Page 66 of Promise Me This
It’s carefully that he searches my face again. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel forced into this.”
If I wasn’t sure before, I am now. It would be so much easier for him to pressure me into a marriage for the sake of Elody and the custody battle being waged against him.
But that’s not what he’s doing.
I think about Elody’s arms wrapped around my legs, the baby growing inside me, and the kind of world I want to bring him or her into. I think about Collin and his relentless demands that I end this pregnancy.
Then my mind circles back to Laiken and how it felt when he cupped my cheek, the sense of safety I feel in his presence, along with the way he’s willing to step in as a father figure for my child.
What kind of man does that?
A good one.
One worth taking a chance on.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I am.”
The tension in his shoulders eases just a fraction. “Okay.” He glances at his watch. “I’ll call Mark now. Then I need to get to the arena.” His gaze settles on mine. “We can talk more when I get home tonight.”
Emotion flashes across his face, and for a moment, I think he’ll say something else—maybe that he wants this to be real. Disappointment crashes through me when he turns and heads down the hallway to his bedroom.
On paper, it’s an agreement.
But in my heart, it already feels like so much more.
I don’t know if this is the smartest decision I’ve ever made or the one that’ll cause the most pain in the end.
28
Laiken
The barbell settles onto the rack with a heavy clang and the metal vibrates beneath my hands. I lie flat on the bench for a second longer than necessary, my chest heaving as sweat slicks my skin, before sitting up and grabbing my water bottle, draining half of it in one go.
The gym has always been a constant in my life. When I’m here, everything else fades—the noise, the pressure, the static in my head. My body takes over, muscle memory carrying me through reps and routines I’ve done a thousand times.
Today, however, none of it works.
The familiar rhythm does nothing to steady me. The burn in my muscles doesn’t quiet my thoughts. I push harder than necessary, adding more weight than I probably should, chasing the kind of exhaustion that usually clears my head.
No matter how many reps I grind out or how hard I drive myself, my mind continues to circle back to the same person.
Kia.
And the marriage I offered up as a solution to both our problems.
“Jesus,” Knox calls from across the room. “Are you trying to show us all up or what?”
“Hey, how about you do everyone a favor and mind your own workout,” I shoot back.
River snorts. “Yup. Definitely trying to lift through something going on in his head.”
Ignoring them, I roll my shoulders as Oliver steps into my line of sight and nods toward the rack. “You’re gonna snap that thing in half if you keep loading it like that.”
“Then they’ll finally replace it,” I mutter.
With a shake of his head, he sets up on the bench next to me. The rest of the guys are scattered around the space. Jax and Zane flex in front of the mirror, yapping about who’s made the most gains this season, while Knox argues with the strength coach. River sings along to whatever’s blasting through the speakers as Steele makes the rounds, checking that everyone’s getting their reps in since that’s part of his job as the captain.
It’s all normal.
