Текст книги "Faithful"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

I sat there, bouncing my knee up and down, as I ran my hands along the thighs of my jeans.

“Brad, just take a deep breath. She’s going to come,” Bryan said as he smiled.

“My parents are not going to be here, right? My fucking mother is the cause of all this.”

Bryan let out a laugh. “Brad, you’re a grown man. You made the choice to take drugs.”

I looked down at the ground. I knew he was right, but at this moment, I hated my mother. She had constantly pushed Amanda and me, and she was the reason Amanda and I had fought in the first place.

“I know what you’re thinking, Brad. Yes, your mother played a big role in all of this, but you have a decision to make right now. Do you continue to let your mother control your world? Or will you do what you wanted to do when you first met Amanda?”

Just then, I heard her voice, and I jumped up. The door opened, and Amanda walked in. For a brief moment, it almost looked like she was going to run into my arms. As I glanced down at her stomach, my heart started pounding. She was a lot bigger. I looked back up into her eyes, and I smiled. The look she gave me was blank, like she had nothing left to give. Her eyes were bloodshot, so I knew she must have been crying. This couldn’t be good for her or the baby.

Bryan got up, walked over to Amanda, and shook her hand. “Amanda. It’s a pleasure,” he said as he gestured for her to take a seat.

“Bryan, the pleasure is mine.”

The moment she spoke, her voice ran through my whole body. She looked over at me and gave me a weak smile before sitting down across from me. Bryan had only put three chairs in the room, and he’d purposely placed Amanda’s chair across from me.

“You look breathtaking. You’re getting bigger,” I said as I smiled.

She placed her hands on her stomach and nodded. “Yeah, she’s been moving around a lot more lately.”

My heart dropped into my stomach, and I felt like I was going to throw up. She found out the sex of the baby without me. I tried to talk, but nothing would come out. I cleared my throat. “You, um…you found out the sex of the baby?” I felt tears building in my eyes.

Her eyes snapped up and met mine. “No! I would never…I mean...” She took a deep breath and looked away from me. “I was waiting to see if you could there when I have the next sonogram. Well, I mean, I was going to ask you today if you wanted to be there.”

I smiled, and my eyes captured hers. “Yes. More than anything, I want to be there.”

She nodded and attempted to smile. “Okay. Well, it’ll be just a few more weeks, and then we’ll know.”

Bryan cleared his throat and then began our session. He talked about how well my treatment was going, how he thought I might be able to finish up the program a few weeks early, and how I should handle the situation with my mother. I looked at Amanda as Bryan started talking about my mom. Amanda began moving around in her seat.

“Brad, would you like to tell Amanda what we talked about?”

“Um…well, Bryan and I talked about how I needed to tell you everything. I haven’t told you that Michele has been blackmailing me the last few months.”

Amanda’s body looked like it was shaking. “Why?”

“Money. She just wants money from me.”

She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. “What is she blackmailing you with?”

“A video.”

“Oh. My. God. You didn’t…you didn’t sleep with her, did you?”

“What? God no, Amanda. I already told you that I just kissed her, but she…she, um...she had a camera. She recorded me taking the drugs, and then…me, um—”

“You kissing her? You touching a woman who wasn’t your wife while you were higher than a kite?” Amanda shouted at me as she stood up.

“Amanda, why don’t you sit and calm down? It’s not good for you or the baby to get so upset,” Bryan said.

Amanda just turned and looked at Bryan. “Fine.” She sat back down and put her hands on her stomach as she frowned.

“What’s wrong? I jumped up and went over to her.

She stood up and moved away from me. “Don’t touch me!”

“What?” I almost fell to my knees.

“Just don’t touch me, Brad. I can’t stand the thought of you touching me right now.”

I looked over at Bryan and then back at Amanda. “Amanda, please don’t say that, baby.”

“Don’t call me baby.”

My heart started pounding in my chest. “Amanda…god, please don’t do this.”

“Why don’t we all just sit back down? Amanda, Brad wanted to say some more things to you.”

Amanda took a seat as she gave Bryan a dirty look.

I almost wanted to laugh. My feisty girl.

She looked over at me and raised her eyebrow, signaling for me to get on with it.

I cleared my throat, looking first at Bryan and then back at Amanda. “Well, first off, I know that asking for your forgiveness is a lot, but—”

“You think?”

I took a deep breath. “I’m ready to get down on my knees and beg you to please forgive me. My life is nothing without you. I love you so much, and it absolutely kills me that I’ve hurt you. I promise you…if you can find it in your heart to forgive me…I promise, baby, I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to you every single day for the rest of our lives. I’ll be the best husband and father I can be. I would lay down my life for you.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “I gave up my dreams for you. I became something I wasn’t just to make you happy, so you could keep your goddamn parents happy. Do you know what it’s like to walk into your college classroom pregnant and have everyone stare at you? Do you know what it’s like to tell your parents that you’re leaving your husband because he’s taking drugs? That he flipped out on you one night and told you to give up the baby? Oh, and then to say…by the way, Mom and Dad, the night I got pregnant, my husband forced his high-ass self on me!”

I was doing everything I could to keep from crying.

Bryan cleared his throat. “Amanda, you have to know that he was not the Brad you met and fell in love with.”

“At this very moment, I have to say no…I can’t forgive you. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive you for the way you treated me during all those months or for making me go through half this pregnancy by myself because I thought you were no longer in love with me.”

I fell down to my knees and looked up at her. “Please, God, no. Amanda, please don’t give up on me. I’m begging you, please. Baby, I love you more than anything or anyone.”

I saw a tear fall from her eye.

“How does that make you feel, Brad? Do you feel like shit? Do you need a hit to forget all this pain?”

“Amanda!” Bryan said.

“I want you to hurt like how I’ve hurt. I want you to feel the pain I felt when you forced your drunk, high-ass self on me and then left me alone for days.”

I could hardly see her through the tears in my eyes. She hates me.

“Amanda, please calm down,” Bryan said.

Amanda looked over at Bryan and then at me. “I’m sorry, Brad. I don’t think I can do this right now.” She started to make her way to the door.

I jumped up. “Amanda, please! I’m begging you to just give me a second chance.”

She turned back to me, and tears were falling like rain down her face. Just as she was about to open the door, I heard one of the nurses telling someone not to come into our room.

Amanda glanced over at Bryan and then me. “I’m sorry. I just can’t do this right now, Brad. I won’t give up on you, but I just can’t do this right now.”

When she opened the door, my mother and father were standing in front of her.

“What’s going on here?” my mother said, looking around.

“Excuse me. I was just leaving.”

My mother grabbed Amanda by the arm and forced her to stop. “Oh no, you’re not. We’re all going to sit down and talk about this. That is my grandchild you’re carrying, and you will not walk away from your marriage and abandon your husband like this!”

“Mom—”

“How dare you! How dare you even show your face here! If it weren’t for you and your mind-controlling, bitch-ass ways, none of this would have happened,” Amanda said.

My mother sucked in a breath of air and looked back at my father.

“How dare you talk to me that way! I’ve done nothing but set up everything, so you and my son could live a comfortable life with no worries.”

Amanda let out a laugh as she tried to yank her arm out of my mother’s grip. “I don’t want your money. I’m moving as soon as I graduate from school. You will never tell me what to do ever again.”

“Don’t blame this on me. You were the one who couldn’t keep your husband happy. God knows how you treated him to drive him to drugs.”

“That’s enough! Let go of my wife right now, Mother.”

Amanda and my mother both snapped their heads toward me.

“What?” my mother said.

“Let go of my wife’s arm now. As a matter of fact, I need you to please leave. You weren’t invited to this meeting.” I started shaking but not from the desire for anything. I didn’t need alcohol or drugs. All I wanted was my wife. I longed for her touch and only her touch.

“Brad, I think maybe you’re just upset and not thinking clearly.”

“No, Mom, I haven’t been this clearheaded in a long, long time. I stand behind Amanda one hundred percent on whatever decision she makes.”

I glanced over toward Amanda. She was just staring at me…stunned.

“Dad, I didn’t want to do this now, but I see I have no choice. I’m going to quit my job with the company.”

“What?” Amanda and my mother said at the same time.

My father nodded as if he knew it was coming.

“I’m sorry, Dad, but working for you and taking over your company is just not my dream.” I looked at Amanda and smiled. “Not our dream.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” my mother said. She turned and looked at Amanda. “You will get back in there, and we will talk about all this nonsense!”

Amanda shook her head. “No. You can’t tell me what to do any longer. As soon as I finish school, I’m moving.”

My mother put her hand to her chest. “You can’t move away. We’ll never be able to see our grandchild if you move.”

“Exactly,” Amanda said with a smile.

“Bradley, talk some sense into your wife. Tell her you made a mistake.”

“I already asked Amanda to forgive me. I’ll do whatever she asks of me.”

My mother started laughing. “What are you trying to say, Brad?”

“I’m saying that I’ll stand behind Amanda and whatever decision she makes, Mom. If that means she’s moving to pursue her dream, then I’m moving with her—either as her husband or to be near her and the baby.”

“What if she divorces you? Are you just going to pine after her and follow her like some lost little puppy?”

“Carol, that’s enough. I think we need to leave and let Brad and Amanda work out their problems on their own,” my father said as he tried to take my mother’s arm.

My mother turned and looked at me. “If you do this…if you leave your father’s company and follow this lowlife piece of trash around the country, I promise you, son, you will regret it. You will not see a dime from us!”

“Carol!” my father said as he tried to get her to stop talking.

“No, it’s okay, Dad. Go ahead, Mom. Make the same threat you’ve been making to me for the last three years. I don’t care anymore. Some things are more important than money.” I looked over at Amanda, who was now standing there with her mouth hanging open. “You didn’t like Amanda the moment you laid eyes on her. You’ve made our lives a living hell because of it. Well, no more. I’m done. Please leave now, and the next time you want to visit, I suggest calling ahead.”

I turned and went to sit back down. I raised my eyebrows at Bryan as he smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.

Holy fucking shit! I just stood up to my mother! Finally, after all these years, I spoke my true feelings.

I could hear my mother bitching the whole way out.

I sat down in the chair and put my head in my hands. “Oh god. I just lost everything—my wife…my parents…my job. Motherfucker. Everything is gone.”

I watched Brad as he sat down in the chair. When I heard him say he just lost everything, I couldn’t catch my breath. I turned and walked out of the building and to my car as fast as I could.

Oh. My. God. Now, he decides to stand up to the witch. Damn it!

I almost started jogging. I needed to get away. I got into my car and started it up. Christina Aguilera’s “Stronger Than Ever” started playing, and I put my head on the steering wheel.

I really have to stop listening to this song!

Just then, I heard someone knock on my window. Motherfucker. If it’s Carol, I’m going to punch her fucking lights out.

I slowly looked up and saw Bryan standing there. I opened the car door and got out.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I went off on him like that!” I immediately broke down into tears. “I just wanted him to hurt as much as I’ve hurt. Oh god…I don’t want to walk away from him, but I’m so angry with him.” I fell into his arms, sobbing. “I just don’t know what to do. I love him so much, but I hate him so much, too.”

“I know, Amanda, and what you did was exactly what I told Brad would most likely occur.”

I pulled away and looked at him. “What?”

“Brad knows how much he hurt you. He might have mentally prepared himself for what just happened, but he was not prepared for it emotionally. He needed to see and hear how he has hurt you. He needed to see how his decision to do cocaine cost him everything. In order for him to never want to touch it again…he needs to see the destruction he has caused.”

“You knew I would react that way?” I asked.

He nodded with a weak smile. “Unfortunately, it’s all part of the job.”

I leaned back against my car. Just then, I felt the baby move. I closed my eyes and put my hand on my stomach. He’s never even felt the baby move. I wouldn’t let him touch me. Oh, God, please help me.

“Amanda. Before Brad’s parents showed up, he was going to read this letter he wrote to you. He wanted to read it himself. Things got a little crazy though when his psycho mother showed up.”

I let out a laugh. “Bryan, I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to call her that.”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Probably not, but in the years I’ve been doing this…Jesus, I’ve never seen such a controlling parent. Anyway, read the letter, Amanda. He also put a CD in there for you.”

He leaned down and gave me a small hug. “Good-bye, Amanda. I hope to see you again soon.”

“Good-bye, Bryan. Thank you for bringing this out to me,” I said as I tried to give him a smile.

I took a deep breath and got back into my car. I opened the envelope, and I pulled out the CD and put it into my CD player.

Vince Gill’s “I Still Believe in You” began playing, and I instantly started crying. Oh, Brad…oh my god, I love you so much. I slowly opened the letter and tried to read it through my tears.

My dearest Amanda,

No matter how many times I say I’m sorry, I know it will never change the fact that I hurt you. I can never take back the moment I started to use cocaine. When I’m lying in bed at night, I think about how I hurt you and how I left you for days to wonder why I acted the way I did, and all I want to do is just scream.

Bryan once asked me, “If you could go back in time and change one day, would you pick the day you started to use drugs?” I didn’t even think twice about it. I knew what day I would go back to. It would be the day you told my mother you wanted a small wedding outside by the water, and she laughed and said that was nonsense. I saw the hurt in your eyes. That was the moment I gave her control over our lives. The more I pushed you away, the emptier I felt inside. I thought drugs could help me, but I know now that you are the only thing in this world I need to get through anything.

All I can say is that I love you, Amanda. I’ve loved you ever since the first moment I laid my eyes on you. I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I promise you…I’ll do whatever you need me to do to make you happy again. I just want you and our baby. I want that life we dreamed of the night I asked you to marry me.

I love you, Amanda. I’ll love you until the day I die.

—Brad

I leaned my head back onto my seat and cried hysterically while I listened to the words of the song he’d picked out. When I felt the baby moving, my eyes snapped open.

I won’t give up on him. I won’t give up on us. He needs me now more than ever, and I need him.

I reached for my keys, turned off my car, and got out. After I made my way back into the rehab center, I saw Bryan talking to someone.

“Excuse me, Bryan?”

He looked at me and smiled.

“Can I please talk to my husband?”

“He’s taking a walk on the property. He’s probably down by the pond. It’s a secluded and serene area, and it’s one of his favorite places to sit.”

“Will you show me?”

Bryan walked me outside and down a path. We talked about how Brad’s treatment was going.

“Amanda, I really think with the proper support system, Brad can make a full recovery.”

I smiled, knowing that all we needed was each other and our friends to help us get through this.

Bryan came to a stop and pointed. When I looked over, Brad was sitting on a bench, staring out at the water.

“Thank you, Bryan,” I said as I began heading toward the love of my life.

We are worth fighting for. We can do this together—him, me, and the baby. I tried so hard not to start running.

I stopped right behind him and fought like hell to hold back the tears. “Brad.”

He turned around, and the moment he saw me, he jumped up.

I couldn’t think of what to say to let him know I wouldn’t abandon him. Then, it hit me.

He just needs to hear six simple words. “I love you and forgive you.” I broke down and started crying.

He shook his head, and I saw the tears falling from his eyes. When he reached out, I slammed myself into him and hugged him. He pulled away and grabbed my face with his hands. Taking my lips with his, he kissed me as if it were our first kiss, and I let out a moan.

As our lips parted, I said, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I love you, Amanda. I love you so, so much, and I’m so sorry…” He trailed off as he began crying.

I took his hand and placed it on my stomach, and the moment he touched me, the baby gave a big kick.

Brad cried harder as he fell to his knees. He put his face right up to my stomach. “I’m so sorry. Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

I ran my hands through his hair as he calmed himself down and started talking to our baby. My heart was beating so fast, and I couldn’t believe how much she was moving around. She knew it, too…

Your daddy is finally back, baby girl.

I walked into my apartment and looked around. Almost everything was packed up and ready to be moved. I glanced to the counter and saw a picture of Heather and me. I went over, picked it up, and smiled. In the photo, Heather was sitting on my lap, and we were both laughing. It looked like we were out in the country—maybe at Gunner’s or Jeff’s place.

I sucked in a deep breath, tucked the picture under my arm, and sent Heather a text message, letting her know I was at the apartment. I wanted to hurry, so I could get back to her.

When I heard a knock on the door, I let out a small laugh, thinking it was Heather. She must be feeling the same way I am. I hadn’t wanted to leave her this morning.

I started to open the door as I laughed. “You couldn’t stay away either, could…uh…Victoria?”

Victoria was standing in front of me. I eyed her up and down. She looked terrible.

“Is everything okay?” I noticed the black eye she had from Ari knocking the shit out of her.

She was holding a giant bottle of water.

“You thirsty?” I asked.

She glanced down at the water and smiled. “Something like that. Do you mind if I come in? I’ve been waiting for you to get here.” She pushed past me and walked into the apartment.

What the hell does she mean she’s been waiting for me? “Um…listen, Victoria, I don’t think it’s such a great idea for you to be here. I mean, with everything that has happened, it’s probably best if you just leave.”

She spun around. “What’s wrong, Josh? Scared by a little temptation?”

I rolled my eyes as I walked by her. “No. I’m just saying…I don’t think we really have anything left to talk about, do you?”

She opened the water bottle and lifted it to take a drink. As I turned around to set the picture down on the counter, I heard Tori yell.

“Son of a bitch, look at this!”

I spun around and her light blue shirt was drenched in water. “What the fuck happened?”

“I’m such a klutz. I went to get a drink, and it all poured out on me. Shit! I have to meet my mother in thirty minutes for lunch. Can I borrow a T-shirt and put this in the dryer?”

“Yeah, sure, but I’m not really sure where all my shirts are.”

She smiled and tilted her head. “Thanks! I really appreciate it. Damn, I can’t believe that happened. Be right back.”

I started to move some of the boxes. Then, I pulled out my phone and called my dad.

“Hey, Josh! You at your place or still with Heather?”

“Nah, Heather is running some errands in Fredericksburg, and I’m at my apartment.”

“How is she running errands when her car is here?”

What? “Oh shit! Neither of us thought about that this morning. Ah hell, let me call her real quick. I’ll call you back, Dad.”

“Okay, talk to you later.”

Son of a bitch. I left her stranded.

I was just about to call Heather when there was another knock on my door. I walked over and opened it to see Heather standing there.

“Hey!” she said with a smile.

“Hey, I was just about to call you! My dad said your car is at their house. I thought I left you hanging.”

She started to walk in, but she stopped as she looked past me. “Oh my god…no…”

I turned around to see Victoria. She was wearing nothing but my white button-down shirt with half the buttons undone.

“Oh, hey there, Heather.” Victoria was looking at Heather with an evil smile on her face.

When I looked back, Heather had tears in her eyes.

Motherfucker. “No, wait! Heather, wait…before you go jumping to conclusions, this is not what it looks like!”

I spun back around to Victoria. “Tori, what the fuck are you doing?”

When I turned back to Heather, she was gone. Oh Jesus. This is not happening.

I looked back at Victoria. “Put your fucking clothes back on, and get the hell out of my apartment now!”

I took off after Heather. She was just about to get into a car.

“Heather! Please wait!” Wait…whose car is that?

She started the car and locked the doors.

“Heather, please wait! You have to let me talk to you. You have this all wrong! Heather, I was just calling you!”

I was banging on the window as she put the car in reverse and started backing up. As she began driving off, I ran after the car, yelling for her to stop. After she pulled out into traffic, I turned and ran back to my apartment. I am going to kill Victoria.

When I walked into my apartment, Victoria was sitting on a bar stool, still dressed in only my white shirt.

“Get the fuck out! Now!”

I ran into the laundry room and took her shirt out of the dryer. Where the hell are her pants? I went into my bedroom, and when I saw them on the bed, it all became clear to me. She must have heard Heather at the front door. She did this on purpose. Fucking bitch!

I came back into the living room, and she was still sitting at the bar.

I threw her clothes at her. “Leave.”

“Josh, wait! Don’t you remember what it was like? We were so good together, baby. Let me give you something to relax a bit, and then I’ll take care of you like I used to.”

I just looked at her. Just the sight of her turned my stomach. “Get the fuck out of my apartment, or I’ll call the police and have them remove you.”

“Josh, we’re meant to be together. You don’t love Heather. She’s a fucking elementary school teacher. You want someone who’s fun. You want me, Josh. You need me.”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. An image of another girl standing in front of me, saying the same damn thing, popped into my head. Fuck!

“You need me, Josh. You don’t love Heather. You need me.”

Just then, the night of the accident came back to me. Lynda had shown up at my mother’s Christmas party. She had begged me to come back to her. She’d kept repeating how I needed her and how I couldn’t possibly love Heather. I’d turned and left the party to head out to Mason to ask Heather to marry me.

Heather is the only one I need. She’s the only one I want.

Then, it all came flooding back—every memory, every tear, every laughter, every fight, and every time Heather and I had ever made love.

“I remember everything.”

Victoria stood up, looking confused. “What?”

I walked over, picked up her clothes, and grabbed her by the arm.

“Let go of me, Josh!”

“If you just caused me to lose the only girl I’ve ever loved, I’ll make sure Ari gives you a matching black eye.”

I opened the door and pushed her out before I slammed the door in her face. I locked the door and pulled my cell out of my back pocket. I called Jeff and Ari’s home number.

“Hello?”

“Ari!”

“Hey! What’s up, asswipe?”

“I need your help,” I said.

“What’s wrong? Is Heather okay?”

“I remember you saying that Heather has a special spot that was just her and her dad’s. You said she would go there whenever she was upset. I need to know where that is, Ari.”

“What did you do to her? I’ll fucking kill you if you hurt her. Wait…how do you remember me telling you that?”

I shook my head, not wanting to waste any more time. “I remember everything, Ari. Victoria said something that triggered a memory from the night of my accident, and then it all came back to me.”

“Oh my god, Josh! That’s great! But why is Heather upset? Victoria…what did the douche twat do?”

I quickly told Ari everything that had happened. “Then, Victoria started talking shit about how we belonged together and how I needed her. That sparked the memory of Lynda.”

“Oh holy hell. Have you tried calling Heather?”

“No! I called you ’cause I figured that spot might be where she’s going. She doesn’t know I remember everything, so she won’t think of me asking you. Please, Ari…please tell me where she could have gone.”

“Um…okay, you know the gazebo down at Zilker Park? The one that looks out to the river?”

“Yep, I know it.”

“That’s probably where she went.”

Yes! “I knew I could count on you, Ari.”

“What happened with the bitch?”

I ran and grabbed my wallet and truck keys. “I threw her ass out, dressed in nothing but my white shirt.”

“Ah shit. I always did like you, Josh.”

I laughed as I ran out to my truck. “Ari, can you do me another favor?”

“Will it make my girl happy?”

“I’m praying to God it will.” I took a deep breath and told her my plan.

I pulled up and parked right in front of the gazebo. I looked around the parking lot and saw Heather’s dad’s Lexus. I rolled down all the windows in my truck, hit play on my stereo, and turned up the volume before I jumped out of the truck and made my way over to the gazebo. I saw her standing there, staring out over the water.

When Ed Sheeran’s “Kiss Me” started playing, she spun around. She just stared at me as she started to slowly shake her head.

“Nothing happened between us. I swear to God. She stopped by and spilled water on her shirt. She asked me if she could dry it ’cause she was meeting her mom. She must have heard you at the door, so she put on that shirt with nothing else. I swear, I didn’t ask her to come over. She said she’d been waiting for me all morning. I promise you, princess, I would never hurt you. I love you and only you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Heather. I need you more than the air I breathe.”

Tears were rolling down her face as she walked up to me. “Why are you playing this song?”

I smiled as I wiped away her tears. “Because it’s your favorite song, princess…and it reminds me of one of the most amazing moments of my life…making love to you in the rain.”

She began crying even harder. “Do you remember?” she asked in between sobs.

I placed my hands on the sides of her face and leaned down to kiss her tear-soaked lips. “I could never forget a love as strong as ours.”

She looked so confused. “How much do you remember?”

I kissed her again and poured every ounce of my love into the kiss. I slowly pulled away and rested my forehead on hers. “Everything.”

She reached her arms around my neck, and I lifted her up as she cried. She wrapped her legs around me and held on to me so tightly I could hardly breathe. It was as if she were afraid I would leave her again.

Never. I will never leave this girl.

“Oh my god, Josh! I’ve missed you so much. I’ve needed you so badly!”

I walked over to the bench, and she slowly started to slide her body down against mine. I sat down and pulled her onto my lap. She buried her face into my chest and cried.

“Shh, baby. I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”

“I was so scared, Josh. You have no idea how scared I was.”

Why the hell was she scared? Scared I would never remember her? Scared I wouldn’t want to be with her?

“Shh…breathe, princess…just breathe.”

She pulled away and looked at me. I wiped away her tears and pushed her blonde hair behind her ears.

“I was coming to your apartment to tell you something. I, um…I was so afraid to tell you. I wanted to wait until you got your memory back, but no one was sure when that would happen. I was going to tell you this morning, but then Amanda called. So, I rushed after you—”

“Heather, baby, slow down. You’re talking too fast. You can tell me anything.” My heart was pounding. Now, I’m scared. Is something wrong with her? Is she sick?

“Well…um…”

She gave me the most beautiful smile. I smiled back just because she looked so damn happy.

“I’m pregnant.”

Oh. My. God. We’re having a baby?

I grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her to my lips, and I kissed the shit out of her. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, just kissing each other and whispering how much we loved each other, before I heard someone clear his throat. I pulled away from her lips and turned to see a police officer.

“Um, sir, is that your Ford truck?”

I let out a sigh. “As much as I want to say no, yes…yes that is my Ford truck.”

Heather started laughing. I stood, picked her up, and carried her back to my truck.

“I can walk, you know!”

I smiled and put her into the truck through the window.

I turned back to the officer. “Sorry.”

He just winked at me with a grin.

I ran around, opened the door, and got into the truck. I looked over at the love of my life. “Can I take you somewhere?”