The soundof the door handle jiggling wakes me. I mistake the sound for the crooked man, but then I hear, “No, I shouldn’t have let you talk me into leaving her alone.” Grim doesn’t bother whispering. I still pretend to be sleeping when I feel the rift from his portal.
“Leave him be, it’s almost time for her to get up anyway,” Calix mutters dejectedly from the other side of the door.
“Wow, he’s still being an asshole, huh?” I croak, my voice deep from sleep.
“I can get rid of him if it would please you,” Grim offers.
I take a deep breath and sigh out, “No, it would not please me.”
“I didn’t think it would. May I stay?”
“I guess.” I shrug. Seems like a full day of rest didn’t fix our problems. That sucks.
I don’t know where my phone is at this point, so I ask, “What time is it anyway?”
“Five seventeen,” Grim answers. The fact that he’s just standing near the door takes me a little by surprise. I thought he would have come closer. I’m at a loss. I don’t know how to fill the distance developing between us, especially after last night.
“I guess I should get up,” I mutter, even though I don’t really want to get out of bed.
“It’s still early.” How should I take that? Does he want me to stay in bed? When I don’t move, he finally makes his way closer to me and slowly sits on the edge of the bed. “The Nemean and Berserker think you want to be left alone because we’re idiots, but I think you already know we are idiots and we should be begging for your forgiveness.”
I dip my chin and pull up the blanket so Grim can’t see the messy grin on my face. “They’re dumb,” I mutter with my mouth still hidden under the blanket.
“But I’m not?” Grim looks over his shoulder so he can see me.
“You haven’t apologized yet.”
Grim places his palm on the bed and climbs closer until he’s lying next to me. While looking right into my eyes, he tugs the blanket down so he can see my entire face. “I’m sorry. Sorry that I didn’t rip off the Nemean’s arm when he touched you in anger. Sorry I let my disquiet allow me to question your loyalty.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “If he ever does it again, you won’t have to rip his arm off, because I will. Then I’ll beat him with it.”
“I don’t think you will ever have to worry about that. The Nemean isn’t any happier with himself than you are.” Grim slides his hand over my side to rest on the flare of my hip.
“He sure has a funny way of showing it.”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t an idiot, just a remorseful idiot.” Grim’s statement makes me chuckle. When he leans in for a kiss, I don’t stop him. It’s soft and sweet. It says just as much as his words do, and I eat up the affection.
Grim ends the kiss with a few soft pecks before pulling back and observing me. Looking into his beautiful gray eyes, I remember how this whole thing started. “There is something I need to talk to all of you about.” I was nervous about their reactions yesterday, and after the argument last night, I’m feeling even more vulnerable.
Grim wraps his hand around the nape of my neck and closes his eyes while placing his forehead on mine. “Would you like me to get the others?” His voice is deep but soft. He’s either picking up on my apprehension, or I’m reading way too much into his response.
I stroke my fingers over his jaw and dance my touch over his lips. Grim’s eyes open, and I make sure that my face isn’t betraying my emotions by giving him what I hope is a reassuring smile. “No, you don’t need get to them. I’m going to get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Grim presses a quick, hard kiss against my lips and kneads his fingers into my hip before shoving himself up from the mattress. When he reaches the door, he grips the knob and looks over his shoulder, his eyes roaming over me like it may be the last time he gets the privilege. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Grim,” I call before he leaves. I almost tell him right then, but I stop myself. “Nothing, I’ll be down in a minute.” Once he’s gone, I flip onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. I need to quit freaking out. This isn’t a deal breaker, or it shouldn’t be anyway. Sure, it’s fast, and really unexpected, but the realness of having a baby is actually starting to sink in, and I’m kind of… excited. Really fucking scared, but inexplicably delighted too. I’m a mess.
I need to remember that this may come as just as much of a shock to them as it did to me. I thought I was going to throw up when I learned the truth—it was a knee-jerk reaction—and they may have a similar response. “Don’t overreact, even if they do.” With that little pep talk out of the way, I toss back the covers and climb out of bed.
If I didn’t know for certain they were here, I wouldn’t have a clue. The house is as quiet as a tomb and feels as somber as one as I head into the kitchen. All three of them are sitting at the table, and every eye turns in my direction as I enter the room. “Hey.” I wave because I don’t know what to do with myself, and now this feels as if I’ve made too big of a buildup.
Grim rises and pulls out an empty chair for me to sit, but I’m too anxious for that. “I’m gonna get a drink. Anyone want anything?”
They all decline. Heading over to the fridge, I grab a bottle of water and lean my ass against the counter, keeping the island between us. “So… I wanted to talk to you all about something I realized yesterday morning, and I thought it would be better if we came home… came here,” I amend, then add, “So I could tell you.”
“What is it?” Gunnar leans his arms against the table.
I wet my lips. It’s now or never. “First, I want to say I didn’t plan this. I didn’t even know it was possible.”
