Chapter Twenty-Two
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
GARRETT
Over the next two weeks, I dedicate myself to caring for Marie, making sure she eats healthy meals that don’t upset her stomach, gets a good amount of rest, and makes it to all her doctor appointments.
We fall into a routine. Every morning, I arrive at her house early to prepare breakfast because her morning sickness is particularly bad when she first wakes up. I’m there to make sure she’s able to get out of bed and drinks plenty of water when she’s done being sick. When she staggers out of the bathroom, pale and teary-eyed, my heart twists and I want to do whatever I can to make her feel better. Seeing her so miserable ruins me, and it kills me that I can’t actually make her better.
My guilt eats me alive. I did this to her. She’s going through this awful sickness and facing an uncertain future because I couldn’t keep my desire for her under control. There’s nothing I can do to make up for what that, so I’m doing everything in my power to make her comfortable. Whether it’s running her errands or keeping her house tidy, I am her personal manservant.
It’s really the least I can do for her. She’s my responsibility now, as well as the baby. I’m not going to be the kind of guy who knocks up a woman and then abandons her because it’s easier to walk away than stick around. Is this how I imagined starting a family? No. Do I feel ready to be a father? Not at all. But it’s happening whether I’m ready or not, and I’m not going to leave Marie to deal with this alone.
One morning, I step inside the front door and can hear her in the bathroom upstairs. Rushing up the stairs, I find her kneeling on the floor, her head in the toilet.
“Marie? Are you okay?”
“Do I fucking look okay?” she growls without lifting her head. “Get out!”
“All right, all right,” I say, backing out into the hall. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me, okay?”
She doesn’t answer, but blindly feels around until she grabs a towel lying on the floor and chucks it at me.
I dodge it and hurry to go back downstairs. As I make my way into the kitchen to start her breakfast, I can’t help my small smile. Not because I find any pleasure in her misery, but because she’s comfortable enough with me to tell me to shove it. It’s weird, I’ll admit, but since I’ve started taking care of her, I’ve grown more attuned to her moods and have a better understanding of how her mind works.
Marie doesn’t let just anyone know what she’s really feeling. She’s so worried about being a burden to anyone else that she will put on a smile when she’s in agony to keep the people around her comfortable. If she’s vulnerable, she’s an inconvenience… at least in her mind.
She’ll be vulnerable with me. She’ll be cranky, sad, and honest about how she feels and what she wants. Does that mean she snaps at me when she’s upset? Yes, but I’m okay with it.
It means she trusts me to actually care for her.
I pull a carton of eggs out of the fridge and a skillet out of a cupboard. As I scramble the eggs, my mind wanders about what will happen once the baby comes.
It still hasn’t fully set in that I’m going to be a father, but I’m excited. Every day my excitement grows. I like the idea of being a father—playing with my kid, teaching them how to ride a bike, watching them grow into an actual person—I can’t wait for it all. There’s always been a part of me that’s wanted to have kids, admittedly, not in such a complicated way.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket, pulling me from my musings. With one hand, I stir the eggs while grabbing my phone out with the other. It’s an email from my school. My heart starts hammering as I open it and scan through the message.
Dear Mr. Young,
Congratulations!
We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully met all the academic and institutional requirements to graduate with your Bachelor of Science in Finance. This is a significant milestone, and we commend your dedication and hard work throughout your academic journey…
I stare at the email for several seconds, letting the words fully sink in.
Holy shit… I did it. I did it!
After all these years, I’ve finally earned my degree. A sense of pride and accomplishment washes through me. I haven’t really felt this way in a long time. When was the last time I truly accomplished something for myself? Something that I wanted and wasn’t pursuing out of some sense of obligation or responsibility?
The skillet hisses, making me jump. I’ve stopped stirring Marie’s eggs in my excitement. I quickly put my phone down and try to salvage the food. When they’re finished, I grab a plate and as I’m scooping the eggs onto it, Marie walks into the kitchen.
“Hey,” she says with a yawn, rubbing her eyes. “Sorry I was a bitch earlier.”
“Don’t worry,” I reply, shooting her a grin. “I doubt I’d be all that chipper if I was puking my guts up first thing in the morning.”
She gives me a weak smile and moves to sit at the kitchen table. I put the eggs in front of her, along with a glass of orange juice and a cup of herbal tea. Marie gazes down at the plate before letting out a groan.
“I don’t know if I can eat anything today,” she says, pushing the plate away from her.
“That’s all right,” I assure her. “At least drink the juice and tea. You can’t let yourself get dehydrated again.”
She grabs the juice, taking a sip. Taking the seat next to her, I pull the plate of eggs toward me. I figured out pretty quickly not to make too much food for her. If she doesn’t eat it, I do. It’s just one more routine that we’ve fallen into together.
“I got some good news,” I say before scooping up some eggs into my mouth.
She arches a brow. “Oh? What’s that?”
Pulling out my phone, I bring up the email from my school and hand her the device. She reads the message, her eyes going wide with excitement.
She looks back up at me and exclaims, “Oh my God! This is incredible, Garrett. Congratulations! We have to celebrate.” She pauses and appears thoughtful before continuing, “I’m going to throw you a graduation party.”
“You don’t have to…”
“Don’t even try to convince me not to,” she states, handing my phone back to me. “I’m sick. You’re supposed to let me do what I want.”
Sighing, I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s how this works exactly, but… all right. If you really want to throw me a party, I won’t stop you.”
She claps her hands in delight, looking more energized than I’ve seen her in days. Her cheeks flood with color and her eyes sparkle, and as I gaze at her, desire stirs deep in my belly and my cock twitches. Fuck, I need to keep it together. I’ve been doing my best to suppress my lust so I can focus on her health and well-being, but it’s still there, sizzling and waiting to be blown into an inferno.
Being so close to her… caring for her… it’s only made my feelings for her deepen, regardless of how determined I’ve been to try and put things back the way they were before. As she excitedly chatters away, talking about all the ideas she has for my party, I can only sit and watch her, knowing that I’ve been pushing myself to the edge of my control… and it’s just a matter of time before the tether finally snaps.
* * *
A few days later, I’m back at Marie’s with groceries and more exciting news. After telling Christian that I’m officially graduating, he offered me a job at the new offices he’s set up in Blue Ridge Falls in the finance department. Obviously, I accepted. The first person I wanted to tell was Marie… even more so than Haven. That realization left me a bit stunned.
Balancing the grocery bags in one arm, I open the front door of her house and walk inside.
“Marie!” I call out, kicking the door shut behind me. “I went to the store and picked up a few things to make you dinner. I’ve got some exciting news…”
I freeze when Marie walks down the stairs… wearing nothing but a towel. Her hair is wet and I can smell the scented lotion she always puts on after a shower. She stops and looks at me, her eyes going wide.
“Garrett! I didn’t know when you were stopping by. I’m sorry, I was just going into the kitchen to look for my phone…”
She’s startled and babbling, but I’m hardly listening. I can’t tear my eyes from her. Her towel leaves little to the imagination. She’s not showing yet, but my gaze drops to her belly and the thought of her pregnant with my child and standing nearly naked in front of me causes something in me to snap. Dropping the grocery bags on the floor, I stride toward her. She stares at me in shock but doesn’t try to resist when I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her tight against me.
Her lips part on a gasp, and I catch them in a hard and hungry kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck and I pick her up, cupping her ass in both hands. We don’t break our kiss as I carry her up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom.
“Garrett,” she murmurs when I set her down on the bed. “Are you sure…?”
One of my hands cups her face while the other yanks the towel off her.
“I’m really fucking sure,” I growl.
“Good,” she says, her voice breathless. Sliding her fingers into my hair, she yanks me back down to her lips. We fall back on the bed as we kiss, and I run my hands along her body. She’s so soft. So curvy. Her breasts are fuller, her hips more luscious.
I trace my fingers over her still-flat belly, feeling a strange, primal desire rush through me.
To my surprise, she bats my hand away and breaks the kiss, turning her head as her cheeks turn dark pink.
Confused, I sit back on my knees above her. “What’s wrong?”
She won’t look at me as she nibbles on her bottom lip.
At length, she answers, “I’m… I’m afraid of getting too big.”
I blink, stunned. “Too big? What are you talking about?”
Groaning, she finally meets my gaze. “My stomach is… ugh, God. What if you don’t think I’m attractive when my stomach is huge?”
She waves her hands up and down over her body. I grab her wrists to stop her and gently pin her arms to the bed on either side of her head.
“You don’t think you’ll still be sexy when you’re showing?”
“Please,” she grumbles. “You don’t have to pretend to make me feel better.”
“Marie,” I let go of her hands and drag my fingers down her torso to her stomach, “I’m so fucking turned on by your body, I could come in my pants, and I can guarantee you that’s not going to change when your stomach grows.”
Her jaw drops, and she gazes up at me, clearly shocked.
“Really?” she gasps.
I grab one of her hands and press it to the front of my pants. Her fingers curl around my already hardened cock and I let out a hiss of breath.
“Yeah, really.”
She swallows and bites her bottom lip as she strokes me through my pants.
“You think I’m sexy,” she whispers, more to herself really than to me.
I bend to press my lips to hers. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.”
We’re kissing again and the tension melts from her body. I tear my shirt off and throw it to the floor. Before I can undo my pants, Marie presses her hand to my chest and pushes me over and onto my back. She moves to sit on her knees between my legs and quickly works my pants open.
“Marie, you…”
“Shhh,” she murmurs, pulling my hardening cock out. “Let me make you feel good.”
Before I can say another word, she takes my shaft into her mouth and sucks me deep. I groan, clutching at the bedsheets as she bobs her head up and down.
“Holy shit…”
This feels incredible. The pleasure is overwhelming and I’m in danger of hitting my peak way too fast. I want to be inside her first.
“Marie,” I groan. “Get on top. Ride me.”
She lifts her head and gazes at me with shiny, hungry eyes. Nodding, she moves up my body and straddles my hips. Pressing her hands against my chest, she slowly lowers herself onto my cock. We both moan in pleasure.
“Oh, God,” she whimpers.
I look up at her, my blood hot and my stomach tightening. She’s so beautiful sitting on me with her belly and breasts on full display. I’m going to lose my goddamn mind.
Holding onto her thighs, I flex my hips, driving myself deeper into her. Marie cries out and then begins to ride me, undulating her hips back and forth. She sets the pace and moves faster and faster, growing as desperate for release as I am.
“Marie, I’m almost there,” I growl.
“Me too,” she gasps.
I press my thumb to her clit and rub, wanting her to hit her peak first. She lets out a cry, throwing her head back as her body seizes. She clenches around my cock as she comes and I can’t hold back anymore. My orgasm explodes through me. Arching my back, I hold on tight to her hips as I pump into her over and over again. Stars explode in my vision, and I swear to God, I leave my body entirely.
When I come back, Marie is slumped against my chest, breathing heavily. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, not wanting to let her go yet. I’m afraid that once I do, I might regret this, and I don’t want to. I want to cling to her for as long as I can before the guilt returns and pushes everything else away.