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“Paige whatever it is just tell me,” he said remaining still. “What changed?”
“Everything…”
“Paige are you telling me that you want this…us?” he asked moving slowly towards her. “You want to go out there and tell them that we are together? Let me kiss you and touch you whenever the mood strikes me, no matter where we are?”
“Yes, but…”
“No buts, if we do this there’s no turning back Paige. I love you. I always have and always will. I don’t care if we have children or if the only thing, we take care of is Maggie, who’s made herself at home on my couch by the way. I want you. Are you all in? No doubts, no regrets…”
“Only one…that I didn’t come here four years ago after what happened the way my heart told me to. Joel, I love you, you are the only man for me. You’re the only man who’s ever been in my life that I couldn’t let go. Truth is you’re the only man who knows everything about me.”
His arms crushed her as his mouth descended onto hers and she knew that she’d finally found her home. The minutes slipped past them, and he continued to kiss her with a hunger that sent shivers through her but a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes she couldn’t stop. She wanted him.
He pulled back cradling her face in his hands as he stared into her eyes.
“What changed Paige? Why did you suddenly…baby, what is it?” he asked as a tear slipped down her cheek and he gently palmed it away.
“I think you’re going to have to find something new to call me other than baby Joel.”
“You don’t like it anymore?” he asked as she slipped her arms around his waist.
“I love it and you, but…”
“But what Paige? Just tell me what is going on.”
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out and his entire body froze. “Joel…”
“I thought you said…how…is it mine? Of course, it’s mine…Paige how?”
“Seems you and Dad aren’t the only ones who didn’t fully listen I thought the doctor had said I couldn’t have kids, but she was actually telling me that some women have more difficulties or are unable to have children after going through what I had but she never said I was one of them that’s what changed Joel.”
“So, you’re only here with me because you’re pregnant?”
“No, Joel, I love you. I’ve loved you since I was sixteen. You are theonlyman I haveeverslept with…”
“What?”
“The only one. I wasn’t pushing you away because of you. I was pushing you away because of me. I couldn’t bear the thought of being with you but not being able to have your baby. I wanted it so badly, though in my dreams it was a little further into the future. I didn’t want to disappoint you but mostly I didn’t want to disappoint myself, break my own heart the way I did ten years ago.”
“So, you pushed me away? How does that make sense?”
“Without you I don’t have to worry about being with someone because I don’t want anyone else. I didn’t have to think about what I was being forced to give up, but with you it was right there and that house…I dreamt of rebuilding it exactly the way you did and filling it with our children, and I couldn’t let those dreams go. Being with you and thinking I couldn’t have them was killing me and the thought that you would put your own wishes for a family aside for me was too much. I didn’t want you to suffer because of me. I didn’t want to kill your dreams.”
“The only dream I’ve ever had was being married to you. Baby, no baby, I don’t care. I can’t let you go again. The first-time sucker punched me in the gut and the second shredded my heart. When I got to your place and found it empty, that you had gone…I wanted to find you and bring you back here, but I couldn’t leave your father. I’d promised you that and I wasn’t going to break that promise.”
“We have so much to talk about, but I don’t want to right now Joel. All I want is for you to hold me…us. Oh…I have something for you,” she said moving away from him to grab her bag. She rummaged through and pulled out the sonogram pictures before returning to him. “Proof…that I’m not crazy,” she laughed handing them over.
“I never said you were,” he stated staring at the photos. “What’s this…” he asked pointing to the date.
“The anticipated due date,” she said sliding onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Guess there’s no doubting your manliness or that it only takes one time unprotected since it’s happened three times now.”
“Are you saying…in the mountain?” he asked raising an eyebrow.
She nodded giving him a grin. “So, what do you think we should do?”
“I’d say there’s only one thing we can do, get married and fill that house with as many babies as you’ll let me saddle you with. That way there’ll be no chance to run away again.”
“Who says I want to?”
