Disbelief flickers in her sad eyes. “But you said—”
“I know what I said,” I grit, my jaw locked tight. “And I lied. I lied about everything because I couldn’t make sense of it. But that night, Elle, everything changed for me. Life changed for me. Every breath felt different. Every step had a new purpose. Every thought and decision I made … they were all for you.”
The truth bleeds through every word as I lay the most guarded piece of me on the line.
“I’m sorry it took the thought of you moving on without me to make me realize it, but I get it now, and I’ll never forget it. I will love you until the day I die because it’s all I’ve ever done.”
The softest smile flutters across her lips, breaking through the sadness. “I have something to tell you too,” she whispers, dropping a bombshell of her own. “I’m pregnant.”
Silence drops like an avalanche, anchoring me in place.
“Pregnant?” I repeat, struggling to grasp those words.
She nods, her expression softening behind the tears. “I took three tests before I came here, and they were all positive,” she reveals. “I didn’t get my period like I thought. It’s spotting and apparently can be normal, at least from what I’ve read. I’ll see my doctor this week to be sure, but … looks like we’re going to have a baby after all.”
The weight of that revelation steals the breath from my lungs. Every emotion I thought I’d feel in this moment is overshadowed, rendering every word meaningless.
“Are you happy?” she whispers, mistaking my silence.
It snaps me out of my stupor, forcing me to react. My forehead lowers to hers. “Yeah, Elle,” I finally manage, “I’m happy. Really happy.”
Another sob escapes her, this one pure and unfiltered, cutting through every layer of my being.
I cover her trembling lips with mine, inhaling every broken breath and claiming them as my own.
The taste of her explodes through me like dynamite, consuming everything in its path.
It’s everything I’ve longed for, everything I feared losing, and now, it’s everything I seize, refusing to ever let it go.
“I missed you so much,” she cries, those words breathing life back into my dead heart.
“Me too, baby,” I groan, my voice raw with the remembered pain of that night. “Don’t ever fucking leave me like that again.”
“Never,” she promises.
Driven by an unstoppable force, I lift her off her feet. Her legs wrap around my waist, her body clinging to mine as I carry her up to my apartment.
We stumble into the bedroom, shedding our clothes in a rush of urgency, both of us desperate to bridge the gap that kept us apart the last few days.
Once I have her stripped bare, I gently lower her onto the bed, pressing a kiss to the flat surface of her stomach, taking a moment to cherish the baby growing inside her—a life we created together. One that bound us in the way we were always meant to be.
Her fingers thread through my hair, breath echoing mine as she shares in the moment with me.
Then, without wasting another second, I enter her in one powerful thrust, shifting the entire fucking world on its axis.
A sharp breath parts her lips, her body arching beneath mine, pulling me in deeper.
“My Ellie,” I groan, her name nothing but a harsh rasp. “My always and forever.”
Her arms hug me closer. “I love you so much.”
The words are more than just a soft brush against my skin; they’re a powerful force, resonating with every thrust and breath she allows me to take.
I absorb each one, letting them fill the void that was left in her absence. It builds our rhythm, driving us in a race toward the inevitable.
My jaw tightens as I struggle to hold back. “You with me?”
Her eyes flash the answer before she speaks, her hand moving to my face. “I’m with you. Always.”
It’s the tipping point that pushes me over the edge.
A guttural groan shreds my throat, merging with her cry of pleasure.
I bury my face in the soft curve of her neck, surrendering to the connection that’s been there from the moment we met, even when I was too young to understand it.
Afterward, I draw her into me, her back flush against my chest, our fingers instinctively intertwining over her soft stomach. Bear eventually saunters in, hopping up onto the bed and curling up by Elle’s feet, taking what has become his usual spot.
A deep sense of peace washes over me, my entire world finally clicking into place, knowing we’re together again, just as it should be.
“I have a theory,” she begins quietly, breaking the silence minutes later. “About our kiss at Heart Mountain and why you felt differently that night and I didn’t.”
“Oh yeah?” I murmur, my voice a blend of curiosity and contentment. “And what theory is that?”
She turns in my arms to face me, her smile illuminating the darkness of my room. “I didn’t feel any differently that night because I was already in love with you.”
That response has a slow grin spreading across my face. “That’s a great fucking theory, baby.”
A sweet giggle escapes her before it transforms into a proud smile. “Thank you. I thought so too.” Her eyes hold mine, amusement fading as she moves her hand to my jaw. “I’m sorry I left you that night,” she whispers. “I wasn’t thinking. I thought you knew I’d come back.”
