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“You’re pregnant?”
“We didn’t really try to prevent it, Jake. I …” I don’t know what to say. I can’t read him right now. I don’t know if he’s happy or not. He stares at me for a long second before his face splits into a smile that could break my heart.
“You’re pregnant?” he asks again.
“I am.” Then he’s pulling me into a hug, kissing me, holding me.
“Oh my God, Kyla.”
“Are you okay with this?” The guys cheer around us, but I keep myself tucked into Jake.
“We’re having a baby.”
“Yeah, we are. She would have been a great big sister, Jake.”
“I know she would have, and Axel is going to be a great big brother.”
“He will. He loves kids,” I tell him. He pulls away from me and kisses my lips before the guys come after him. They fist bump and hug him, and I’ve never truly felt like I’ve belonged to anything like this before. A family. This is his family.
Chapter 23
Mystic
There’s an ache in my chest, one I haven’t felt in a long time. I jolt awake and look to my left, but I don’t see Kyla in bed. I shake my head, not liking the goddamn dreams that don’t seem to stop.
I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and stand, walking into the bathroom to look for Kyla. I don’t find her there, which makes me nervous, so I make my way to Axel’s room, but she isn’t there either.
My mind begins to whirl as I stalk down the hallway until I see her sitting on the back deck. I sigh in relief before going to her.
When the back door opens, she looks up at me with tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“I see that. What’s going on?”
“I keep seeing him. I didn’t even feel like I pulled the damn trigger. It all happened so quickly,” she tells me. I walk over and sit next to her, pulling her into my lap and cradling her.
“I get it, baby. I do.”
“You were right. I cared about Jeremy once. And I thought he cared about me too, but he didn’t hesitate, Jake. He was ready to pull the trigger on both of us.”
“I know it’s hard. I know it’s a lot to get past, but we will, Kyla. We’ll get over this just like everything else thrown our way.”
“Are you sure? Is this even something we can get past?” she asks me.
“It is. It takes time to heal. It takes time to look past what happened. I know it’s hard, baby. I’ve been there more than once, but you keep me sane. You keep my head level. Let me be that for you too. Let me be here.”
“I never want you anywhere else but by my side, Jake. I thought I knew what love was back then, but I didn’t. You’re love. You’re my love.”
“And you’re mine. And together, we are going to get over all this. And just think about the good stuff, Kyla. We’re having a baby.”
“Are you excited about that? I know you weren’t really sure about it,” she says softly. I rest my hand on her stomach and sigh.
“I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure I could be a good father to this baby. I wasn’t sure I could get past a lot of the trauma I’ve faced, but we’re here, aren’t we? We’re alive and well. Axel is good. What more could we ask for?”
“I don’t know. I’m just scared, is all. I hate the way I feel at times. I hate I can see him in my mind, and I can see it all happen over and over. I’ve never had that problem before, Jake. I could always sleep at night and not think about what I’d done, but this is different.”
“Of course it is. You were together. You were in love. Of course this is different, but at the same time, it’s not. He was ready to kill you, Kyla. He was ready to end you, and for what? Wanting a better life? Being a better person?”
“It’s just so hard,” she cries as tears spill down her cheeks. I hate seeing her like this, but I know exactly how she feels. I keep her tucked into me, hugging her like I may never get the chance again, and I let her cry. I let her get out all the fear, frustration, and whatever else she might be feeling.
“Everything is going to be okay, baby. I got you.”
“And I got you too.”
