Page 14 of Titus (Big Hot Alphas 2)

“Thanks, Joe.”

Even though my back is to the café door, I know Titus has arrived when I hear it open. I slide out of the booth and say goodbye to Joe. Then I take a breath and turn around, as ready as I’ll ever be to do this.

“I’m pregnant, Titus.”

I don’t mean to blurt out the news like that, but it just kind of happens. The two of us are sitting on a park bench a short walk away from the café. Titus was in the middle of telling me how he hasn’t stopped thinking of me since he left, saying all of this incredibly sweet stuff—but I just couldn’t keep the words in any longer.

And now the secret’s out.

Titus lifts his brows, then furrows them. “You mean…from…”

I nod.

He runs a hand through his hair. Blows air out of his cheeks. “That’s…” He reaches out to touch my hand, but I pull my hand away. Tears flood my eyes.

“Please don’t,” I say.

He frowns. “Madison, I know it’s a lot. But I’mhere. I want to be with you. That’s the whole reason I came back.”

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?”

“I won’t be any good at this.”

“What are you talking about?”

I shake my head.

“Talk to me, Madison,” he says. “Please. Tell me why you think that.”

It kills me how earnestly he’s looking at me. It’s so obvious that he really, truly cares. I swipe away the tears that have spilled onto my cheeks and confess the thing I’ve never been able to say out loud. “I’m afraid of turning into my mom.”

“You won’t,” Titus says. “I know you won’t.”

“The thing is, Titus,” I say, “I was an unplanned pregnancy, too. My mom didn’t mean to have me. And look at how that ended up. It’s like she resents me for forcing her into a life she didn’t want. And it just feels like the cycle is repeating.”

“No,” says Titus. “It’ll be different with us. Iknowyou won’t let the same thing happen. And I’m not going anywhere. Whatever you need, whatever our child needs, I’ll be here for you both. Always.”

A glimmer of hope inside of me tentatively grows. Brightens. Clears away some of the darkness.

Titus reaches up to dry away the tracks left from my tears, and this time, I let him touch me.

“What about you being on the road all the time?” I say.

“I’ll quit.”

“But don’t you enjoy it?”

“Yeah. I’ve really enjoyed it. But you know what I’d enjoy more? Being with you.” He cups my chin. “You know, all this driving around the country…I think I was searching for something. Because when I met you, Madison, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere.”

I’ve never felt so many emotions at once. I still feel raw from crying, and vulnerable from admitting my fear, and scared about the baby, and yet also so moved by how wonderful Titus is being.

“So…what?” I say. “You’re saying you’ll give up your job, just like that?”

Titus nods. “Yep. Just like that.”

“What about money?”

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