Page 173 of Vega

“Especially now? What’s that mean?”

She glanced away, nervously biting her bottom lip.

I caught her chin and brought her eyes back to mine. “Glasses, talk to me.”

She blew a heavy breath. “I’m pregnant.”

My eyes bucked. I looked down at her stomach, then back at that pretty face. “Word?”

She giggled nervously. “Why do you look shocked? You never pull out, and you’re inside me every five minutes.”

I was still shocked, blinking slowly.

“I found out last night. I realized that my cycle was late and took like three tests. I got them delivered through Instacart while you were asleep.” She started to shutter fearfully. “We’ve only known each other two months. We barely know each other. I don’t even know if you want kids. If you don’t, I’ll understand.”

I stood with her in my arms, placed her on the stool, then dropped to my knees in front of her.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

“How do you feel about having my baby?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I want it. I want our baby. I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“I don’t know how to be a mother. I didn’t have one long enough to learn from, and I don’t know how to become the kind of mother I needed when I was little. I don’t want our child growing up feeling anything I felt.”

I placed both hands on her thighs. “Baby, you already understand more than you think you do. You know what it feels like to live without safety. You know what it feels like when nobody stays consistent. You know what it feels like to need love. That means you know exactly what a child needs because you lived through what happens when a child doesn’t get it.”

She looked down at my hands, breathing through the hurt.

“That won’t happen to our baby,” I promised her. “I’m telling you right now, our child will never have to question whether we wanted it. It’ll never have to earn love, chase attention, or wonder if we’re coming back. That baby will know both of its parents chose it before we ever saw its face.”

Her bottom lip trembled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I don’t care how fast this happened,” I continued. “I don’t care that we didn’t plan it. That baby is mine and yours. It’ll have a home, a family, and two parents who show up every day.”

She wiped at her face. “You really want to be a father?”

“I’m honored to be the father of your child.”

More tears fell, but relief softened the fear in her eyes.

“You won’t carry any of this by yourself.”

Her hand covered her mouth as she began to shed happy tears.

“I want this baby,” I assured her. “I want you, and I want the life we’re building. None of that scares me.”

She slid off the stool and lowered herself into my arms. I held her while she cried against my shoulder, rubbing her back as her body shook.

SALVATORE “SAL” MORETTI

Renee had hardly slept through the night since she learned Prodigy was diligently searching for Renzo.

Every conversation came back to the same demand, that I talk to Marcus to make sure Renzo stayed gone.