Page 75 of Craving My Baby Daddy Billionaire

"Before...you've been so hot and cold," she murmurs. "Ryan, I thought you wanted this, and then you were so against a family after your dad's stroke. What I didn't get to say is that..."

She pauses, biting her lip. She's starting to cry more, and I reach my other hand up to stroke her hair back from her face.

"Take your time," I whisper. "I'm here. I'm listening."

She nods, sniffling. "What I didn't get to say before, during our fight, is that I know you're scared after what happened to your dad. You've had so many good years with them; I know you want our kid to have that, too. But...every moment of love counts, even if we don't have quite as much time. And you're not that old. You're so alive, Ryan. I just want us to have a good life. The kind of life I never had...because my parents didn't want me."

It all falls in on me at that moment—how badly I hurt her. How stupid I was. I don't know what it's like to be unwanted, but Sophia grew up thinking her family didn't ever want her.

"Sophia," I breathe, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "My god, I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright," she says. "I know I didn't articulate it very well…"

"It's not alright," I say, then meet her eyes. "You have every reason not to trust me, but I want you to think of that letter like a contract. I promise you that I want this baby...not just because I want a family, but because I want you. You are so wanted, Sophia Lyonne. I want you to be the mother of my children...and I want you to be my wife when you're ready."

She blinks at that, surprise etched on her face. "Your wife?"

"Yes," I reply, squeezing her hand. "I know I messed up; I know I hurt you, and I know it's going to take time to earn your trust back. But I want to do it. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, raising this baby together, and building a family that we both deserve."

Sophia looks at me for a long moment, and I can see the war raging inside her. The fear and uncertainty tugging at her heartstrings, the love and longing for a family she's never had, and the hope for a future that could be beautiful.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," she says finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "But...I want to try. I want to see where this goes, Ryan. I want to give us a chance to make it right."

I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders at her words, a sense of hope washing over me. "That's all I can ask," I say, leaning in to kiss her softly. "Thank you, Sophia. Thank you for giving me a chance."

We stay like that for a while, wrapped up in each other's arms, the letters forgotten on the table. For the first time in a long time, I feel like everything will be okay. I have a chance at the life I've always wanted—a family, love, and a future that I can look forward to. And with Sophia by my side, I know I can face whatever comes our way.

Together, we can make this new life work.

I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing her and our family how much they are wanted and loved.

Chapter twenty-nine

Sophia

Ryan and I talk for hours. Just sitting on the couch, unloading all our feelings about our pasts, present…and future.

We talk about where we'll raise our child, if we want to stay in New York, what Ryan needs to do to take care of his parents as they get older. We both know they're going to be increasingly leaning on him in the coming years, and I realize that I wouldn't mind relocating.

I've been in New York my whole life.

It might be time for a change of scenery.

And the funny thing is that he's obsessed with making sure I'm comfortable. He brews me a pot of peppermint tea, gets me all the throw pillows he can find, wraps me up in a blanket, and orders dinner from my favorite ramen place. Tex stays curled up in my lap, gazing up at me with puppy dog eyes that seem to say, I'm so glad you're home.

I'm glad, too.

Because it's only been a few weeks since we started seeing each other, sure...but this is the life for me. It's the most genuine thing I've ever known.

"I promise I'm fine," I can't help but laugh as Ryan gets up to look for more pillows. "Ryan...you don't have to treat me like I'm fragile. Like...honestly, you don't have to treat me much differently at all. I have no idea how long I've been pregnant. Maybe even from the beginning."

Ryan flushes pink and laughs softly. "You think I knocked you up on the first try?"

I shrug. "What can I say? You're potent."

Ryan grins and shakes his head. "You're ridiculous."

I smile back at him, feeling a warmth spreading through me. I've been missing this—someone who truly understands me, makes me laugh, and cares about me and our future together. It's almost too good to be true.

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