Page 26 of Fallen Legacy

I snicker and rest my head in my hands. “I’ve thought about this a lot. He’s a lot of things. He’s arrogant, a bully, and he thinks he’s in charge, but he is loyal to his family.” I shake my head. “It’s more complicated than that though, and it’s too long-winded to explain.”

Emma gets up and heads over to a cupboard. I smile when she comes back to the table, waving a large chocolate bar in her hands. “Seeing as we can’t drink, chocolate is the next best thing to help us think through this dilemma.”

I laugh and accept the sizeable chunk she offers me. “Honestly, as much as I hate him right now. I think he’d make a good dad.”

“And you’re marrying him anyway, right?”

“I am.” I double blink on hearing myself admit this. Fuck. I really am going to marry him.

“Look, I’m no expert. I can only speak from experience.” She pops a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “I was terrified when I found out I was expecting, but when I held those boys in my arms, it felt like the rightest thing in the world. Being a mum is exhausting and emotional, but they are my life.”

“So, you think I should keep it?”

Emma smiles at me and offers me another chunk of chocolate. “That’s your decision to make. But if you go ahead with the pregnancy, look at it this way. You’ll have a roof over your head and money, and you’ll hold the power then. You’ll be giving both families an heir. And as much as this Archer sounds like a conceited arse, he would protect your child. And look, don’t shoot me, but he may have hurt you, but you love him, don’t you?”

I release a long sigh. “Truthfully, I don’t know how I feel. I just know when I was with him, everything else went away. He and I. We’re so alike. It was like finding the other broken half of me when I met him. He just knew what I needed and what made me tick. Does that sound stupid?”

Emma chuckles. “No, it doesn’t. Look. You don’t have to decide right now. Give yourself some time to think it through.”

She’s right. I don’t have to decide today, but the clock is ticking and the longer I leave this decision, the harder it will be.

Emma grabs her phone from off the worktop. “What’s your number? Let’s catch up next week for coffee. I know a great little place just outside of the bay, away from prying eyes.”

I give her my number and I honestly feel so much better having talked it through with her. Damon has been great, but having another female to talk to, especially one who got pregnant in her teens, has been really helpful.

ELIZA

There’s a sizeable crowd at the football match tonight. Hawk Bay is playing local rivals Beaumont Hill, and according to Kit, it’s always neck and neck when the two teams play each other. We pay our entry and take our seats in the stands. Archer text me to say he’d pick me up, but like I am going to let that happen. He thinks he can just barge back into my life, and I’ll just accept it. Well, he’s got another thing coming. Calvin dropped me off. I’m more than capable of going to watch a match on my own. I’m scrolling on my phone, waiting for the match to start, when someone sits down in the seat next to me.

“Scar.”

Sighing, I look up at Archer. Vee plops herself down next to him and Seb comes over and takes the seat to my right, Rafe taking the one beside him. Vee has gone all out for the match. She’s wearing blue and yellow face paint stripes on her cheeks, and she has blue and yellow scrunchies in her hair. Vee’s even done a banner that says ‘Team Kit’. She gives me an uncertain smile and I bob my head slightly in acknowledgement to her. It’s a chilly night so I’m wrapped up and wearing a hat and gloves. Vee leans over Archer and offers me a flask.

“Tea, one sugar. To keep you warm,” she informs me. She chews on her lip, waiting to see how I’ll respond.

“Thanks,” I mumble, taking the flask from her. I’m touched that she brought me tea. She rummages in her bag and passes another flask to Rafe and Seb.

“Ooh, look,” Vee says excitedly, hitting Archer on the arm. “Kit’s coming out.” She jumps to her feet and cupping her hands around her mouth, she hollers his name as loudly as she can.

Kit is chatting away with a friend, but he looks up at hearing his name and I jump to my feet and wave along with Vee. Kit reddens in the cheeks but smiles at us both and waves back before going off to warm up for the game.

“Is she always like this?” I ask Seb as I sit back down in my seat.

Seb snickers and nods his head. “You should see her when she watches me and the lads play rugby. It seriously cringe.”

“I heard that!” Vee pipes up, leaning over Archer and pointing at her twin. “You love it really.”

Seb cocks a brow at me and winks. “She brought a megaphone once and got escorted off the grounds.”

I laugh along with him. I can just see her doing something like that, too. Vee catches my eye and smiles sheepishly at me. I swallow and look away. I can’t just forget about what she did. What they all did.

Seb nudges me in the arm to get my attention. “Dear old Wilbur’s even shown up.” He gestures with his head to our right a few rows down, and I grimace when I see Wilbur and Alexis sitting in the stands. Wilbur catches my eye and nods his head in greeting. A satisfied smile crosses his face when he sees’ Archer sitting beside me. I hate the man. I hate everything he stands for.

“You look like you want to hurt him something bad, Little Red,” Seb comments, watching me as I glare at Wilbur.

“I want to hurt everyone who has hurt and betrayed me. Even you,” I tell him, and he pouts at me.

“Look at this gorgeous, cute face. You can’t want to hurt this face?” When I continue to glare at him, he laughs, but his face drops into a serious frown. “I’m truly sorry, you know. I always wanted you to be a part of our inner circle. I see how good you are for Archer, and I want you to stick around.”

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