Page 89 of All the Drama from New York

“Why wouldn’t I want to hear you say you love me?” said Camille. It tore at him to hear the break in her voice. As if she was the one wracked with self-doubt, not him.

“Because we come from very different worlds. I’m just not sure if I will ever be enough.”

She met his gaze, and he swallowed a lump of emotion at seeing the tears which glistened in her eyes. “I love you too, Ryan. I want you to know, that you are more than enough for me.”

Her gaze dropped to the space between them. “But me being pregnant is a big thing. Life changing. I’ll understand if you are having second thoughts about…”

He silenced her foolish thoughts with a long lingering kiss.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

They’d agreed to keep their special news secret until the pregnancy was further along, but within an hour Camille had begged Ryan to let her tell Sophie. Her sister was her lifelong confidante, and Camille knew Sophie would never forgive her if she found out at the same time as everyone else.

“Maybe you could tell Liam,” she suggested, as they sat curled up on the couch. Camille was sipping a ginger tea. While it helped to settle her stomach, her coffee trained palate, wasn’t exactly appreciating the taste.

Ryan was going to have to drink his espresso out of sight and smell from her for the foreseeable future.

“Liam is not good with keeping things private. So, my brother is the last person who will be finding out. Besides he’s currently on another photo assignment somewhere in the mountains of Costa Rica, and cell reception is limited,” replied Ryan.

She let the subject drop. Nothing was going to spoil today. The IV drip had done its work and for the first time in weeks Camille actually felt human. And beyond happy. Ryan hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d shared the news about the baby with him.

“I’m going to head back up to the design studio and get on with the ton of work I need to get through”, said Ryan. He smiled that panty-dropping smile that always made her heart skip a beat. “I’ll leave you to talk to Sophie in private.”

He planted a toe-curling kiss on Camille’s lips, and rose from the couch. “I’m totally convinced that Pete, the housekeeper atTrade Winds,is some sort of a wizard. He made sure we ended up sharing a bed, then wove a spell over us.”

“I love you.” She didn’t know what else to say, other than what had long been in her heart. Having now said it once, she felt free to say it again.

“I love you too. Say hi to Sophie for me.”

She watched him go, waiting until Ryan had disappeared out the door, then listened as his footsteps faded away upstairs. Camille didn’t believe in wizards, but there had been something magical about the house on Fire Island.

A gentle smile still sat on Camille’s lips as she made herself comfortable on the couch. With her laptop resting on the coffee table, she sent a video meeting request to her sister.

Sophie accepted the call. “Hey New York, how is everything going?”

Camille blinked back tears at the sight of her twin’s smiling face, filling the screen. The all too familiar blue and white striped wallpaper of Sophie’s bedroom, further adding to Camille’s already emotional state.

“Good. In fact, amazing. I have news. Big. Secret. News.”

Sophie’s brown eyes grew wide. “Just a minute. Let me lock my bedroom door. I’ll grab my air buds and get set up on my laptop. It’s easier to talk that way, rather than hold my phone.”

While her sister went to get ready, Camille sat with a hand resting on her belly. It was hard to get her head around the fact that she was pregnant.

“Ok, hi,” said Sophie, coming back online.

Camille missed her sister, never more than right now. She wished this conversation could be had in person. She couldn’t wait another four months until the family gathered at Christmas to tell her the news.

“Are Papa and Mama home?”

Sophie shook her head. “No they’ve gone up to the villa at Lake Como. Mama wanted to check on the final arrangements for a big summer party they are hosting next week. Now what is this secret news?”

Camille blinked back tears. “Ryan and I are having a baby. We found out earlier today.”

Her sister let out a squeal. “Oh my god! Oh my god! Cami, that’s fantastic!”

She then stopped her celebrating. When she leaned in close to the camera, her expression was one of concern. “Please tell me this is good news. Are you happy?”

Camille nodded. “Yes. It was a bit of a shock, but we are both thrilled.” She put a finger to her lips. “But you can’t say anything to anyone. And I mean anyone. Ryan only agreed to let me tell you because I begged him.”

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