Page 117 of It's Always Been You
“I need to tell you something,” I confess as Brandon brushes my tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “But I don’t know how.”
“I already know,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine so hard it hurts. “About the baby,” he adds. My breath catches in my throat. Shocked, I attempt to pull away, but he refuses to let me go. “Jamie told me.”
I can’t believe this. How long has he known? Wiping my eyes, I hide my face in his shirt again, allowing him to cradle me like a child. “Why?” I hiccup. “I told him not to.”
“He thought I knew.” He hesitates. “I should have known.”
Guilt tears me apart. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s my own fault that I didn’t know. All of it is my fault.” He shakes beneath me, his breathing ragged. “I hate that you went through that alone.”
“I had Jamie,” I mumble as a consolation.
His chest heaves once in a lifeless laugh. “I’m sure he was a great help.”
I laugh despite everything. “He was actually very sweet and attentive.”
Brandon stiffens. “It should have been me.”
“Yes, it should have,” I agree, sighing. I rest my chin against his sternum, feeling guilty about how dreadfully I’ve treated him these past couple of weeks. “I’m sorry I’m always taking things out on you. I don’t mean to.”
“I know.” His Adam’s apple jumps as he swallows. “But I deserve it.”
I frown. There are those words again.God, why is he so hard on himself?
And you’re not?
I gasp. “Brandon—”
His attention falls to his pocket. “Your phone has been buzzing nonstop,” he says, fishing it out. He hands it over with a sheepish look. “I’m sorry for holding you hostage.”
I unlock the screen to discover several missed calls and texts from Jamie. Brandon notices. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, my heart racing. Could it be Grandma? Rebecka? She’s due any day now. I swipe our text conversation open and almost drop my phone.
Jamie:Rebecka is in labor. Where are you? Can you make it to the hospital?
Jamie:She’s in transition. WHERE ARE YOU?
Jamie:HURRY UP!
I screech, holding my phone up for him to see. “Rebecka is in labor!”
His eyes widen. He fishes his keys from his pocket and nods at the door. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 39
Brandon
JamieandRebeckahavealready welcomed their newest addition into the world by the time we make it to the hospital. Rebecka is fast asleep in the hospital bed, resting soundly after a quick, intense labor.
“You should have seen the way that baby shot out of her,” Jamie whispers as Evie cradles their newborn.
Evie laughs, her eyes dancing as she toes the rocker she’s reclined in back and forth, gazing at her new niece. “She’s the sweetest, squishiest baby burrito I ever did see—just like Isabelle.”
“She looks just like you did when you were born,” her dad comments, smiling at Evie from the couch. He and Francine arrived shortly after we did. “A thick head of dark hair and eyes so black that I could see my own reflection in them. The first thing you ever did was stick your tongue out at me. I knew from that moment I was going to have my hands full with you.”
Evie smirks but says nothing, then glances at Jamie. “So you seriously haven’t named her yet?”
