Page 112 of Does He Know?

My words are just for her, before I stand and turn to face Forrest.

“I love you, man. All of you.” I let my eyes land on each of the guys before coming back to Forrest. “You’re all like brothers to me.” I glance down at Emerson, and she reaches up, taking my hand in hers. “I can’t breathe without her. I tried to do it. I tried to stay away from her, and then we tried ending it, and we were both miserable.”

“You knocked up my little sister?” Forrest seethes.

“I’ll give you a few minutes,” Dr. Jacobs says, stepping out of the room.

“No. I made a baby with the love of my life. With the woman who owns every piece of me.”

“You’re ten fucking years older than her.”

I nod. “I know.”

“She’s a baby.”

“Forrest,” Emerson chimes in. “I’m an adult. Weeks away from turning twenty-one. I love him.”

“Get out,” Forrest tells me.

“No. I’ll sell out my ownership of the shop. I’ll keep my distance from you. I’ll do anything but that. I won’t walk away from them. I won’t give them up.” I look down at Emerson. “She’s my everything. You and our baby are everything.”

“I know.” Emerson nods. She places our joined hands over her belly. “We love you too.”

My knees go weak and my heart flips over in my chest. This woman, she’s mine. We’re having a baby. A piece of her and a piece of me. I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it.

“Like hell. Get out.”

“I gave her up for you once, Forrest. I won’t do it again.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Christmas. You gave me this big speech about how you wanted a better life for her, how no one would ever be good enough, and I ended us.”

“He broke both our hearts that day,” Emerson adds. “This is what we want, Forrest. I’m sorry that we hid this from you, but we needed time. Time to see where this was going, and time to be us without the pressure of my brother trying to stop what was already happening.”

“How long?” His voice is gruff.

“Since spring break last year.”

“What?” he roars.

“Hey.” Legend steps forward. “Let’s go outside and cool off.”

“I’m not leaving her here with him.”

“I’m going home with him.” Emerson drops a bomb.

“No, you’re not.”

“You can’t stop me, Forty,” she whispers. “I love him. We’re pregnant. This is happening whether you like it or not.”

“I don’t.”

Emerson shrugs. There are tears in her eyes when she says, “I love you, but he’s my future. If you can’t be civil, you need to leave. When you’ve calmed down, and you’re ready to talk rationally, you know where to find me.”

Forrest rushes forward and gets in my face. Emerson releases my hand, and I keep my arms at my sides. Forrest grips my shirt and there’s a blazing fire in his eyes. “You manipulated her. She’s a kid, you motherfucker.”

“Enough,” Maddox says. “You’re going to get us all kicked out. This is not the time or the place. She’s going to be okay. Let’s get you out of here.”

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