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“Not yet, but I have a scan next week. Are you ready to be an aunt?”
A hesitant grin blooms on her face. “That depends. Are you?” Her hand falls to her stomach, and my jaw falls to the floor.
“Seriously?”
“Due the second week of August. I found out right after we got back from our trip.
“Oh my god. We’re going to have our babies together!”
She beams at me. “They’re going to be best friends.”
It’s the best night I’ve had in a long time. Once everyone leaves, Alden takes me to bed. Our sex is slow and passionate. Loving. It’s another celebration of sorts, a way to remind ourselves that this is real. We’re going to be okay.
Afterward, Alden lies beside me and caresses my abdomen. “How are you feeling with the baby? Have you been sick?”
“No, it’s been hard to eat sometimes, but I think that’s better now.” I sure attacked that catfish tonight. “It was stress, not morning sickness.” I cover his hand with mine. “I’m supposed to have a scan next week. We can find out the sex. If you want to know.”
“I do if you do.”
“I do. There’s no way I can wait. Tori said it’ll be twins because it runs in your family.”
He chuckles and kisses my shoulder. “As far as I know, we were the only set of twins in the family tree. Not very likely.”
After a few moments of silence, I ask him something I’ve been wondering. “Do you remember much about Oliver?”
“More of my memories are about him than anyone else.” The crack in his voice puts a matching one in my heart. “They hurt the worst.”
“I’m sorry.” My fingers thread through his hair. “Even when you were at odds, you were close. I know you miss him.”
“I loved him. And he may have tried to kill me. I don’t know what to think.” He rolls toward me to look me in the eye. “The evidence says he did. That was what scared me so much when I thought I was him. It was hard to believe I didn’t do it when I couldn’t remember.”
“I was struggling with it too. We may never know for sure. Can you live with that?”
His lips brush over mine. “As long as I have you and our baby.” He leans over to kiss my abdomen. “I can live with anything.”
CHAPTER15
Alden lies stretched out on the couch, his head in my lap. He hums as I thread my fingers into his hair and scratch my nails across his scalp. We’ve barely left Milo’s place since Alden was freed over a week ago. Most of our time has been spent like this, cuddled together on the couch or in bed. We’ve taken walks around the pond in the afternoon and watched the sunset every evening. It’s been wonderful. Unfortunately, we can’t avoid the world forever. Tonight, we’re heading home.
Alden peeks up at me. “I heard from Lowell earlier.”
“Please don’t tell me it was bad news.”
“Both of the Warrens took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Forty years without the possibility of parole.”
“How do you feel about that?” I ask, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. It’s getting long again.
“I’m okay with it. Life in prison is worse than death row from what I’ve heard, and this means there won’t be a trial. We can put it all behind us.”
If he’s satisfied with that, so am I. “It’ll be good to get back to normal. I think we’ve forgotten what it’s like.”
He grins up at me. “Milo and the guys have been back at the shop for the last couple of days, working on some bikes that were already in progress. A few journalists have shown up asking to talk to me, but there hasn’t been any trouble. We’re going to reopen to the public tomorrow. I told Milo I’d be there after your ultrasound appointment.”
“And if I decide to chain you to the bed so we can stay here forever?” I tease.
He laughs and grins up at me. “I’m not opposed. Unless you’re planning to start a harem like that woman on the news.”
“What woman?” I’ve avoided the news and kept my phone set todo not disturb, only using it to check in with my parents to let them know we’re safe.
