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“Not really.”
Elle asked curiously, “Earlier, when I told you, you said you weren’t expecting that. What were you expecting?”
“Honestly, I thought you were about to tell me you wanted to see other people. I’m incredibly glad you didn’t but…wow,” Jim said.
“Wow doesn’t even begin to sum it up. My head is pounding. Would you mind if I laid down for a little bit? I don’t want to take anything.”
Elle shifted off his lap and stood up. He followed suit, standing in front of her.
Nodding, Jim said, “I’ll come with you. Unless you want me to go?”
Elle looked at the expression on his face and immediately felt guilty. This was the only time she’d ever seen him look uncertain or even remotely close to afraid. Immediately she felt the need to fix that so she said, “No. Stay with me.”
She slid her arms around him. Looking up, she said, “Thank you for not freaking out on me.”
Jim loosely wrapped his arms around her shoulders and, his lips twitching slightly, said, “Don’t thank me yet. I’m still in shock. A baby.”
Serious now, Elle said, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
When Jim opened his mouth to speak, she held up a hand and continued, “I’m saying this so it’s out there. I don’t want you to feel like I trapped you into this. I know it’s way too freaking soon for us to take on this kind of mutual responsibility.”
Tipping her chin up so she looked at him, he said, “I would never be able to live with myself if I just skipped out on you and left you to deal with everything all on your own. Not to mention the fact that you’re having my baby. That’s a part of me. I could never walk away from that.”
Elle nodded and said, “Fair enough.”
Jim turned her around and directed them both back to her bedroom. When she slid out of her jeans and under the covers, he followed suit. Scooting under the covers next to her, he asked, “Want me to rub your temples?”
A slight look of relief on her face, she asked, “Would you?”
Turning to face him, she tried to block out the dull throbbing pain behind her eyes. She felt the light pressing of his fingers on her temples. After a few minutes, the tension started to ease.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “That’s much better.”
“I’m glad.”
Her eyes blinked open when she felt the bed shift. She saw him lying flat on his back now so she scooted over to lay her head on his shoulder. Snuggling up to him, she gave a sigh of contentment when he wrapped his arm around her and began to stroke his hand along her spine.
She continued to think, her brain a little more clear now as she lay next to him. Jim’s response had been about what she’d expected. She felt a resounding sense of relief about that, but they still had a long road ahead of them.
Turning her mind to practical concerns, she thought about what happened when the baby arrived. Would they live together and try to raise the baby as a unit, or share custody? What sort of things did Jim have in his medical history? There were so many details to consider.
As she drifted toward sleep, she realized that she and Jim were linked in a really permanent way to one another. It was a comfort to know that she wouldn’t be doing this alone. She didn’t know entirely what to make of the situation yet, but for the first time since seeing those blue lines, she didn’t feel like she was spinning off the face of the earth.
Chapter Fourteen
He was going to be a father. Wow. He hadn’t been looking to settle down but it seemed that the decision had been made for him. Strangely, he wasn’t all that upset about it.
Granted, it was way earlier than he would have wanted, but he hadn’t completely ruled it out of their future. Things between them had been different right from the beginning. Elle was completely unlike any other woman he’d ever met. She was unique in all of the right ways.
He continued to rub his hand against her back and felt her begin to relax incrementally. When she had fallen asleep next to him, he continued to lie
there next to her. His mind had moved on to more practical matters.
They needed to discuss their medical histories and how they intended to handle this whole parenthood thing once the baby was born. It made the most sense for them to move in together. That way they’d be able to help each other and not have to split time.
Would their relationship continue as is? Maybe he was taking that for granted too. He had knocked her up almost immediately. He could see how that would be a turn off. He shook his head sardonically.
There were so many questions that needed to be answered. So far they seemed to be on the same page. Who knew what the future held though, he thought. Sighing, he let his mind drift now.
