“Birth control.You must get on birth control.I mean, or not.”She smirks.“I’m all in on being an aunt.You and Cope would make beautiful babies.”She grins.
“She can’t yet.She has to wait and see,” Kinzie tells us.
“She’s right,” Leighton agrees.“You might already be carrying our niece or nephew.”
“Auntie Court is ready,” Courtlynn says, rubbing her hands together.
“It was one time, and we’re not there yet.”
“No, you’re not, but you will be.”Leighton’s words ring with such conviction that even I believe them to be true.Is it possible?Can we work our way through all of this and finally find our happily ever after?
“Thank you.I love you all.”We hug, say our goodbyes to Baylor, and go our separate ways.Kinzie heads back to her place, and my sisters and I each head to our rooms for the night.Just as I’m placing my phone on the charger before sliding into bed, it rings.I see Copeland’s name.Exhaling, I pick up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Are you okay?”His voice is gruff.
“I’m okay,” I assure him.“Thank you for texting Kinzie.”
“I wanted it to be me.I wanted to be the one to hold you and calm the fears in your heart, but I didn’t think you’d let me back in,” he confesses.
The silence rings between us, but I can still hear him breathing on the other end.I think about what my sisters and Kinzie said, and they’re right.Nothing he did was unforgivable, but I need to know he’s in this.I also know that communication is essential.We could have spared one another so much pain if we had just communicated.
“I’m scared, Cope.”
“What are you afraid of, Ells?”he asks softly.
“I won’t survive you leaving me a second time.”I don’t bother playing games or beating around the bush.That’s where my heart is at.
“Earlier, you told me you were trying not to love me.”He pauses, and I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep quiet.“Will you do me a favor?”
“Depends on the favor.”
“Stop trying, or at least, don’t try too hard.Let me show you that you own my heart and soul, Ellison Moran.Let me fight for us, without fighting with you.”
My heart squeezes painfully.“I don’t know how.I’ve spent the last seventeen years trying not to love you, Copeland.”
“Leave it all up to me.”
“We were reckless tonight.”
“I hope so,” he says, and my mouth falls open.“Then, at least I’ll know you’ll always be in my life.”
“Cope,” I breathe.
“I love you, Ellison Moran.I’ve always loved you, and I need you to let me.Can you do that, baby?Can you let me prove to you I was young and dumb and regret every single day I’ve spent away from you?”
“Can we not do that?Can we not dwell on the past?I need to—keep moving on, you know?I don’t want to keep going backward.”We’ve had enough of the heartbreak.If this is going to work, we have to let that go.At least, we have to try to let it go.
“I’ll do whatever it takes for you to be mine again.”
“What does that look like?Me being yours?”
“Every plan we ever made is still my dream.A home, a family, growing old with you.I’ve never wanted anything more than you and the plans we made.”
“I want to believe you.”
“Time, Ells.Just give me some time.”
