“Are you…?” He didn’t complete the thought, but I saw him glance at my stomach.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“How far?” he asked. “I mean, how far along?”
“I’m not sure. I think a couple of months, at least. I haven’t gotten my period since…well, since I went back to Ohio that first time.”
He watched me closely as his fingers wrapped a little tighter around my leg.
“How do you feel about it?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t really know,” I replied. “Terrified, more than anything else.”
“Do you…do you want to…I mean, do you want to have it?”
“I wasn’t sure if you would want to.”
“Oh, Chloe,” Aiden whispered as he sat up and took my face in his hands, “I can’t think of anything I’d want more.”
“Really?” The tears escaped and flowed down my cheeks.
“Don’t you?” he asked, his voice serious.
I had spent more time worrying about Aiden’s reaction than I had considering my own feelings. Every time we had sex, there was always that little twinge in the back of my head, telling me I’d never gotten on birth control. I knew I was taking a risk, but thoughts of the actual consequences hadn’t really taken hold.
Now the risk was reality.
How did I feel about it? I didn’t believe I was ready to be a parent, but what new parent did? The thought of a little child with Aiden’s bright, playful eyes made me feel warm inside.
I remembered my mother’s conversations with Aiden about babies and how happy he was talking about his son as an infant. Of all people, I would have expected him to be the most hesitant to try parenthood again, but he really wanted this.
I looked into his eyes as he awaited my answer, and I knew I wanted it too.
Ready or not, here I come!
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, I do, Aiden. I really do.”
He let out a sigh as a smile spread over his face.
“Good,” he whispered under his breath. He reached over and pulled me against him, his grip tight around my shoulders. “You had me worried there for a second.”
“I’m a little petrified,” I admitted.
“Me, too,” he said. “Mostly excited, though.”
“Me, too.” I snuggled against his bicep and closed my eyes.
“You realize what this means?” Aiden asked.
I raised my head and looked into his eyes.
“What?”
“I have a reason to call Mom.”
Aiden brought his fingers up and stroked my cheek. I leaned against his hand and watched his face break out in that beautiful, boyish smile. His eyes twinkled, and he kissed me.
Yes, it was going to be difficult, but I couldn’t spend my life thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong. That wasn’t life; that wasn’t living. There were so many things to consider and so many tough times ahead, but we would learn from them and be stronger for having taken the risks. Aiden and I would face them head on. We would hold hands, lean forward, and take that jump together.
And with that, I accepted life’s risks—the joys and the heartaches—everything that it meant to live.
~The End~
OTHER TITLES BY SHAY SAVAGE
The Evan Arden Trilogy
OTHERWISE ALONE - EVAN ARDEN #1
OTHERWISE OCCUPIED - EVAN ARDEN #2
OTHERWISE UNHARMED - EVAN ARDEN #3
UNCOCKBLOCKABLE - EVAN ARDEN #2.5
Surviving Raine Series
SURVIVING RAINE - (SURVIVING RAINE #1)
BASTIAN'S STORM (SURVIVING RAINE #2)
OTHER TITLES CONTINUED
TRANSCENDENCE
OFFSIDE
WORTH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Always looking for a storyline and characters who fall outside the norm, Shay Savage’s tales have a habit of evoking some extreme emotions from fans. She prides herself on plots that are unpredictable and loves to hear it when a story doesn’t take the path assumed by her readers. With a strong interest in psychology, Shay loves to delve into the dark recesses of her character’s brains–and there is definitely some darkness to be found! Though the journey is often bumpy, if you can hang on long enough you won’t regret the ride. You may not always like the characters or the things they do, but you'll certainly understand them.
Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her family and a variety of household pets. She’s an avid soccer fan, loves vacationing near the ocean, enjoys science fiction in all forms, and absolutely adores all of the encouragement she has received from those who have enjoyed her work.
Shay Savage, Alarm
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