you want.”
“He’s moving out soon, but I can’t just throw him out. He’s Aarabelle’s father. Jesus, he’s been tortured and God only knows what. It’s our home,” I try to explain to him. This isn’t easy on me or him, but Aaron has it the worst. Sure, he screwed up and there’s no going back, and at the same time I can’t be cruel. I know Liam isn’t asking for that, but I’m at a loss here.
“Your home with him. Do you get it now? It’s not our home. It’s the home you made with him. Where you share a child. Where I would come crash for the night on the couch when I would visit while you two did whatever upstairs. I’m always the outsider.”
I turn and fire burns through my veins. “I think you want to believe that. It’s easier for you to walk away this way. Make me the bad guy so you can deploy and carry out your life without having to worry about me. I’m not the bad guy here. None of us are. Aaron is moving out soon. He wanted to give me and Aara some space so we can adjust and figure out a life.”
“Did he tell you he’d let you go?” Liam fires off.
“No.”
“I’ll never know for sure, Natalie. I’ll always wonder if you really loved me or if I was just the consolation prize. So take the six months and figure it out. Know that no matter what, when I get back I’ll be hoping you’re there. If you are, I’ll marry you. I’ll do anything you want to prove how much I want you.”
My heart rate quickens, and I wait for him to say more.
“This isn’t about me fighting for you. I know you keep saying I’m giving you up, but I’m not. I’ll never stop hoping you’ll still choose me when this is all over. I just can’t watch you decide. I see the way he looks at you. He’s made it clear he wants you back. I never wanted to lose you in the first place.”
I grip his shirt and pull myself to him. “You never will.”
“I hope that’s true. You have no idea how much I want that to be the case.”
“Have faith in us, Liam.”
He presses his lips to the top of my head. “I do, sweetheart. I just need a minute.”
Liam walks me back to the party with his hands in his pockets. Both of us keep our heads down. I don’t know how I’ll endure six months of not knowing. But I do have faith in us, and I won’t let that falter. I have to make him believe me. As we approach the deck, Aaron is standing there watching us.
“Hey.” He looks at both of us and guilt eats at me. “I woke up and your mom said you all headed to the lighthouse.”
“Yeah, I came upstairs but you were asleep. Jackson proposed to Catherine and he asked us all to come,” I explain, hoping he’ll drop it.
He looks toward the ocean. “Where’s everyone else?”
“They’re coming. Do you feel better?”
Aaron looks at Liam with hate in his eyes. “I did until now.”
“Stop it,” I chastise him. “I’ve been honest with you. I’m not sneaking behind your back and doing God knows what while we were still married. I’m not keeping half truths or secrets.”
“I thought you would give us time before you moved in on her again?”
Liam steps forward, pushing me behind him protectively. “I wish you’d seen the wife you love so much when she found out about your girlfriend. The pain in her eyes, the way she cried and then drank herself stupid. Or maybe you could’ve seen the way she wanted to kill Brittany after she found out about her pregnancy. My word means something to her . . . does yours?”
I never told Aaron about the baby. I wanted to see if he was really lying about his relationship with Brittany. So much for that plan.
Liam stares Aaron down, and I push him back, but he doesn’t budge.
“What?” Aaron asks.
“You didn’t tell him?” Liam turns to me with his jaw slack.
The blood drains from my face leaving me colorless. As much as I wanted to not mention the baby because I wanted him to tell me, I also didn’t want to acknowledge it. Aaron and I had a host of
“He’s moving out soon, but I can’t just throw him out. He’s Aarabelle’s father. Jesus, he’s been tortured and God only knows what. It’s our home,” I try to explain to him. This isn’t easy on me or him, but Aaron has it the worst. Sure, he screwed up and there’s no going back, and at the same time I can’t be cruel. I know Liam isn’t asking for that, but I’m at a loss here.
“Your home with him. Do you get it now? It’s not our home. It’s the home you made with him. Where you share a child. Where I would come crash for the night on the couch when I would visit while you two did whatever upstairs. I’m always the outsider.”
I turn and fire burns through my veins. “I think you want to believe that. It’s easier for you to walk away this way. Make me the bad guy so you can deploy and carry out your life without having to worry about me. I’m not the bad guy here. None of us are. Aaron is moving out soon. He wanted to give me and Aara some space so we can adjust and figure out a life.”
“Did he tell you he’d let you go?” Liam fires off.
“No.”
“I’ll never know for sure, Natalie. I’ll always wonder if you really loved me or if I was just the consolation prize. So take the six months and figure it out. Know that no matter what, when I get back I’ll be hoping you’re there. If you are, I’ll marry you. I’ll do anything you want to prove how much I want you.”
My heart rate quickens, and I wait for him to say more.
“This isn’t about me fighting for you. I know you keep saying I’m giving you up, but I’m not. I’ll never stop hoping you’ll still choose me when this is all over. I just can’t watch you decide. I see the way he looks at you. He’s made it clear he wants you back. I never wanted to lose you in the first place.”
I grip his shirt and pull myself to him. “You never will.”
“I hope that’s true. You have no idea how much I want that to be the case.”
“Have faith in us, Liam.”
He presses his lips to the top of my head. “I do, sweetheart. I just need a minute.”
Liam walks me back to the party with his hands in his pockets. Both of us keep our heads down. I don’t know how I’ll endure six months of not knowing. But I do have faith in us, and I won’t let that falter. I have to make him believe me. As we approach the deck, Aaron is standing there watching us.
“Hey.” He looks at both of us and guilt eats at me. “I woke up and your mom said you all headed to the lighthouse.”
“Yeah, I came upstairs but you were asleep. Jackson proposed to Catherine and he asked us all to come,” I explain, hoping he’ll drop it.
He looks toward the ocean. “Where’s everyone else?”
“They’re coming. Do you feel better?”
Aaron looks at Liam with hate in his eyes. “I did until now.”
“Stop it,” I chastise him. “I’ve been honest with you. I’m not sneaking behind your back and doing God knows what while we were still married. I’m not keeping half truths or secrets.”
“I thought you would give us time before you moved in on her again?”
Liam steps forward, pushing me behind him protectively. “I wish you’d seen the wife you love so much when she found out about your girlfriend. The pain in her eyes, the way she cried and then drank herself stupid. Or maybe you could’ve seen the way she wanted to kill Brittany after she found out about her pregnancy. My word means something to her . . . does yours?”
I never told Aaron about the baby. I wanted to see if he was really lying about his relationship with Brittany. So much for that plan.
Liam stares Aaron down, and I push him back, but he doesn’t budge.
“What?” Aaron asks.
“You didn’t tell him?” Liam turns to me with his jaw slack.
The blood drains from my face leaving me colorless. As much as I wanted to not mention the baby because I wanted him to tell me, I also didn’t want to acknowledge it. Aaron and I had a host of
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