Page 73 of Fighting Fate

“It is a proper baby.” He nods at my statement, and I don’t know what comes over me, but before he can say anything else, I tell him, “I’m keeping him.”

“Willow…”

“I went to the clinic today, and I had every intention of taking care of the situation, but it’s not a situation. Not to me. And even though I didn’t want this before, I do now. It’s okay if you don’t because I’m all right with doing it on my own and—”

“Lo…”

“I don’t want or need anything from you, Rory. This is enough,” I say, touching my hand to my belly. “I have the best part. This baby is growing inside me…a little bit of me and you put together, and I cannot just throw it away and go on like it never existed. I never wanted you and me, but even though I was scared, and my heart was wary and in all kinds of pieces, I still loved you. I still gave you every piece without asking for anything in return…without wanting anything in return…”

“Can you just liste—” Rory stops at the sudden flash of a camera. He’s so quick to spin me towards the door that I feel dizzy as he hands me my keys and picks up the shopping bag along with the couple of bits that fell out of it. “We need to get inside.”

I do as he tells me, trying to gather myself after my verbal diarrhoea and hoping that he didn’t catch the slip of my tongue.

Things between us are already tense. Adding the L-word into the equation will only make it worse, if that’s possible, because here I am trudging up the stairs to my flat with a man I’ve fallen for in ways I never knew existed following behind me. My heart is hammering, and my lungs are burning with the heat of his mere presence. And yet, I know we’re done. Regardless of all his sweet nothings, Rory doesn’t want a relationship, let alone a child. Not with me. As he’s already said, it’s his worst nightmare.