Page 88 of Beautiful Crazy
Eyes filled up with moisture, Gemma nods, a smile tugging on her lips. “I am. Are you upset?”
“Why would I be upset?” I ask, cupping her face. My heart’s beating so fast, I think it’s trying to bust out of my chest and find her.
“Because it’s been barely two weeks since we decided to be anything more than friends with benefits, and we agreed to go slow, and getting pregnant is the opposite of going slow.”
A tear spills over, rolling down her cheek. My thumb swipes it away as I rub back and forth. “Let’s set the record straight right now,” I tell her, looking her in the eye. “This was always more than friends with benefits to me. From the moment I saw you at the pier that night, I knew you were special. I knew I wanted to know more about you. You were never just my friend. And yes, this is definitely a surprise,but I’m the furthest thing from upset. Nervous? Yeah.” We both laugh. “But never upset.”
“We never talked about if you wanted kids,” she says, bottom lip quivering.
I chew the inside of my cheek for a moment, taking in the woman before me. The woman carrying my child.Ourchild. “To be honest, I’ve always been unsure, but not because I didn’t want them.” I let out a shaky breath. “I know that I’ve told you about my dad, and I guess in the far back of my mind, I was always worried if I had kids, I’d end up like him, and that terrified me.”
Eyebrows pinched together, Gemma shakes her head, scooting closer to me until our foreheads rest together. “Everett, you couldneverbe like that,” she says with such conviction. “Look at what you are to Sutton. How good you are with him. Did you forget when you cheered so hard for him even though they lost? You have broken the cycle; you are not like your dad. I see it every single day with Sutton.”
Thick emotion clogs my throat as I wrap my arms around her middle, pulling her into my lap. Her lips find mine, and as my tongue slips into her mouth, pressure builds behind my eyes. I can feel her tears on my face, mixing with mine, and I can taste them as they drip into our mouths. Arms wrapped tightly around my neck, she kisses me back with just as much fervor as I do.
And so easily, we get swept up. Maybe it’s why the next words spill out of my mouth without much time for me to overthink them. Words that have been floating around in my mind for a while, but it felt too soon. Hell, maybe it’s still too soon, but I don’t care.
“I love you,” I breathe into her mouth. Her glossy eyes fly open, connecting with mine. “I know this is fast, and I don’t mean to freak you out, but I do, Gemma. I’ve fallen so hard in love with you, and with Sutton. You two have become such an important part of my life in such a short amount of time, and there is nobody I’d rather have this baby with, be a family with, than you two. And I don’t expect you to?—”
Cutting me off with a finger pressed to my lips, she smiles and says, “I love you too.” Then her mouth is on mine again, and we tell each other how much we mean those words without any words at all.
“Have you told Sutton?” I ask when we pull apart.
She shakes her head. “No, and if it’s okay, I’d like to wait until I hit the twelve-week mark. The chance of having a miscarriage greatly decreases at that point, and I just can’t stand the idea of getting his hopes up, and then something happening. He’s experienced enough loss.”
Grabbing her hand, I squeeze. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I’m here for whatever you think is best. If you’re more comfortable waiting until that point, then I am too, and I’ll be here when you’re ready to tell him.”
She huffs out a sigh. “How are you so perfect?”
I laugh, stealing her lips for another kiss.
None of this feels real.
But it is, and I feel like the luckiest man in the world.
Thirty-Seven
Everett
“Ihave no idea what to expect,” I tell Gemma as we round the front of my car. Taking her hand in mine, the two of us and Sutton stroll into the fairgrounds. It’s a nice afternoon; not too warm, but sunny.
“Everett, it’s a chili cook-off.” Gemma giggles. “I think you’re making this way bigger in your head than it actually is. A handful of people from town make their best chili recipe, and a panel of judges pick their favorites.”
“It’ssosmall town,” I say. “Like, the first true small-town thing I’ve done since moving here.”
“Why is it so small town?” Sutton asks, peering up at me with pinched brows.
“It’s just not something you see take place in a big city, like the one I moved from.” Glancing at Gemma, I ask, “Is everyone meeting us here?”
She nods. “Graham and his wife should already be here;her aunt is one of the contestants. Then Grace, Georgia, and Charley should be here any time now.”
It’s been about a week since we found out that Gemma is pregnant. I haven’t told my folks yet, and I probably won’t for another couple of weeks, for no other reason than I’m just not ready to hear my dad’s lack of excitement that I know will come. Gemma told her sisters and Charley, but she’s also waiting to tell the rest of her family until after Sutton knows.
I still can’t believe it; we’re having a baby. Gemma is growing our little baby in her belly right now. I can’t wait for Sutton to know, because I have no doubt he’ll be ecstatic. He’s going to make such a good big brother.
“Wow, there’re a lot of people here,” I mutter as we make our way toward the area the cook-off is being held. It looks like the entire town is gathered here.
“There’s Graham and Megan,” Gemma says as she leads me by the hand over to where they’re standing.