Page 25 of Red Rose Cupcake

My heart skips a beat at the certainty in his voice, the way he’s looking at me like there’s no other option, like he’s been planning this all along. And maybe he has. But as much as I want to be mad at him for his sneaky ways, I can’t help but feel… content. This is where I want to be. With him.

I shake my head again, still smiling. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And you love it,” he replies, his lips brushing mine in a soft, teasing kiss.

“Yeah,” I admit, leaning into him. “I do.”

He pulls back slightly, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Now, are you gonna stand here and call me names all night, or are we gonna eat this food before it gets cold?”

I laugh, wiping the last of my tears away. “Let’s eat.”

We sit down at the breakfast bar, digging into the takeout he brought. It’s simple, comforting food—just like the man sitting next to me. And as we eat, chatting about nothing in particular, I realize something.

This is it. This is the new reality. Knox and me, together. It may have started off as an intense, whirlwind kind of thing, but now… now it’s just life. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chapter 17

ROSIE

The bathroom tiles feel cool against my bare feet as I pace back and forth, my heart racing like I just ran a marathon. I can’t seem to stay still, but there’s nowhere to go. My eyes dart between the little white stick sitting on the edge of the sink and my reflection in the mirror. I look… scared. But there’s something else behind the fear. Something that makes my chest tighten with emotions I can’t quite put into words.

The little timer on my phone buzzes, and I freeze, staring at the test. Three minutes are up.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm the flutter of excitement and nerves swirling in my stomach. When I open my eyes, I step forward, pick up the test, and look down.

Two pink lines.

My breath catches in my throat, and a soft, choked laugh escapes my lips. I’m… pregnant.

I sit down on the edge of the bathtub, the reality of it slowly sinking in. My heart feels full—bursting with happiness and a sense of wonder as I imagine what our baby would look like. Maybe a little boy with Knox’s thick, dark hair and those mesmerizing green eyes that make me weak in the knees. Or maybe a girl with his crooked smile and my own deep brown skin.

Tears well up in my eyes as I picture our future, but alongside the joy is this nagging worry. What’s Knox going to say? We haven’t even talked about starting a family yet. We’ve been so caught up in each other, in the intensity of our relationship, that I don’t even know how he feels about kids right now.

I’m still sitting there, lost in my thoughts, when I hear a soft knock on the door.

“Babe?” Knox’s deep voice calls through the wood. “You okay in there?”

I quickly swipe at the tears on my cheeks, trying to steady my breathing. But I can’t quite control the tremble in my voice when I answer. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

There’s a pause, then I hear the doorknob jiggle. “You’ve been in there a while. What’s wrong?”

He sounds panicked, and I know I can’t keep this from him much longer. I take a deep breath and stand up, walking slowly to the door. When I open it, Knox is standing there, his brow furrowed with concern.

The moment our eyes meet, I feel a wave of emotion crash over me. Before I can say a word, I throw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. The tears come harder now, and I can’t stop them.

“Rosie,” he says, his voice laced with worry as his arms wrap around me, holding me tight. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

I pull back just enough to look up at him, my lips trembling as I try to find the words. But instead of speaking, I reach into my pocket and pull out the pregnancy test. I hold it up, showing him the two pink lines.

Knox stares at the test for a second, his eyes widening in realization. And then, in one swift motion, he lifts me off the ground, spinning me around as a wide, joyful grin spreads across his face.

“You’re pregnant?” he laughs, his voice filled with awe.

I nod, still crying, my hands clutching his shoulders as he sets me back down on my feet. “I… I didn’t know how you’d feel about it. I wasn’t sure if you—”

“Babe,” he interrupts, cupping my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away my tears. “I’m so damn happy right now. You have no idea.” He presses his forehead to mine, his voice dropping to a tender whisper. “We’re gonna have a baby, Rosie. Our baby.”

I let out a choked laugh, the weight of my earlier fears lifting as I see the pure joy in his eyes. He leans down, kissing me softly, then more urgently, his hands gripping my waist like he never wants to let go.

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