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“Mostly my fault,” I grumbled, and that didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t like being the reason that she was so upset. I was the one that was supposed to hold her together.
“It falls on both of us, Christian, because honestly, yeah, I should have consulted you. But the realtor told me seven other people were looking at that property, and one was getting ready to possibly close on it. So, I threw down the down payment and signed my name to the papers. I didn’t want it slipping away.”
I shook my head at him. “You put her first, Caiden, and honestly, I could never really be angry at you about that.” I clapped my hand to his shoulder. “I’m sorry for popping off like that.” I drew in a deep breath. “Let’s go inside and get our woman to finish her dinner.”
When we got back in the dining room, Meghan was sitting in my seat next to Ally. She got up without a word, allowing me to sit down. I leaned over and brushed my lips to her temple. “I’m sorry, my moon,” I said softly. She looked up at me. I cupped the side of her neck and brushed my thumb over her jaw. “Caiden and I had our own issues to work out.” I smiled at her. “I heard you like the house.”
She nodded. “It’s pretty, and it’s the perfect size,” she told me, the tiniest of smiles tilting her lips. That light in her eyes flickered for a moment—the smallest of moments—but it was enough. My heart warmed at the sight.
I leaned down and kissed her. “How about we all go look at it together tomorrow after I get off work?” I asked her. Her eyes brightened, excitement swirling in those pretty brown eyes. My heart squeezed in my chest. God, she was so beautiful and perfect.
“Really?”
I nodded. “Really, beautiful.” I kissed her again. “Now, eat your food,” I told her. “You’re pregnant. Skipping meals isn’t okay.”
She looked over at Caiden. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Eat,” he quietly commanded.
She picked up her fork and began eating again. Julian’s phone rang on the bar in the kitchen. He sighed. “I just want one fucking peaceful dinner with my goddamn family,” he growled as he got up from the table to go answer it.
“It’s his agent,” Axel explained at Caiden’s confused look. “I don’t think that man has a life outside of Julian.” He shook his head. “Wish he would give the man some damn breathing room.”
Meghan sighed. Axel gently gripped her chin and turned her head to face him. “Easy, sweet girl,” he soothed. “You’re his priority. Nothing will change that.”
Holden suddenly squealed and threw his bowl of food to the floor, clapping his hands together afterward. Julian walked back into the dining room at that moment and threw his hands up to the sky. “Seriously, kid?” he asked Holden. “Aren’t you old enough to know that’s not okay?”
Ally giggled beside me. Meghan laughed at Julian. “He’s your boy. Imagine the hell you put your own mom through, Julian.”
He grunted. “I was an angel.”
Axel scoffed. “Like hell.”
Ally took a bite of her peas and gagged. I jerked my head around to check on her at the same time she shoved back from the table and ran for the nearest bathroom. Caiden and I were both out of our seats in a flash, moving to rush after her. By the time we made it to the bathroom, she was already throwing up.
“Fuck,” I swore. I kneeled beside her and pulled her hair out of the way, reaching up with my other hand to rub her back. “I’m here,” I crooned.
Caiden grabbed some mouthwash sitting under the sink and a small Dixie cup, pouring some of the mouthwash in it for her. He calmly waited as I took care of her, trying my best to soothe her through her discomfort.
I hated seeing her like this, and I hated that I was the cause of it. I was grown. I shouldn’t have solely relied on her birth control to keep her from getting pregnant. Birth control wasn’t fully effective. There was always the chance for a slip-up.
And now, she was suffering because of my carelessness.
Once she was finished, I reached forward and flushed the toilet before I eased her back against me. I knew she always felt a little nauseous after throwing up, so I was careful not to jostle her too much.
Caiden kneeled in front of her and silently held out the small cup of mouthwash. She took it from him and swished the liquid inside of her mouth before she spat it back into the cup. Without a word, he took it from her, flushed the mouthwash down the toilet, and threw the small Dixie cup into the trash.
