Page 99 of His Captive

I freeze, while I wait for what comes next. Was so excited. Was!

“Was?” I repeat the word that’s drumming in my head.

“Yeah,” she nods. “I’m really sorry, Ethan,” her pretty little face looks guilty as she takes in a breath and slips off the sink unit, walking straight past me, to the bedroom. I sink to the floor and hold my head in my hands.

This is it, how I’m gonna lose her and I don’t even have the strength to follow her because it’s come out of nowhere and hit me in the guts like a fucking train wreck.

When she returns to the bathroom, she stands over me, holds out her hand and presents me with a white plastic stick. Her teeth turning her bottom lip almost white, while she waits for my reaction.

I take it from her hand and look at the two pink lines in front of me.

“There’s a bunch of them in the drawer in the bedroom, so it can’t be wrong,” she says.

I pull myself up off the floor and move past her, heading to the bedroom and opening the drawer. Pulling out stick after stick. All of them with the same result prominently displayed in the window.

“When did you find out?” I ask her still stunned.

“A few days ago,” she tells me nervously. “Are you mad?”

“I’m fucking furious,” I tell her, watching horror settle itself on her beautiful face.

“You just let me fuck you out in the snow, we went fucking skiing yesterday for Christ’s sake, Lysetta!”

She looks back at me like she doesn’t understand.

So, I move toward her and rest my palm flat against her stomach.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask her, finally letting the smile find my cheeks.

“I thought you'd be angry.”

“Why would I be angry? Jesus, Lysa, just when I thought you’d given me everything, you find a way to give me more.”

I watch a relieved smile grow on her lips.

“So, you're pleased…about the baby?” she asks needing confirmation.

“Of course, I’m happy. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I want us to settle somewhere, I was worried you hadn’t seen enough of the world to want to...Wait, you’re happy about this right?” I look down between us then back up to her.

“Yeah, Ethan. I’m really happy about it. I just thought—”

“Lysa,” I interrupt her “We’re having a baby!” I say it out loud, doing nothing to hide my excitement.

“We are.” She nods.

Then placing her hand over mine she smiles so brightly I think my heart might explode.

“Well, this makes what I had planned next a little easier,” I admit, and she watches me with suspicious eyes, as I move to the drawer on my side of the bed and pull out the small red box that I’ve been carrying around with me for the past six months.

Then as tradition dictates, I drop to my knees in front of her.

“Lysetta Carlson...” I open the box, so she can see the ring I hope she’ll wear for the rest of her life.

“Will you keep me?”

Her lips lift high and her eyes well with tears.

“Yes,” she nods, like she’s rehearsed it a thousand times over in her head

I stand up and kiss her, tasting her salty tears as they run over her cheeks and slip between our lips.

“Angel, you’re crying,” I point out, when I pull away.

“I’m just so happy,” she giggles, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

“You better get used to it, Mrs. Shaw. I’m gonna keep you happy for the rest of your life,” I promise her, and mean every word, because nothing is more beautiful than my girl’s happy tears.

The End

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