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But I was sure I wouldn’t be able to handle it if there were no new messages.
Brendan’s soft cries startled me awake a little later, but the pitch black in the room said it wasn’t quite morning yet.
“Shh,” I soothed as I brushed my hand over his hair.
“Mama,” he mumbled softly before rolling onto his tummy and placing his thumb in his mouth.
It wasn’t long until Brendan was asleep once again, but I continued to rub his back for a few more minutes before I gently removed myself from the bed. I tiptoed out of the room, pulling the door silently closed behind me.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.
But I needed coffee if I was getting up well before the sun. I moved quietly around the kitchen. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Ashley up at this god-awful hour, or Brendan again, for that matter.
I pushed the brew button on the Keurig as I turned my phone back on, watching the Samsung logo appear. No matter what Rhett said last night, I knew I owed him an apology for leaving like I did. Even if we made it through this, I knew our life would have challenges, and that was not a reason for me to have one foot out the door. If we were going to make this work, I needed to be all in.
Holding it in one hand, I grabbed the coffee mug with the other and carried it over to the sofa. As I sat, multiple dings came from my phone, indicating incoming texts.Manyincoming texts. My eyes widened as I read them.
Rhett:Baby, I’m sorry.
Rhett:Can you come out here and talk to me, please? Just give me five minutes to explain.
He knew I was at Ashley’s but didn’t come up and knock? I checked the timestamps, noting a thirty-minute gap before the next few texts.
Rhett:I’m an idiot. Please talk to me. I can’t lose you.
Rhett:Brendan is NOT an interruption.
Rhett:I was so focused on trying to make tonight perfect instead of realizing any night with the two of you is already perfect.
Rhett:I’m not leaving. I’ll stay out here all night if I have to.
My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped. I looked toward the door. He probably sat down in his truck for a while and then went home. But then I saw the next message, time-stamped two hours later.
Rhett:Goodnight. I’ll be out here when you’re ready.
There was no way. He wouldn’t.
He didn’t. Did he?
Before I could think any more on it, Ashley padded into the kitchen, going through the same motions I did.
“Um, did you know Rhett was here?” I asked once she had her cup of coffee in hand.
“Yeah. He came by last night when you were putting Brendan down.” She sat in the chair across, watching me over her mug.
“Seriously? What did he say?”
“Oh, you know, typical stuff. He’s an idiot, needed to talk to you.” She shrugged. “I told him to go home. I figured he needed to suffer for the night before he grovels and you forgive him.”
“Well, apparently he didn’t.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“Go home. He didn’t go home.” I turned my phone toward her so she could read the messages.
Her eyes widened. “You think he slept down in his truck?” A small smile appeared on her face. “You should go down there and put him out of his misery.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “But what if…”
