Page 251 of Broken Saint
“Coffee, sweetie?” Mom asks in a rush, all but running to the other side of the kitchen to make it while Colt smooths down his t-shirt before opening his arms for me.
“Morning,” I say, studying him closely as I step into his body. His strong arms wrap around me, and instantly, I feel safe. I feel like I belong in my own skin.
It’s ridiculous. No other person should make you feel more like yourself. But it’s true. When I’m with Colt, I am the best possible version of myself.
“Bombshell,” he groans, his lips already buried in my hair as he breathes me in.
Tingles erupt from his innocent touch, and I tighten my grip on him.
We haven’t been intimate yet.
It’s one thing that we haven’t really spoken about. To begin with, it was because I was too exhausted. But now, as the days have passed and my energy levels are increasing, he’s still holding off.
There’s a part of me that’s worried he’s too scared to now that I’m pregnant. He’s been nothing if not protective since the first moment I opened my eyes in the hospital and found him staring back at me. And if that is the issue, then we’re going to have to figure out a way around it, because my need for him is growing by the hour.
But the real reason I think he’s holding back is that he’s waiting for me to tell him that I’ve made a mistake, that I can’tforgive him and we don’t have a future together. The thought of it being that breaks my heart because yes, he fucked up. He fucked up big time. But in the grand scheme of things…
Relationships aren’t easy. They’re never going to be. They need work and understanding and compromise.
I truly believe that despite everything we’ve faced, every bad and rash decision we’ve made, we’re meant to be. And I’m going to put every single thing I have into making it work. Colt is too. I can feel it in his touch, hear it in his promises, see it in the depths of his dark and hungry eyes.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks quietly.
“Really well. I’m starving,” I confess.
“Then take a seat, we’ve got you covered.”
I do as I’m told, and no sooner has he planted a chaste kiss on my lips than he goes to join Mom.
But as she finishes off my decaf latte, Colt shocks the life out of me by grabbing a jug of batter from the fridge and firing up the stove.
“Y-you’re making breakfast?” I stutter in utter disbelief as he works Mom’s kitchen like a pro.
No one gets to use Mom’s kitchen. Dad wasn’t allowed. And it took her a long time to trust me enough not to mess it all up.
But Colt…
A mug lands in front of me before Mom lowers herself back into her seat and watches the giant of a man pull bacon and sausages from the refrigerator while his pan heats up.
“Umm…what is happening right now?” I whisper, unable to take my eyes off Colt.
“Your man is making you breakfast. What does it look like?” Mom says with a wide smile playing on her lips.
"I can see that. But?—”
Her hand patting mine gently cuts off my words.
“Enjoy it while you can,” Mom says with a smile, bringing reality to the front of my mind.
Colt’s going back to Seattle this afternoon.
Pain slices through my chest at the thought of saying goodbye to him.
It’s only going to be for a few days, but still.
He offered for me to go with him, but I’m not ready.
As much as I hate the idea of us being apart again, I also know I can’t return to Seattle yet.