Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“I’m scared,” I cried. God, I was terrified. I wasn’t ready for this, but it was happening regardless.
“I know, baby, I know.” He tightened his arms around me. “But I’m here. We’re going to get through this together.”
Christian held my hand in his as we walked down the aisle that held the pregnancy tests at the local pharmacy. He kept me close to him, giving my hand little reassuring squeezes to remind me that he was there, that he wasn’t going anywhere.
I had cried for a good hour at least earlier, and he had held me, never letting go. He just continuously promised me that I wasn’t alone, that I was it for him, that we were forever.
It all felt too damn good to be true, and that was what had me so terrified.
Because with Randall, it had always been too good to be true. But I didn’t realize it until I found him fucking my best friend.
I looked up from the floor and jerked to a stop, my heart pounding hard and fast in my chest. My ex-best friend was standing in front of me, staring at me as well. She was glowing, her belly swollen with her second baby, and she was holding her little girl’s hand in hers. Randall turned down the aisle. “Babe, I can’t find the damn—”
His words were cut off when he saw me, his jaw dropping slightly. I trembled. Christian brushed his lips to my temple, nothing in his expression as he looked back at the small, happy family in front of us. “Come on,” he said softly, his arm going around my waist.
“Ally,” Heather called as I got ready to let Christian lead me away from them. I tensed. His hand gently squeezed the dip in my waist. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.
“No, you’re not,” I said, thankful that my voice came out strong despite how weak I felt at that moment. I drew in a deep breath. “I just hope you have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“But I don’t,” she said quietly. “You were my best friend. It just all feels so wrong without you.”
I shook my head and began to walk away, but Randall’s voice drew me to a stop. “Walk away,” he taunted. Tears burned in my eyes. “That’s what you’re good at, right? You either walk away, or you let other people fight your battles for you.”
My chest painfully tightened. I didn’t want to have a confrontation in a store. I frankly didn’t want to have this conversation at all.
“Randall, shut up,” Heather snapped at him at the same time Christian spun around to face them.
“Shows what kind of man and father you are that you would publicly hurt and humiliate a person in public,” Christian sneered. “And as a matter of fact, for your fucking information, she didn’t tell me about the pictures and texts you were sending her. I found the last ones by myself, and I took it upon myself to call you. You’ve both done enough fucking damage. So, shut the hell up.” He snatched two pregnancy test boxes off the shelf before he grabbed my hand in his.
“Pregnant again?” Randall snapped. I could hear the hurt in his voice, and I knew he wanted me to feel just like he was. I flinched. “You’ll lose this one, too.”
Christian spun around. I barely had time to grab him, holding him with me. “Christian,” I pleaded. He looked up at me, his dark eyes—black in his rage—looked down at me. “Please,” I begged him. “Don’t. You’ll get arrested.”
He cupped the side of my neck and pressed his lips to mine in a hard kiss, but he didn’t walk from me. He did, however, narrow his eyes at Randall, looking like a deadly man instead of the sweet guy he always was with me.
“If you’re itching for a fight, you know how to find me. I don’t hide. But if you’re not, then shut your fucking mouth about her. You don’t know a goddamn thing about my woman. But I can promise you, starting shit with her is the last fucking thing you want to do.”
With that, he grabbed my hand in his and led me down the aisle, heading to the self-checkout lane, leaving Randall speechless behind us. “Ally,” Heather called. I looked at her over my shoulder. Tears burned in her eyes. “Congratulations. You’ll be an amazing mom.”
I turned back around, silent tears sliding down my cheeks. When we got in the car, Christian quickly pulled out of the lot. He turned down a couple of random streets until we were in the dark parking lot of one of the parks near the pharmacy.
I squeaked in alarm when he yanked me out of my seat and settled me on his lap, his lips meeting mine. “You are fucking everything to me,” Christian promised. “And I hate that he can still fucking hurt you, but I understand it.” He slid his hands under my shirt before he yanked it off. I moaned as his hands slid over my exposed skin. “I’m a hairsbreadth away from going back to that fucking pharmacy and bashing his face into the fucking concrete, so I need you, and I’m sorry ahead of time if I hurt you.”