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She leans into my touch with a smile, her arm snaking slowly around my waist with her eyes closed. “I love you, too.”
Her stomach is touching mine, the movement throughout reminding me of the surprise I had completed last week, and I jump from the bed. “Come with me, I have to show you something.”
Casey scoffs. “I don’t think I can move.”
“I’ll carry you then.” Before she can protest I’m tugging her into my arms and walking down the hall, kicking open the door that’s been shut all week. “Let me know what you think.” She eyes me curiously, but nods.
As soon as the light comes on, she slaps a hand over her mouth as her eyes glisten with tears. “Emmett, what is this?”
I smile. “It’s our daughter’s nursery.”
Everything that we would need for the baby is situated neatly in the room. The walls have butterflies painted on them, the white crib sitting against the wall with a see-through canopy hanging above it, and a fuzzy pale pink rug is sitting in the middle of the floor. The dresser I got her was the best I could find and when Casey pulls one of the drawers open she snatches the various clothes from it. “You didn’t have to do this, you’ve already done so much.”
“She’s my daughter. I’ll do it all if you let me.” I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and splay my hand over her stomach. “I want us to be a family, Casey.”
I added the rocking chair, since Casey has mentioned wanting to breastfeed and I’ve read that the chair is a good addition to the nursery for that. She walks over to the large piece of furniture and runs her hand over the expensive fabric with a smile, then looks over her shoulder at me. “That’s what I want, too. More than anything else.” Her gaze circles the room. “It’s beautiful, you did this all on your own?”
“I had some help with the wall, but everything else was done by me. So, you like it?”
“I love it, Emmett, when did you find the time to work on this with your schedule?”
Doesn’t she get it? I cut the distance between us and pull her into my arms. “I’ll always make time for my family, Casey.” She melts into me, resting her head against my chest, and I rub small circles over her back. “Let’s go to bed, yeah? You can look at it more in the morning, but right now I want to hold you.”
Nothing feels more perfect than her body curled into mine and I silently thank the universe for making me realize how truly amazing she is
***
I’m nervous a few mornings later, knowing that Dominic is coming over to talk about everything and all Casey can seem to do is smirk at me. “Is something funny, baby?”
She shakes her head, lifting the coffee mug to her lips slowly and her eyes crinkles at the corners from her hidden smile. “You’re cute getting all flustered and shit, that’s all.” I jump when there’s a knock on the door and she snorts. “I’ll get it, it will give you time to calm the hell down. I told you he wasn’t going to be a problem anymore.”
I take a few deep breaths after she disappears around the corner, trying to remind myself that things aren’t the same as they were before. Dominic’s heavy footsteps echo through the entryway, getting closer and closer, and it only makes my heart rate speed up. This is ridiculous. I love Casey and Dominic is my best friend, I shouldn’t be this nervous around him.
“Emmett,” Dominic says when he walks into the kitchen. “It’s been a while.”
“It has,” I say with a small smile. “What’s up?”
He glances behind him, making sure Casey isn’t in hearing distance, and leans forward. “I want to make sure we’re clear on one thing – if you hurt her, I’ll be there to hurt you right back in worse ways.”
“Of course,” I wave my hand over the island and smile. “Hungry?”
“Starving,” he says while sinking onto one of the empty chairs. “So, tell me about everything. Do you love her?”
I sigh. “It wasn’t something I ever thought I’d have in this life, but I do, Dom. She’s got my entire heart sitting in the palm of her hand and there’s nothing I would change about that.”
He nods, running a thumb over his chin. “How long?”
“For what?”
“Have you loved her?”
I blow out a rough breath. “It feels like years, as if we were merely living our lives on our own before being brought together, but in reality it’s only been a few months.”
“A few months? That’s a long time.”
“Well, I would’ve said something sooner but it could’ve changed everything and I didn’t want to do that. Not until I knew she was ready to hear it.” Casey comes into the kitchen at that moment and I give her an adoring smile, inviting her into my arms like it’s something we’ve done all our lives. I press my lips against her head, then glance up at my best friend. “I do love her, Dom, more than I could ever express to you or anyone else. She’s it for me.”
I hold my breath, waiting for the punch, but it never comes. Instead, Dominic walks over to me with a smile and wraps his arms around Casey and I. “That’s all I wanted to hear. Both of you deserve the best and I’m glad it’s with each other, even if I didn’t originally act that way.”
