55. Where I tell him the big news
FIFTY-FIVE
WHERE I TELL HIM THE BIG NEWS
After the dinner, we lounge on the couches in a large, airy modern living space with an old chimney and a silver-and-blue decorated Christmas tree. My head rests in Alessio’s lap, and he absentmindedly twirls my hair around his finger while conversing with Mike about different businesses they’re investing in. Niksha listens but doesn’t comment.
Troy’s upstairs with her baby, and Val took Prescott and Leo into Leo’s room, where they will make a bed for Prescott. Originally, Val prepared a room next to Leo’s for Prescott, but the boys want to have a “sleepover” since Leo’s never had one before and Prescott has been to two of them, which, at their age, makes Prescott an expert.
I swallow down a yawn, but Alessio catches me rubbing my eyes.
“Tired?”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I sit up, but the yawn wins, and I cover my mouth.
Alessio stands and offers me a hand.
When I don’t take it, he says, “You can walk, or I can carry you.”
There’s mischief in his eyes, and I bite my lip nervously. If we go to bed now, it means Alessio and I will be alone, which means I could tell him I’m pregnant.
“I’m not tired. I’m fine, really.” Alessio steps forward, but when I see he’s about to throw me over his shoulder, I take his hand.
“I’ll walk.”
“Good night.” Alessio bids his friends goodbye, and I wave at them.
The time to climb the stairs seems shorter than I remember, or maybe it’s because I wish I had more time, or the perfect words, or the perfect way to tell him about the baby, but Alessio is like a storm when he’s going somewhere, which, in this case, is his bedroom.
I have no idea how he’ll take the news, but given that we’re married now and how he was the one who never mentioned a condom or asked about birth control before we had sex, it should be fine. But a girl can never be too sure, not after dating someone like Landon.
I want to mend the wounds that man put on me, and a big part of mending is learning how to trust another man who treats me well. A man who, despite my deception, rescued me and invited me back into his life. It means putting my big girl pants on.
Alessio opens his bedroom door for me, and I reenter his space after not being in it for months. The distinct cologne he uses instantly comforts me. Alessio proceeds to the walk-in closet and calls me from there.
I enter a well-lit space and find my suitcases parked along the left side of the closet.
“Rosalba cleared the closet and will arrange your clothing for you,” Alessio says. “She’ll help you interview your personal staff and make arrangements for Prescott, and I’ll be available during the holidays. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you normally travel during holidays?”
“I spend Christmas Day at home, but the rest of the days, I’m where I need to be.” Alessio starts to take off his clothes.
Now, I’ve seen this man naked, in the shower even, but we’ve been apart for a while, and this is his personal space, where he’s completely himself. Unguarded and casual. Relaxed.
I’m about to uproot his life with my news.
So I decide to delay a little longer while he unbuttons his shirt and yanks it out of his pants. His lips turn up as he unbuckles his belt, pulls it out of his pants, and straightens it with a loud snap.
I smile at the sexy hint he’s giving me while he takes off his shoes and pants, then stands in front of me in his boxers. He’s already hard.
“If you tuck a hundred-dollar bill into my waistband, I’ll let you see the rest,” he says.
I laugh. “You’re an expensive stripper.”
He cups my face and tilts it up, making me look at him. Really look at him. “I want you to know that I’ll take care of you. That you will never be used or abused by anyone ever again.”
“I know, you don’t have to say it.”
“I do, damn it. I have to say it. We will have codes and protocols that only you and I know, so that if anyone ever gets between us, we can communicate in ways nobody will ever figure out. I want you to come to me no matter what. No matter who. No matter when. If I’m on the phone with the president, the prime minister, or a fucking king, and you want to tell me something that you think can wait, like a pair of shoes you ordered, I want you to know that your shoes are more important to me than whatever crisis the world is dealing with. Because, at the end of the day, none of those people, nobody else in the world, would spare me a glance if I got sick tomorrow or if I lost my fortune.” He points at his chest. “I know my worth.” He points at me. “You love the beast inside me that the world can’t stand, so I’ll give you the gift of steadfast loyalty they wish they could have.”
“I love everything about you, Alessio.”
“Now tell me what you can’t say to me. What you’re hiding from me now, and let’s never hide anything from each other again.”
I blink. Is he talking about my pregnancy? Does he know? “How…how do you know?”
“Before I met you, believe it or not, I could tell when people were lying or hiding things. You were the exception, but not anymore. From you and with you, I learned the hard way, and I don’t mean that as a jab at you. I’m simply telling the truth. I’m relieved you came back.”
“I may have left the island, but I’ve never stopped thinking about you. When the detective interviewed me in my hometown and told me you were behind the glass, listening, I thought maybe you followed me, so I dropped by the nearest diner. I had this delusional idea that you would watch me, and I tried to bribe you to come talk to me with ice cream. I would order an ice cream sundae and wait for you…you know in case you showed.”
Alessio narrows his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re evading?”
Because I am. I swallow. Open my mouth, close it. God, I’m a wimp.
Alessio steps back, now dead serious. “What?”
I open my suitcase and stick my hand inside, feeling for the plastic pregnancy test I saved from when I tested myself months ago. Got it. I pull it out and hand it to him.
Alessio stares at the test. Just when I can’t stand the anticipation anymore, a smile lights up his face. “Say it,” he orders.
“Alessio, I’m pregnant.”
He envelops me in a bear hug. “I want to squeeze you,” he says and squeezes me hard, then sets me at arm’s length, then hauls me into a hug again. “Fuck, I’m happy.” He grabs a white T-shirt and pulls me into the bedroom, then stops at the bed. “I’d throw you on there and fuck you silly, but I understand you’re tired and why you’re tired, but I can’t keep this news to myself.” He steps back and rests his hands on his hips, his eyes bright, excited, truly happy.
He moves his finger between us. “We are going to be parents.”
“Yes, we are.”
He looks up at the ceiling, then says, “I’ll be back.” Alessio heads for the door, opens it.
“You’re not wearing pants,” I remind him.
He walks back into the closet, then leaves the room barefoot, in pajama bottoms. I follow him out but stop at the top of the stairs while he descends and enters the living room. A moment later, I hear the men congratulating him.
Val comes from Leo’s room across the hall. “What’s going on?” she asks.
Alessio climbs the steps two at a time. “Lake’s pregnant.”
Val looks to me for confirmation, and I nod.
“Oh my God, this is going to be the best Christmas ever.” Excited, she starts speed-talking, “If you want my help with anything, all you have to do is say so. I don’t want to be the sister-in-law who oversteps, but I want to plan with you. The OB visits, the shopping for baby clothes, nesting, all of it.”
“Thank you, Val.” I hug her.
We separate, and Val sighs blissfully. “I’ll call all the best venues in the morning. We will have weddings. Baby showers. Baptisms.”
“Good night.” Alessio grabs my hand and practically drags me back into the room.
He pulls down his pajamas and his boxers and sits on the bed with me between his legs. Since he’s tall and I’m not, we’re almost at eye level.
“Take off your clothes and show me your belly.”