Page 61 of Dangers of Love

Double dammit.

Thirty-Four

Eoin

The momentthe words came out of Aline’s mouth, I could see that she wanted to take them back. Not because she regretted accepting my proposal or didn’t want to live with me, but because blurting it out like that had been like dropping a bomb.

Now, we were just waiting for it to explode. I could read it on their faces. I read it on her face too. She realized the impact of what she’d done.

And then Freedom turned on me, her expression furious.

“What thehelldid you do?!” She pointed at me, her clear blue eyes flashing. “How dare you take advantage of her when she was upset! Out on her own for the first time and vulner–”

“We’re engaged,” Aline cut her off, clearly deciding to get it all out now that things were in motion for a confrontation. “And I’m pregnant.”

Freedom’s jaw dropped, and her face went white.

Aline’s jaw tightened. “So, back off.”

“What?”

The word came out as a whisper, confirming for me that Aline had never spoken to Freedom that way before.

“Eoin is my fiancé and the father of my child.” Aline squeezed my hand but didn’t show any other sign of how difficult this was for her. “It seems like a pretty good idea for us to live in the same house.”

“I-I don’t…” Paulette shook her head, but the stunned expression on her face was still there. “You’re pregnant?”

Aline gave her mom a small smile. “I am.”

I had a feeling it was more the smile than the words that broke through to Paulette, but no matter what it was, she rallied.

“And you’re engaged?” Paulette was smiling now. Not the same full kind of smile that she should’ve had when hearing this sort of news, but considering the circumstances, I couldn’t really blame her for not jumping for joy right away.

“I am.”

“Where’s your ring?” Freedom’s question was flat, without any inflection, as blank as her face and impossible for me to read.

I was about to answer that Aline had left the ring at home, but my fiancée reached into the little pocket at the front of her purse and pulled out her engagement ring.

The fact that she’d brought her ring with her made me absurdly happy.

“We hadn’t planned to make any announcements today,” Aline said as she slid her ring into place. “Everything’s still new.”

“New?” Freedom’s laugh was brittle. “You two have been together for, what, five weeks? Six?”

“It is a little sudden,” Gerard said. He gave me a hard look. “For all of it. Are you prepared for how this is going to change your life, young man?”

I understood the challenge, and I deserved the disbelief, but I wasn’t running from this. They needed to know from moment one that I would be there for Aline and our baby, no matter what.

“I am,” I said firmly. “I have a condo that’s big enough for a family, and I’m financially stable. I have a good job with great insurance that will cover Aline and the baby even before we get married. I will take care of my family.”

I didn’t bother to explain that my job wasn’t what gave me that financial security. I didn’t want them thinking that I was some spoiled rich kid who’d never had to work a day in his life.

“You can’t really be…” Freedom shook her head as she turned to her parents. “How can you let her do this?”

“I’m twenty-two years old,” Aline said quietly. “I have a master’s degree in an essential field. I have a wonderful fiancé with a good job and a beautiful place for us to live. We’re going to make a home for our family here in L.A.” She looked at her parents and then back at her seething sister. “We’re going to pack some things and then be back down to say our goodbyes.”

I kept my eyes on her as I followed her up the stairs. I doubted any of them were feeling friendly toward me at the moment, and I really didn’t want to see whatever was written on their faces right now. I doubted I’d be able to stop myself from saying some things I’d regret. This wasn’t how either of us had imagined things going today, and I had no doubt that Aline’s mind was racing a hundred miles an hour.

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