Page 73 of Justice II

Inside the café, Justice chose a table away from the counter. I sat with my purse beside me while he went to order. By the time he came back with tea and a chocolate chip muffin, I had stopped crying.

He pushed the mug toward me and sat down. It was peppermint. Which was perfect for the somersaults my belly was doing.

“Talk to me. I’m ready to listen,” he said.

“About what? What do you want to know?”

“Start with why you thought you had to do this by yourself.”

I lifted the mug to my lips and allowed the refreshing scent to ease into my nostrils. Just the smell calmed my stomach.

“I’m staying in Aubrey's guest room. I don't have a job. I'm trying to get my son away from a man who has already destroyed everything else I had. Where was I supposed to put a baby in all of that?”

“You could've called me.”

“So you could decide whether I was lying about that, too?”

He leaned back without answering. I eyed his physique. My God, I missed seeing him every day. He was the epitome of strength. That embrace made my panties flood. But see this is how I got in this mess in the first place.

I took a sip. My mouth had been dry since I checked in at the clinic.

“I wasn't trying to punish you, Justice. I was trying to figure out how to survive this. I have some money left, but it won't last forever. Keenan needs me. I can't keep sitting around waiting for things to get better.”

“You want this baby?”

I looked down at my belly.

“I do.”

It came out so quietly that I almost said it again.

He reached across the table and took my hand. This time, I let him.

“Then we're having this baby.”

I stared at our hands. He sounded so sure. I wanted to borrow some of that because all I could think about was how many things could go wrong.

“There's more going on than me needing money.”

“I know. That's why I've been calling you.”

“You weren't ready to listen when I was standing right in front of you.”

“I was pissed. You had me falling for somebody when I didn't even know her fucking name.”

“You knew me.”

“You know what I'm saying.”

I did. I had known this conversation was coming from the moment I started getting comfortable in his house. I just hadn't expected it to happen with a pregnancy between us.

“I should've told you,” I said. “But you have no idea what it took for me to get somebody to give me a chance. I thought once you knew, that would be it.”

He looked at me for a moment.

“And I proved you right.”

I nodded.