Page 92 of One Night Seduction

Me: She’s fine. Sleeping still.

The texting bubbles appear and disappear several times before a text comes through.

Tyson: Give her space, Logan. I know that’s a foreign concept, but she needs it. You put her in a fucked up position, and you have to respect the fact that you don’t get to control her feelings on this.

My gut twists at his words. Mainly because he’s right. I want to handle everything, to sweep this to the side and do what’s best for her, but it’s not the right thing to do. It’s not the right thing for her. She deserves to have her feelings, to hate my fucking guts if the worst comes to fruition. I hope she doesn’t, though. I really hope it doesn’t.

Jesus Christ, please don’t let that baby be mine.

The door beside me opens before I jump to my feet. A groggy looking Arianna startles slightly, squinting at me as she looks around the hallway.

“How long have you been sitting outside the door?”

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

“All night, I take it?” she continues, her eyes roaming over my rumpled clothes and no doubt dark circled eyes. When her gaze comes back to me, there is a guarded look to her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that. I was mad and?—”

“You have nothing to apologize for. You have every right to feel every emotion you do.”

She looks surprised, blinking at me like she’s never seen me before.

“My friend is going to let me stay with her for a little until I can figure out…what to do next.”

I wince like I’m in physical pain at that. Because I am. This feels like the end before we even really began, and it’s fucking agonizing.

“I have an appointment at the hospital today to run a paternity test,” I say.

She raises her eyebrows.

“That was quick.”

“I need to have all of the information as soon as possible.”

Arianna nods and I can’t help it, I cave. Closing the distance between us, I reach out, cupping her face in my hands. I’m prepared for her to push me away, but when she doesn’t, I drag her closer until our bodies are flush.

“Give me the weekend. We’ll do the test today, have the answers by tomorrow even if I have to camp out there all night. I’ll do it. I just…will you stay? If the baby isn’t mine, if I’m not a part of this mess…do you want to stay with me?”

I hate the way I sound. Pathetic, weak, desperate. Normally, I’d rather jump off a cliff than be perceived as any of those things. Right now, though, it really doesn’t matter, because I am all of those and more.

She closes her eyes, letting out a heavy breath before looking at me once more.

“Logan, this thing between us–”

“Our relationship,” I intervene.

“It’s not practical.”

“Why not?”

“For this very reason! If it was, we wouldn’t even be put into this mess. We’re…messy, unorthodox. We don’t…fit.”

I feel her attempt to pull out of my grasp, but Idon’t allow it, holding her tighter before pressing my lips to hers. At first, she resists me, but she quickly melts into my touch before I pull away, leaving her breathless as I grumble.

“The first two I’ll agree with, but don’t even pretend you mean the last. We fit, Sparrow, better than any two souls ever have, and you know it. You can tell me that you don’t want to be with me, you can even tell me that you don’t love me but don’t stand there and try to convince me for one goddamn second that you weren’t perfectly made for me and I for you, because I’ll call you a fucking liar every time.”

She blinks up at me, so much desperation splashed across her face as she nods. Tears spring to her eyes, and it guts me to see her like this.

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