Page 87 of Broken

“Well, damn, just lay it all out there.” He sighed and then glanced under his lashes at me. “I’ve thought about it a little. You?”

“Some…long and hard lately, actually. And I don’t want you to give up basketball. No matter what happens. That’s been your life dream.”

“And dance is yours.”

I lifted a single shoulder in a shrug. “Leo’s convinced me to keep my audition. If I wear the right outfit… But that’s as far as I’m willing to dream about it so far. Even if I get in, what will we do with a baby in college?”

“There are daycares.”

“There are. But with what money, Tucker? Scholarships pay for school, not for babies.”

“Izzy. My family is loaded. I don’t think we need to worry that much.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to just take from your family.”

“But it’s not. I talked to my grandparents over Thanksgiving.”

“Your mom’s parents?”

“No, my dad’s. You know they’re even more loaded than my parents are. Anyways, there’s a trust fund I’m supposed to get when I start college. So, we’ll have money. I’m not worried. Not about finances, at least.”

A knot that had been tightly wound in my stomach for weeks unraveled some with that news, and my shoulders visibly eased.

“Okay, so there’s one problem solved.”

“Most of them,” Tucker argued. “Because while you don’t want me to give up basketball, I would in a heartbeat for you if I had to. But I don’t. Not with that money. And you don’t have to give up dancing, either. You. Me? We’ve got this.” He motioned between us. “A house or apartment. Daycare. Food. All the diapers coming our way? I’ll spend every cent of that money if it means we still get to have our dreams.”

I shook my head, overwhelmed. Trying to process. Because this couldn’t be happening. Could it? “That money’s for you. Not me.”

“It’s for however I need to use it,” Tucker argued. “Taking care of my woman and my child seem like a pretty good reason, and I’ve got another trust fund coming when I hit twenty-five. We’re set.”

I blinked, and Tucker stood up, coming over to kiss the top of my head. “Stop worrying princess. We’ve got this.”

I grabbed his hand. If we were talking now, I was getting itallout there. “One more thing. You said earlier that youwantthe baby, but how can you when you also said you don’tfeelanything for her, either? I know you’re talking about taking care of us and everything, but it just doesn’t make sense.”

Tucker didn’t pull from my hold but ran a hand back through his hair. “Talk about hard to explain. You couldn’t just give methe hero moment?” He grinned, and I matched him with a small smirk.

“Try, please.”

He sighed. “I don’t know, Izzy. It’s like…Iwantthe baby because it’sours,but I just don’t feel that attachment to it that you seem to.”

My lips pursed in concentration as I tried to hide my frustration. “So, why did you agree to keep the baby if you didn’t feel the same way?”

Ifelthis hesitation before he answered. “Because I could see how much you wanted it.”

“Are you serious? We could’ve at least talked about it, Tucker. You shouldn’t have agreed just because it’s whatIwanted. How can you be a good father to our child when the only reason you agreed to keep her was to make me happy?”

His eyes darkened, his gaze growing intense. “Because I willalwayschoose to make you happy. And considering you were talking about leaving me if I didn’t agree, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of choice. Talking wouldn’t have changed how I felt. Not that it matters now, because I’ve told you before. I’m in. If this is the only decision you can live with, if having this baby in your future is what you need and makes you happy, then the baby’s a part of mine, too. End of story.”

“But–”

“Izzy.” His tone cut me off even as his gaze softened. “Stop finding reasons to stress. I’ll say it again. We’ve got this.” I nodded, biting my lip. He gave me a flirty look, so many dirty promises in his eyes, and my core clenched. “Now, go put on your dirtiest lace so I can picture you wearing it during the game tonight.”

Yes, sir.

Chapter 23

JET

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