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My dad gives us a nod, and Leigh leads me back to the table for more pictures, which she has plenty of fun with, especially smearing frosting all over my face.
“Laugh it up. I’m saving a few of those cupcakes for tonight.” I kiss her neck as Micah snaps a picture.
“Mm. I can think of plenty more places to put that frosting.” Then she steps away to take pictures with the girls as my mouth slides open.
She’s always been damn good at teasing me.
As much as I’m enjoying this celebration, all I really want is to get my girl alone.
“Shh. Stop that.” Leigh giggles as she swats my fingers away from her ribs.
“Do you really think Abuelita doesn’t know what we’re doing in here? You’re pregnant.”
She scowls at me. “Just because sheknowsdoesn’t mean we need to make it extra clear. I don’t want to hear about it if shehearsus.”
“Maybe we should think about getting our own place. Do you really want to be doing stuff like this in my room or yours with a crib right there, too?”
She shrugs. “Maia and Vince managed.”
“I’ve never seen my brother happier than when he moved Harper’s stuff into her own room. And Braden has Harp part of the time. But it’s not just about that, and you know it. Am I going to spend every night here? Go back and forth? That sounds crazy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ll stay here if you want me to, but wouldn’t it be nice to have our own space?”
Her brow furrows. “I don’t know. I guess so.”
“Convincing.”
She sputters for a second and my stomach twists. “Sorry. I want to have my own space with you, Nick. I do. I promise. I just—”
Running my hand over her arm, I look into her eyes, eyes that always give her away whether she likes it or not. “What? You can tell me anything.”
“I don’t want to rush this. Yes, I love you. Yes, we’re having a baby, but we’ve barely gotten to have an actual relationship. Then we’re going to move in and play house? It’s too fast.”
As I stare at her, my stomach sinks further, because I know that’s not the truth. She might be worried about those things, but that’s not what’s holding her back.
“I hear what you’re saying, and I respect that, but I have two counter points.”
She rolls those gorgeous eyes of hers, and I kiss her nose like I always do. “Of course.”
“First, we spend pretty much every night together. I drive you to work. We always eat dinner together. I’m not saying having our own place will be easy, but it’ll be an extension of what we’re doing now. Which brings me to my second point. We don’t even have to share a bedroom if you don’t want to. Or we can get two separate beds. What I’m saying is, it doesn’t have to be about ‘playing house,’ it can just be about sharing our own space, so we aren’t going crazy when the baby comes. I don’t want to push you, so if you really don’t want to, I’ll let it go. You tell me.”
She drops my gaze, looking down at her stomach for a moment before looking back at me. “I think you’re right. Maybe I’m just a little… scared.”
I kiss her forehead, then lean back against the pillow, holding her closer. “I know it’s scary. And it’s a lot of change all at once, but I’m here to share those fears, to love you, protect your heart, keep you safe.” Pressing my lips against her head I whisper, “Only if you let me. Please, let me.”
She lets out a content sigh and threads her fingers through mine. “I hope our son is just like you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Señorita. Always.”
Her fingers gently twist through my hair until her movements grow heavy and she drifts off to sleep. I wish I could too. But I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about our future. What our baby will be like. But most of all, no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of my mind—the one that’s always been there when it comes to Leigh.
She’s always ready to run.
