Page 104 of Wild Pitch
Liam ran over and wound himself between her legs until she stooped and picked him up. His excitement at seeing her became clear through his increasingly eager vocalizations and loud purrs.
“Damn, he’s loud.”
“That’s a better reception than he gave me when I returned from spring training.”
“Did you hear that, Liam? He’s looking for us to feel bad for him. Pssh. He should never have left you alone.”
“Well, he pissed in my bed enough to get his point across.”
“He would never have done it if you hadn’t deserved it. I might piss in your bed too if you leave me again.”
As much as I hated Kylie’s sentiment, it allowed me to ask what I wanted to know.
“How about we make my bed yours?”
Her gaze darted to mine, and her lips parted in surprise.
“Oh, Luc. You’re terrible at this, aren’t you?” The next thing I knew, Kylie doubled over and laughed at me.
“I didn’t think I was asking a funny question.”
“Why? Why do you want me to move in with you?”
Fuck, I hated when Kylie tested me like this. There were so many reasons, but I knew she was testing the waters to make sure this wasn’t all about the baby. Would living together make it easier to co-parent? Absolutely. But this was not about co-parenting.
“The days leading up to when we split up, our relationship had shifted. We were heading in this direction. I let something knock us off the path—off our path. And I want so badly to be back there with you.”
“You took us on a side quest, Luc. We can’t jump right onto that path until we make our way back.”
I nodded, her face falling at my expression. I swallowed thickly, trying to hold back the emotion.
“I’m here now, Luc. I plan to stay the night and be here when you’re not traveling. But I need the space when we’re apart to figure out what I want long-term. I want this baby now, but it wasn’t my plan. I want my career. I want you, but when I lost you, I had accepted that I would be alone. When the pregnancy test was positive, I planned on parenting alone. And you know what? I would have been great at it. You asked me never to associate you as a father, a husband, or a long-term partner when we met. And now, here I am, pregnant with your baby, and you expect me to believe that this is what you wanted all along?”
Hearing her words, my heart stuttered, and fear pulsed through me. Fuck, I could still lose her.
“I’m going to show you with actions. You know I love you, right?”
“Yes, I do. I love you, too. BUT there was a time when you decided that love wasn’t enough. This isn’t a grand scheme forme to get you to prove it, either. It’s why I’m here tonight; it’s why I promised a commitment. And as I feel ready to move in, or maybe even to get married, I will let you know.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Can you promise me something?”
“Okay,” I said. Answering without hesitation, I would promise this woman anything.
“Promise if you’re ever thinking about changing your mind about us, you’ll tell me first.”
“Done.”
We had both settled on the couch, where Liam had chosen her lap over hounding me for a meal.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be better or worse knowing this, but what was it about Skylar that made you commit to her?”
“That’s not a simple answer. Are you sure you want it?”
Kylie nodded and sat back, putting her feet on my lap.
“I believe I already told you that we met in college. But I don’t think I ever mentioned that I had a poster of Sky on my wall when I was fourteen. When I met her in college, I was star-struck and in awe that she chose me. I played ball and was drafted. Sky knew baseball players were known for on-the-road indiscretions and pushed for marriage. And I wanted to make her happy. Our entire dynamic revolved around her happiness. I think when I got injured, she was more devastated than I was; she was no longer married to a future MLB player. Theonlything I ever did for myself was coach.”
“And that relationship revolved around lies.”
“Yes, apparently there were lies.”
