Page 88 of The Only Thing That's Real

“You make me happy too.” I say the words and I mean them, but I know where this is going. I know what comes next and we can’t go any further without him knowing everything.

Squirming off his lap, I position myself cross-legged in front of him, my knees bouncing.

“Hey, hey. Ry, what’s wrong? What did I say?”

“I… haven’t been completely honest with you.”

He bristles, his brow furrows, and he settles in his seat as he braces himself for what comes next.

“Before we go any further, you deserve to know everything. We can’t go any further until you do.” I’m shaking like a leaf, because this is when I lose him.

“Go on.”

Just rip the band-aid off, Ryan.

“I can’t have children,” I blurt out.

He’s quiet.

“Not like I might have a hard time conceiving, and IVF is an option. I had a full hysterectomy when I was twenty-three. Kids aren’t an option for me.”

“Good thing I’ve already got one, then.”

“What?” I gasp.

He takes my trembling hands in his. “Did you really think that not being able to carry my child would push me away?”

Yes! Yes, I did!

“Knox, you need to take some time to think about this.”

“Don’t need to.”

“Spend time with Sawyer tomorrow and see if you change your mind. You’ve missed a lot and I can’t give you what you missed with another child.”

“I’m sorry you’ve gone through this,” he says as he brushes his thumb over the tear I had no idea had fallen.

“It’s fine. I never really wanted the whole marriage and kids thing, anyway.”

He’s quiet again.

“I froze my eggs, though. My doctors said I was too young to lose the option of never being a parent, so I followed their advice. So, there’s that.”

“That’s good. You never know. You might change your mind.”

No,youmight.

“Come here.” He pulls me back in his lap, kissing my temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Forty-Six

Ryan

“You ready?” Knox asks, helping me out of his truck.

“No?”

A smile ghosts his lips. “You’ve known my mom your entire life.”

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