Page 30 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
“It’s his,” I finished for her.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
She began biting her nails – a habit she’d broken years before. Or, at least, I thought she had. Apparently, the stress and tension of the situation brought old habits rushing back to the surface. She nibbled her fingernail and refused to look at me.
“Okay,” I said, trying to find the words that would help in this situation. “Even if you are, it’ll be okay.”
“Will it, though?” she asked. “I broke up with him, I want nothing to do with him, but I may be having his child. That means he’s going to be a part of my life forever. I’m never going to be free of him. What am I supposed to do, Chase? If Aaron were here, he’d be so disappointed in me.”
Her trembling lip only got worse, and the tears, fat and wet, rolled down her cheeks. I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I scooped her into my arms, pulled her to me, and held her face against my chest as she sobbed.
The guys were still laughing and carrying on in the dining room, which was a good thing. I didn’t want anything to interrupt this moment. I didn’t want anything to force Elise back into her shell now that she was out of it. She needed to talk to me. She needed to get it out because it was obviously eating her up inside.
Suddenly though, the sound of footsteps heading our way startled us, causing us to pull back.
“Want to go upstairs and talk about it?” I offered.
She nodded her head, and without saying another word, led the way up to the loft. It wasn’t the most private place, but it was all we had at the moment. It would have to do.
Trevor walked into the kitchen, empty plate in hand. He shot me a look that was inscrutable, and as I followed Elise out, something shifted in his eyes. Jealousy, maybe? Why would he be jealous? It wasn’t like anything was going on. Now wasn’t the time to worry about Trevor’s feelings though, so I ignored it and pushed my way past him and out the door. Nolan and Sean were both at the table still, and Sean looked up as we exited the kitchen. He stood up, as if to join us, but I shook my head.
I didn’t know what happened between the two of them earlier, but it didn’t matter. She was opening up to me, she’d wanted to talk to me. If she wanted Sean or Trevor or Nolan there, she’d have asked for them. Sean sat back down, a similar look on his face that Trevor had only moments before.
Nolan just gave me a knowing look, like there was an unspoken understanding that he might end up sleeping down there in the living room tonight, though not for the reasons most would assume. I knew I could trust him not to intrude. He was the most level-headed of the guys, after me, of course.
Elise walked up the stairs slowly, staring at her feet with each step, her mood seeming to be growing even darker as we ascended. She stumbled, and my protective instincts took over, catching her before she fell. I had my hands wrapped around her waist, holding her steady. The stairway to the loft was rather steep, and it could have been an ugly fall. She smiled back at me, steadying herself once more.
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” I said.
There was no reason to thank me. I’d have done anything to save her from falling. I’d have done anything to ever keep her from feeling any pain ever. Even before the possibility of her being pregnant I would have protected her. Now though, that there might be more than her life at stake there, I was protecting not only my best friend’s little sister, but potentially her baby as well. I had to admit, in all my years of serving in the Army, I’d never felt such a heavy responsibility resting on my shoulders.
Elise climbed onto the bed, crossing her legs. and then hugging them against herself. She looked so small and frail against the giant bed. With those giant, baby blue eyes of hers, she looked at me as if I’d held all the answers and more, or that I could solve all of her problems. I was feeling even more pressure to do the right thing now. She’d trusted me, and I needed to make sure she was taken care of, for better or worse.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, facing her. I waited for her to speak, but when she didn’t, I knew I needed to prompt her to get the ball rolling.
“What do you need from me?” I asked gently.
The question seemed to throw her off guard, and she wasn’t quite sure how to answer it for a minute.
