“You assumed wrong,” Kade says. “I never said I didn’t want a family withyou.”
“What changed your mind?”
“You.” His lips touch mine gently as he pushes his phone back into my hand.
I start to read again.
Ican’t believeyou’re pregnant and left without telling me.
Iwantto take us to the next level. I’m asking you to give us a chance.
Ilove you, Vicky. This is the truth. And even though I’ve got my head banged up pretty bad, I knew that all along.
Ishakemy head in disbelief. How did this happen? Is it possible that I got it all wrong? That I was too blind to see that Kade honestly cared about me?
“We—” I gesture at us, “—we were never supposed to happen, Kade.”
“Rehab was never part of my life plan, but it led me to you. For that I’ll forever be grateful. Before I met you, I didn’t really have a purpose in life. Now I realize this is my purpose—to have you, to have a kid together. Maybe more soon.” He winks and laughs.
“I haven’t even pushed this one out yet,” I mumble.
Kade shakes his head and his expression become serious again. “My point is, so much has happened.Wehappened. I’m in love with you and I want this more than I ever thought I could.”
I look at him, unsure. This is exactly what I had been hoping for; maybe even more. But I’ve been burned before. I don’t want history to repeat itself.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” Kade says. “That’s why I am here. I don’t want to lose you.” He laughs at my confused look. “You can’t expect me to just leave and not fight for us. I want to give our relationship a chance. Please say yes because I’m not the same man I was when you met me. I can’t live the way I lived before.” His eyes shimmer. “You’ve stolen my heart, Vicky Sullivan, and I hope one day I’ll be able to steal yours.”
I take him in—all of him. His beautiful eyes, his soft smile, the gentle caress of his fingers on my skin.
How can I tell him that he stole my heart the moment I saw him? That it never belonged—and will never belong—to anyone else but him?
“So, what do you say?” Kade asks. “Do you want to give us a try?”
The noise of guests arriving carries over through the open window. Someone’s going to come and get me any time now. My sister’s nervous laughter echoes from down the hall. I know I need to change for the ceremony, and yet all I can do is stare at the man in front of me, wondering what if.
What if I did give us a try?
Could I handle having my heart broken by him?
“How would that work exactly?” I ask weakly, as my heart’s making up its own mind.
As much as I have to protest myself, I doubt I could ever live with the decision of letting him go without taking a chance on us.
Kade smiles. “We’ll start like every other couple. Let me introduce myself.” He stretches out his hand. “My name’s Kaiden Wright. I’m a former sex addict, but really, I never was. It was all a ploy to save myself from boredom. I went to rehab, where I fell in love with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s been on my mind since the day she walked in on me taking care of some very personal business. I don’t know everything about her, but I know that she’s kind, patient, loyal, and that I can’t imagine my life without her. She makes me laugh like no one can. She makes me want to be my better self. Through her, I found out that when you meet the right person, and you feel like you can trust them, that’s something to hold on to because it’s both rare and precious.” He places his hands on my swollen belly, his warmth seeping into my skin. “I’m not going to let her go, neither her nor my child.”
I smile at him as tears gather in my eyes. “I can’t believe you decided it might be a good idea to pour your heart out before my sister’s wedding.” I sling my arms around his neck, pulling him close. “You know I’ll tear up throughout the entire ceremony, right?”
“You look cute when you cry.” He places a soft kiss on my lips.
“Vicky,” my sister yells down the corridor. “What the hell’s taking you two so long? Save the making out session for later.”
“We’re coming,” I yell back, noticing Kade’s mischievous smile. I narrow my eyes at him. “What did you two talk about before she let you come up?”
“Not much.” He shrugs and looks so guilty I know he’s lying. “She told me to never give up on you because you’re a lost cause, and that I have to exert patience with a pregnant woman due to her raging hormones.”
I raise my brows. “That’s all?”
“Not quite.” He hesitates. “If you really must know, she also said something about those raging hormones being insatiable for other things.”
My cheeks catch fire. I mentioned being horny maybe once or twice because she asked me. Trust Gracie to go and blabber it all out to Kade.
“I like her,” he says. “She’s fun and honest. Now it’s your turn.”
“Alright.” I take a few moments to gather my words. “I’m Vicky. I’m a former love addict, but really, I was just a poor, delusional fool when I entered rehab. I thought I loved someone, but then I fell in love with my roommate the moment I saw him naked in front of a mirror, which really left nothing to the imagination. I fell hard, without any reservations, plans, and hopes.” My voice is shaking. In fact, my whole being is. “He’s been on my mind ever since that day.”
He laughs. “I always knew that you had a soft spot for butt-naked guys.”
I shake my head. “Not for every naked guy; just this particular one.”
“We’re going to be okay,” Kade whispers, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his strong chest. “The future might not be fixed, but there’s some certainty. I’ll always love you. You can always count on me, Vicky.”