Page 101 of Hard Evidence
“There’s nothing in here.”
“No, there’s a whole box… What the fuck?Where is it?”
We both came to the same horrible realisation at the same moment.
“I don’t believe this,” he groaned.“Cockblocked by the police.”
“You’re sure they took them?”
“They were here, and now they’re not.”
I hated them.Hatedthem.Not just for taking Justin’s stuff, but for thinking he could have raped Amie and used a condom to cover his tracks.Because that was what they suspected, wasn’t it?
“Assholes,” I muttered.
“I still have fingers.”
But everything felt weird now.I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder, feeling drained, and not all because of the missing condoms.
“The whole world is conspiring against us.”
“We’ll get through this.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
He stiffened, and not in a good way.“What?”
“I… The condoms might not even matter.I have fertility problems.And I don’t know where this thing with you is going, or what your life plans are, or whatmylife plans are, but it just…it just feels like we fit together, and maybe that will push us apart.So…you need to know that.In case it’s important later.”
“Jessie…” Justin kissed my hair, my cheeks, my tears.“I’m so sorry.”
“I always figured I’d be a mom someday, and then Ridge decided the time was right, and it just…didn’t happen.They haven’t worked out what’s wrong, not yet.One of Ridge’s golf buddies is a doctor, and I had a bunch of tests already, but I was supposed to have more.”
Ridge said his plumbing was fine, so the problem must be mine, which had caused even more arguments between us.But deep down, a part of me was glad I’d failed to conceive because what if there were a child involved in this mess?
“We’ll worry about it when you’re ready, okay?”
“Is it…is it a deal-breaker?”
I’d always known we’d have to have this conversation at some point, but not right now.Not before we’d even started.Today was a real rollercoaster of emotions.
“No, Jessie.I’d like to have kids, but it isn’t a deal-breaker.I want you more.”
I leaned my forehead against his.“This is such a mess.At least I’m certain I don’t have any STIs.They tested for those.”
“I got tested after my second ex-fiancée cheated on me, and my third ex-fiancée insisted on using three kinds of birth control because she said having a child would ruin her figure.Full disclosure: I had a single one-night stand recently, which I sorely regret, but I did use protection.”He kissed the tip of my nose.“We’re an unmitigated disaster, but I’m also halfway in love with you, so there’s that.”
“What?”I stared at him.
“Too soon?”
Was it?I gazed into his soft brown eyes and saw myself reflected back.I looked vulnerable.And raw.And…happy.
I shook my head.“It’s not too soon.This is real, isn’t it?”
“This is real.”
I didn’t take my eyes off him as I raised my hips enough for him to slide inside me.Holy cannoli, he felt so big.So solid.So…so mine.
