate taking money from anyone just because we can’t figure it out ourselves. God, that contract will help so much. It will change everything if I can get it through—”

Troy stared at me, swallowed hard, and I didn’t know how to read the expression that flickered across his face.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said again, pulling me closer to him. I let him hold me, and I nodded against Troy’s chest. His arms were strong, wrapped tightly around me and right now, it felt like he could fend off everything bad that might happen.

“Thank you,” I whispered and glanced up at him.

“Of course,” Troy said. “I meant it when I said I’m in your corner.”

He looked down at me, his eyes filled with so much affection, his expression gentle. He pressed his lips against my forehead, and I closed my eyes.

Troy slowly planted kisses on my face, moving over my cheeks, my nose, and then finally, he planted a kiss on my mouth.

I moaned softly and kissed him back.

Now wasn’t the time to have sex—not when it felt like everything was falling apart. But… sex was exactly what I wanted. It was what I needed. I wanted the distraction, the comfort, and Troy had been here offering just that all the time.

When his tongue slid into my mouth, I didn’t stop him. I melted against him and kissed him back harder, letting him know that this was exactly what I needed.

Troy’s hands roved my body, his palms softly tracing every curve and line. His fingertips sent shivers through me that quickly ignited a burning desire. Heat washed through my body and pooled between my legs, and I ached for him. I threw my head back as his lips left mine to trail down my neck, sending a wave of goosebumps over my shoulders and down my arms. I gasped and moaned, panting as my need for him increased.

My hands fumbled with his shirt as I tried to tug it up. I struggled to concentrate. My neck was an erogenous zone, I realized, now that Troy paid attention to licking and nibbling his way toward my shoulder. He murmured a soft laugh against my skin before lifting his head. I pulled up his shirt, revealing his perfect body, and Troy lifted his arms. I pulled up the fabric slowly, revealing his toned chest, and he was as delicious as ever.

I would never get used to staring at him.

I ran my hands over his perfectly chiseled pecks. He was built like a god, and I wanted to taste every inch of him. I leaned my head forward and planted kisses on his chest, lightly scraping my nails over the individual packs as his muscles contracted when it tickled.

When I lifted my head, his eyes met mine—drowning deep and alive with passion and need that made me ache for him even more. Troy took my hand and led me down the long hallway laced with pictures of my childhood. There was a part where it was us together—a family, with my brothers and Rachel and my mom. I was still very young there.

Then the rest of them were all with Rachel, acting as my mom, raising me in this house, and the photos were of happy times, of times when she’d been the matriarch of this house.

A pang shot into my chest when I thought about Rachel. Troy was right—I had to hold on to hope.

I pushed away all the thoughts when we reached the main bedroom and focused just on Troy. I needed him to take all the pain and uncertainty away tonight. I needed him to just be in the moment with me.

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