He’d had the nerve to criticize me for being underdressed in this weather, but he was shirtless with only a pair of long cotton draw pants on. His sandy blond hair was ruffled from sleep, and his green eyes looked tired. But he was still the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. My heart tripped in my chest, and my stomach fluttered. It was a nice change from the irritation I’d been feeling towards him lately.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said, clutching the ultrasound picture close to me. “You walked out earlier, and I realize I should have stopped you.”
“You looked upset, and I thought it was best I left.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling like a girl talking to her crush for the first time. I chalked it down to how easily my moods changed lately, and reasoned that most women had to feel some kind of attraction to the father of their children.
“I wanted to give you this.” I handed him the photo, and held my breath as he stared down at it.
“This blob,” he muttered. “Is our baby?”
“It is.” I half-smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I was sixteen weeks when I had my first scan, after I got back from Cabo.”
“You only found out two weeks ago?”
I shrugged. “I had no idea until then. It didn’t even cross my mind because I wasn’t sick, and I was still getting my period.”
I wasn’t sure if that was too much information or not, but I thought he deserved the same explanation I got from Dr. Burke.
“I’m due around the eighteenth of August, which means the baby was conceived - ”
“Over Thanksgiving,” he finished, looking down at the picture in awe. The way he breathed it out put any worry I had over whether he not he questioned the paternity at ease, and there was no way he could doubt that he was the father.
My chin tipped down, and he continued to rub the picture of our baby with reverence.
“We’ll find out what the sex is at the next appointment,” I told him. “But I have a feeling it’s a girl. At least I hope it is. Not that I would mind a boy, but I just - ”
“Jade.” Reid covered my hand with his. “You’re rambling.”
“Sorry,” I huffed, trying to dispel the anxious energy coursing its’ way through my body. “I’m nervous.”
He yawned, and I suddenly felt contrite for waking him at – I glanced at his bedside clock – two a.m.
“I should go. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I stood up, and as I turned my back I felt his hand wrap around my wrist.
“Wait.” His voice was soft, and rough, strong, and vulnerable. “Stay. I don’t want you to go back outside in the cold.”
“I’m right next door Reid,” I argued half-heartedly. “And I don’t think Stella would appreciate it if I stayed the night, even if I slept on the sofa.”
Reid’s brows drew in. “I thought you knew...” He trailed off, and I turned to face him, leaving my wrist in his hand. If I was being completely honest with myself I didn’t want him to let go just yet. The small touch had reminded me of how much I’d missed the feel of his hands, and his fingers on my skin. His thumb skirted over my pulse, over and over again, and I was certain he could feel the erratic rhythm of my pulse.
“Knew what?” I asked.
“I broke up with Stella.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “When?”
He shook his head, his eyes downcast. “Doesn’t matter. I just couldn’t be with her anymore.”
As badly as I wanted to ask why, I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. I also had no desire to recap the conversation we’d had about how he would try to love her if it meant getting over me. So what exactly did it mean then? If they were over did that mean he still had feelings for me?
Of course he did, I reminded myself. He said he was going to fight for you.
I shoved those thoughts aside with more mental force than necessary. I had to adjust to us being a constant in each other’s lives again, and more importantly to us being parents. The rest would have to
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said, clutching the ultrasound picture close to me. “You walked out earlier, and I realize I should have stopped you.”
“You looked upset, and I thought it was best I left.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling like a girl talking to her crush for the first time. I chalked it down to how easily my moods changed lately, and reasoned that most women had to feel some kind of attraction to the father of their children.
“I wanted to give you this.” I handed him the photo, and held my breath as he stared down at it.
“This blob,” he muttered. “Is our baby?”
“It is.” I half-smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I was sixteen weeks when I had my first scan, after I got back from Cabo.”
“You only found out two weeks ago?”
I shrugged. “I had no idea until then. It didn’t even cross my mind because I wasn’t sick, and I was still getting my period.”
I wasn’t sure if that was too much information or not, but I thought he deserved the same explanation I got from Dr. Burke.
“I’m due around the eighteenth of August, which means the baby was conceived - ”
“Over Thanksgiving,” he finished, looking down at the picture in awe. The way he breathed it out put any worry I had over whether he not he questioned the paternity at ease, and there was no way he could doubt that he was the father.
My chin tipped down, and he continued to rub the picture of our baby with reverence.
“We’ll find out what the sex is at the next appointment,” I told him. “But I have a feeling it’s a girl. At least I hope it is. Not that I would mind a boy, but I just - ”
“Jade.” Reid covered my hand with his. “You’re rambling.”
“Sorry,” I huffed, trying to dispel the anxious energy coursing its’ way through my body. “I’m nervous.”
He yawned, and I suddenly felt contrite for waking him at – I glanced at his bedside clock – two a.m.
“I should go. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I stood up, and as I turned my back I felt his hand wrap around my wrist.
“Wait.” His voice was soft, and rough, strong, and vulnerable. “Stay. I don’t want you to go back outside in the cold.”
“I’m right next door Reid,” I argued half-heartedly. “And I don’t think Stella would appreciate it if I stayed the night, even if I slept on the sofa.”
Reid’s brows drew in. “I thought you knew...” He trailed off, and I turned to face him, leaving my wrist in his hand. If I was being completely honest with myself I didn’t want him to let go just yet. The small touch had reminded me of how much I’d missed the feel of his hands, and his fingers on my skin. His thumb skirted over my pulse, over and over again, and I was certain he could feel the erratic rhythm of my pulse.
“Knew what?” I asked.
“I broke up with Stella.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “When?”
He shook his head, his eyes downcast. “Doesn’t matter. I just couldn’t be with her anymore.”
As badly as I wanted to ask why, I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. I also had no desire to recap the conversation we’d had about how he would try to love her if it meant getting over me. So what exactly did it mean then? If they were over did that mean he still had feelings for me?
Of course he did, I reminded myself. He said he was going to fight for you.
I shoved those thoughts aside with more mental force than necessary. I had to adjust to us being a constant in each other’s lives again, and more importantly to us being parents. The rest would have to
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