Page 58 of Triple Power Play

Countless thoughts race through my mind until I finally see her response.

Aurora: I don’t want to fight with you. I know this is a shock. I’ve had a few months to let it sink in. I understand you didn’t want this. It was a mistake, and I won’t force you into anything. I’m not about to disrupt your life. I won’t ask you for a single thing. You can pretend it never happened.

Ouch.

I reread her words, trying to grasp their meaning. I read them again, still conflicted. Does she truly want nothing to do with me, or is she saying what she believes I want to hear? She almost sounds afraid. But why?

Me: You disrupted my life the moment I laid eyes on you.

Me: It’s not a mistake if I’d do it again.

Me: I can’t pretend it didn’t happen when I think about it daily.

I may have taken things too far, but she and our baby have consumed my every thought since I found out she was pregnant. How could they not? And why should I hold back?

Jackson. That’s why.

But fuck, I don’t want to.

Aurora: What do you want?

Me: You. My baby. Tell me what you need and when I can see you.

Aurora: I don’t need anything. Next week, I fly to NYC, and I’ll be there for a month.

Me: No.

Aurora: No?

Me: You were in the hospital. No work. Tell me what you need, and I’ll get it.

Aurora: That’s funny. What am I supposed to do when I’m no longer pregnant? I’m not quitting my career.

Me: If Jackson isn’t taking care of you, then I will.

Aurora: Jackson and I aren’t together. He doesn’t take care of me.

Me: Even better.

Aurora: Don’t be difficult, Blackwood.

God, I love her. I need to choose my words wisely. She’s independent and will resist me every step of the way, but there’s no chance she’s traveling the country with my baby.

Besides, I want to see her, and I need to know where she is.

I owe her an apology. I can’t imagine she’d turn down an apology.

Me: Where are you right now? What’s the address? Can I send you something for being such an asshole?

Aurora: You’ll have to ask Jackson. It’s his penthouse.

Me: Of course it is. Will my son be living there too?

Aurora: Not that it matters, but I plan to find a place soon.

Me: Where?

Aurora: Santa Monica. My grandmother lives there.

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