Page 30 of Broken Love (Love 2)
Pike
As soon as the girls leave, I throw the blanket off me, grab my crutches, and peek out the front door. After watching the car pull away, I text Carter. A few moments later, he pulls into the driveway, and I hop in the car with him.
My mom leans up from the backseat and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"This is so exciting," she says.
Palmer
"Wow, this house is amazing," Tory says as we pull through the gates and Cash and Ashlyn's new home comes into view.
"As high up as it is, I bet it has an amazing view," Cameron adds.
"I can't wait to see the inside," Tory agrees.
Ashlyn is at the door waiting for us and greets us with hugs. "You'll have to humor me and take the grand tour first. I'm still in shock I even live here."
"It's beautiful," Tory gushes, noting the intricacy of the beamed ceilings and the iron stair railings.
As we walk into the kitchen and great room, Cameron points out the windows at the Pacific Ocean and says, "What a view!"
Ashlyn takes us outside and shows us expansive grounds with a pool, spa, fire pit, and garden.
As we move to the second floor from one amazing room to the next, Cameron says, "I just have to ask who your decorator is. I need to redo my house in Hawaii, and I love how soft and pretty it is."
"Cash bought the house without telling me and brought me here on our wedding night. It was his gift to me. Crazy. It's my total dream house, and somehow he knew. His mom worked with her designer to choose everything. Wait until you see the nursery."
"The nursery?" I gulp. "Are you pregnant?"
"Oh, gosh no," she says with a laugh. "Cash and I aren't ready for that, but his mother certainly is." She stops in front of a room and opens the door.
I walk into the nursery, tears building. It takes everything I have to hold it together. It's beautiful.
"The wallpaper is sheet music for the lullaby Cash's mother used to sing all the kids to sleep to," Ashlyn tells us, hugging herself.
"It's so perfect," Cameron says. "The soft walls, the oriental rug, the rich velvet draperies."
"And the chandelier," Tory says. "Love the chandelier."
"It's opulent and beautiful, but the fabric patterns are so playful. Now I want to have a baby," Cameron laughs. "Just so I can have a room like this."
Ashlyn laughs too, the sound of it ebbing and fading. A warm sensation envelops me.
"Are you feeling okay?" Tory asks me, touching my shoulder. "You look white as a ghost."
I grab the crib for support, feeling dizzy like I could pass out. "I think maybe I'm a little dehydrated."
"Well, let's go back down to the kitchen and get everyone something to drink," Ashlyn says happily.
I follow everyone down the steps and into the great room.
As the girls in front of me peel out of line, I see that we're not alone.
Cade is standing in the center of the room with Pike next to him, grins on both their faces. They look happy, like they used to look on the ball field after winning another game. My mother is standing next to Cade's parents, and Cash, Carter, and Chloe are flanking them.
I don't understand. What are Cade and Pike doing standing next to each other?
Ashlyn hands me a glass of water, and I slurp it down greedily.
"What are you all doing here?" I stutter out.
Pike steps toward me. "I apologized to Cade. Told him that I misunderstood you and thought he had cheated on you. He understands now why I had to beat the shit out of him. We're all good."
Cade takes two strides toward me. I'm frozen, not sure what to do.
"Last night, I was going to ask you to marry me."
"I know. That's why I had to leave."
"I screwed up though, just like I did the first time. Tonight I want to fix that."
"What do you mean?"
"When I asked you to marry me the first time, I didn't ask your family for your hand in marriage like I should have. I never should have listened to you when you said you didn't want to tell our families until the time was right. It's something I regret to this day. And I should have manned up and asked your brother before the other night--even though he probably would have said no. So, I'm doing it right this time. You just had me under your spell back then, and all I wanted was to make you happy. But it's not just about you. It's about us. It's about the guy who was my best friend. It's about our mothers who have secretly stayed friends all these years."
Cade walks over to my mother, takes her hand, and leads her over to Pike. He looks him in the eye, man-to-man. "As the man of the house, do you give me your blessing to marry your sister? I promise to be faithful to her, to love her always, and to take care of her."
Pike gets teary, slaps him on the back, and nods his head. "Yeah, man, I do."
Cade turns to my mom. "Mrs. Montlake, can you give me your blessing? Do you think your husband would have approved?"
Mom hugs him tightly as tears stream down her face. "He would have wholeheartedly approved. As do I."
"What about you, Mom? Dad?" Cade says to his parents. "What do you think? Should I ask her to marry me?"
"Third time's a charm, Cade," his mom replies.
"Just ask her already!" Cash and Chloe yell out.
Cade struts toward me, and I know what's about to happen.
And I can't let it.
Cade
While everyone around us looks happy, Palmer looks like she's about to pass out.
Not the reaction I was hoping for.
Damn if I didn't about die when I saw her walk into this room, wearing the dress of many fantasies. I took it as divine sign.
But now I'm not so sure.
"Uh, if everyone could wait a second," she says, her eyes darting around the room in panic. "I need to talk to Cade in private, please." She grabs me by the arm and drags me out to the patio.
"You do know I was about to propose, right? And that you just interrupted it?"
"I know, Cade. It's just that I need to tell you something important before you do. Something that might affect your decision. Something that could change your mind about me."
"Are you a lesbian?" I ask.
"No," she says, crinkling up her adorable nose.
"Are you a criminal?"
"No, but--"
"Do you love me?" I ask, taking her into my arms.
"Yes, Cade, I do."
"That's all that really matters then." I hold my hands out like it's a done deal.
She grabs my face, her hands holding my cheeks tight, forcing me to look straight into her eyes. "Cade, I'm pregnant."
Her words take my breath away. I don't know what I expected her to say, but that was not it.
"You're what?" I ask. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, Cade. I am. I knew you were going to propose last night. I took the pregnancy test right before I went to your house." Her eyes fill with tears. "And I just couldn't. Not when you and Pike were--"
"Pike and I are fine now."
"But I'm not. I'm pregnant, and I know that changes things, and I don't want you to be with me just because of that. I don't want you to marry me because of that."
"I didn't know you were pregnant, Palmer. I want to marry you because I love you. But you're right. This does change things." I put my head down, taking it in. Palmer is pregnant.
"Cade, I--"
I grab her face and kiss her.
"You need to just shut up for a second and let me process this." I stare into the eyes of the woman I love. The woman who is carrying my baby.
"But, Cade--"
I lean forward and kiss her again, shutting her up.
"Palmer, I don't think I've heard anything in my life that's ever made me this happy."
I look at where we're standing, on a stone-paved terrace perched high above the ocean. A different view than the first time I proposed, but like the planned roof-top proposal, we're still up high. That's how I always feel when I'm with her. High.
Like I'm soaring through the clouds. Like nothing can stop me. This isn't how I planned to do it, but nothing with her has gone according to plan.
But it feels right.
"Palmer, I've been in love with you since you were fifteen. Not even a curling iron to the head could stop me. I've never felt happier in my life than I do in this moment. I love you so much, and knowing that you're pregnant with my baby makes this that much sweeter." I drop to one knee, take her hand, and gaze into her eyes. "No fancy words this time. No poems or fanfare. Just three important things. I love you. I need you in my life. I want you to be my wife. Palmer, will you marry me?"
She wraps her arms around me in a hug as I stand up. She's nodding and crying, but still hasn't said yes.
And that makes me nervous. Is she crying because she's happy?
I decide to use the jewelry to try and seal the deal. I hold up the engagement ring I gave her six years ago.
"That's my ring!" she says excitedly through her tears. "I can't believe you didn't hock it."
"I could never do that." I take her right hand in mine and gently slip it onto her finger.
