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Chapter Nine
____________
Reef
"What the hell is going on?" I realize I’m bursting into the small room like I’m coming in to put out a fire. I can’t help it. Something happened with Teddy and I need to know what. She’s not been herself all evening long and refuses to even speak to me - which is driving me up the wall just to be frank. I don’t want to make a scene in front of her family and make them think I’m a complete fruit cake but it’s about all I can take. She’s not leaving tonight without me being right there with her and us figuring this -whatever this is - out so it’s not a problem anymore.
The door bangs against the wall and bounces back. I spot Teddy sitting in the room looking pale and having trouble breathing and I’m on my knees in front of her in seconds. She tries to push me away but I’m not going any-fucking-where! I push her head down until her face is between her knees.
"Just breathe sweetheart. Just take long, deep breaths for me. In and out." At the sound of my voice she shudders and I can tell she’s started to cry. Fuck! This is not okay. "What’s happened, sweetheart?"
"We...we didn't use anything last night." She whispers it not just because she can't take in enough air to say it louder but because both of us are achingly aware of her sisters still being in the room.
I straighten up and turn to look at Willa and Payton. "Can you two give us some privacy for just a few minutes, please?" Both of them nod and turn to leave. Willa is the one who turns back around.
"If you need us - for anything - you just yell, Teddy."
I wait until they both leave before I get back down on my knees and take her chin between my fingers. "Look at me, baby. What has you so torn up? What's got you so worried? Why the fuck are you not talking to me?" The last one is the one burning me up inside.
"We didn't use anything – protection - today when...," A tear slips free of her big brown eyes and trails down her cheek breaking my fucking heart. I would rather cut my fucking hand off than see her this hurt, and the worst part is I don’t know what’s causing it or how to fix it.
"I'm clean, baby. I've never gone in bare with anyone before you."
"That...," I can tell by the look on her face that she didn’t even think about that. No, she’s torn up for a completely other reason. "That's not what I mean. I...could be...I'm just a rebound f...," She stops short of saying something that’s going to piss me off more than I have ever been pissed off before. Another tear slips down her cheek as she halts on the word.
"Don't ever talk about yourself like that again." She flinches at the harshness in my voice but I make sure to keep my touch soft. The next time I speak, I keep my voice just as soft. "You are not just some fuck to get over someone else."
Another tear courses down her cheek giving away just how upset she is. Is this why she wasn’t talking to me tonight? Because she was worried about a baby or because she thought she was a rebound fuck? God! Damn! It!
I scoop her up in my arms and switch places with her so she is sitting on my lap, "You are the center - the sun - the whole world." I thumb the tear away and bring it to my lips. I don’t want any part of her not being with me even if that is selfish as fuck. "I thought about what could happen. It crossed my mind the first time I came in you. And the second time I was committed to the idea. The third time I probably should have said something but the fucking idea of you swollen with my child was just something I couldn't get out of my head." I can tell my words shock her. But I can also tell some small part of her is thrilled at the idea that I might like the idea that she could be carrying my baby. That’s the part that helps me admit to the next part.
"I wanted it. Want it even now."
"I thought...I thought you were," Her cheeks brighten with a blush but it's time to come clean about everything.
“You thought I was trying to get over someone else and using you to do it. Baby, that is the last thing this is.”
I pull her closer to me before giving her a hard kiss to show her how serious I am about us. We sit for a few minutes in silence and stare into one another’s eyes.
"I think I knew right from the start that Willa was going to be important to me."
"Important?"
"Sister-in-laws are really important to get along with. It makes the marriage happier when you can think of the family as your own and I promise you, Willa has only ever been a sister to me."
"Sister-in-law?" She seems like she is completely bowled over by what I just said. The cute as fuck crinkle in the middle of her eyes has me chuckling before answering her.
"I saw you and knew you were it for me -The One." I fish around in my pocket for the box that’s been burning for me to pull it out for the last hour, "My one and if we make a baby then that’s the beginning and end. The beginning of us as a trio and the end of anything else mattering to me but you and our baby - our family."
I pull out the velvet-covered box and she jumps up off my lap but doesn’t go far. Tears are still leaking from her eyes but this time I think it is for a completely different reason.
"I bought this today. I drove back into the city and went to a jeweler friend of mine so I could rush and have this as quick as possible. I was having him size it when you were practicing walking down the aisle today.”
Her eyebrows go up in surprise.
"I want you to marry me. To be with me for the rest of our lives so I don't have to worry about not being there to take care of you. So we don’t have to spend another minute apart. I want to take my bride to the cliff and marry her as the sun sets so we can share in that beautiful story you told me today."
"I...you want me to marry you?" She grabs on to me, a look of awe in her eyes.
