Epilogue One #2
Throwing my phone onto the ridiculous mountain of cushions, I almost floated toward my husband-to-be.
The woollen string around my finger had frayed within the first few days.
We hadn’t told anyone that we’d officially gotten engaged. It was our little secret until we had time to plan a wedding and say the vows we’d already said each night we fell into each other’s arms.
However, this might hurry along those plans.
I felt a little dizzy at the thought of telling him.
How silly we’d both been.
Irresponsible really.
I blamed happiness for making me forget. But a small part of me wondered if fate had played a small role.
As Henri stepped over the threshold of the guest room and found me framed in sunshine, his handsome face lost its harsh, hollow angles as his grey eyes turned into molten pools of silver. “There you are. Everything ready for our guest?”
I nodded. My mouth suddenly dry.
My fingers linked over my belly, shielding the surprise, trying my best to figure out how to tell him. Even armed with new words and helpful cues that I’d learned from my online psychology course, I had no idea where to begin.
“I, eh...I have something to tell you.”
For a moment, shadows cloaked him. Blackness claimed him. He stalked around the room as if searching for a threat, but then his eyebrows knotted as his gaze landed on my linked fingers.
And...fate prevented me from having to say anything, after all.
Staggering backward, he crashed against the wall. “You’re not...no.” Raking a shaking hand through his hair, he shook his head. “You can’t be. The injection—”
“Melanie administered that over a year ago. She said it was only valid for six months. It was stupid of me not to think about contraception, but I honestly totally forgot. We’ve been so busy...”
“Oh fuck.” Sliding down the wall, his knees came up. Wedging his elbows on them, he buried his face in his hands. “Y-You’re pregnant?”
Crouching down in front of him, I tugged his hands away from his eyes. “I took a test this morning.”
“And?”
“It’s positive.”
He groaned and hung his head. “But...I can’t. I can’t pass on this—this curse to anyone else. I just...I can’t.”
I smiled softly, ignoring the kick of fear. “I’ve seen you write back to Rachel in the group chat. Asher might’ve been half made by Victor, but his genes have nothing to do with his future. You said that yourself.”
Slowly, he reached for me and dragged me onto his lap.
“But...you told Victor that you’d leap off a roof if I ever got you pregnant.
I know things are different between us now but...
you didn’t want this. You didn’t want a child with me.
” Terror made him rush. “I never wanted to hurt you, Ily. And now I’ve gone and done the one thing that will guarantee you pure agony. Shit. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking—”
“Hey.” I planted my hand over his mouth, shutting him up.
“Henri, listen to me.” I sucked in a breath.
“I love you. Everything you just said—and I don’t mean this in a nasty way—is absolutely ridiculous.
How could you even think I wouldn’t want your child after what we’ve been through?
What we’ve done and shared and become? I don’t blame you for getting me pregnant.
It’s just one of those things that’s happened.
We were both irresponsible. And now that it has happened...
” I blushed. “I want this. Very, very badly. And you’re scaring me that perhaps you don’t, and I honestly don’t know what that means for us and—”
Slapping his palm over my mouth, he pulled mine away from his. “Seems we’re both being a bit ridiculous.”
I went to tug his gag off me, but he dug his fingers into my cheeks.
“I love you with every shred of my soul, Ily. You want the truth? Until this very second, I’d never envisioned myself as a father.
Who am I to even think of multiplying? But with you?
You’re the best person I know. You’d balance out all the shit inside me and I’m not afraid that our child would end up like me.
I know they’d be all you, and it would be my honour to protect both of you. ”
I jerked my head back, dislodging his hold. “Then what’s the problem?”
“The problem?” He sighed heavily. “The problem is...I already have too much. I don’t deserve this. It’s too much. I...” He glanced at his hands. “I’ve got blood all over me, little nightmare. I can’t—”
Fear pricked my heart. I leaned back in his embrace. Terror I hadn’t felt since the island crashed through me like ice. “You mean...even though you want this...you don’t want it at the same time? I know we’ve never had that conversation but...”
“Don’t want?” His eyes shot wide. “Don’t deserve.
How am I supposed to survive that level of happiness when I can barely survive you?
” He pressed a fist to his chest. “My heart threatens to pop every time I look at you. Every time I come home to you, I almost sob like a fool.” Cupping my cheek, he whispered, “I’m so fucking lucky.
I’ve already been given so much. Too much.
If I have anything else, it might get taken away and—”
“Ah, Henri.” The ice of fear melted into flames of love. “Hen...listen to me.”
He froze, his eyes churning with shadows.
“Nothing will get taken away. And you do deserve this. Just tell me you want this and...everything will be okay. I promise.”
His gaze fell to my lips. “I want this.”
I shivered. “You do?”
“The more minutes that tick past knowing you’re pregnant with my child? Jesus Christ.” His jaw clenched. Heat rolled off him. “A child I put in your belly.”
In an instant, he had me flat on my back. His hands flipped up my summer floaty skirt and tugged at my underwear. “I need you. Fuck, I need you.”
I laughed. “But Peter is due any moment—”
“Don’t care.” Fumbling with his belt, he shoved his jeans and boxers down just enough to free himself. “It’s nothing he’s not seen before anyway.”
Scooting me beneath him, he kissed me hard just as his cock found me.
I was ready for him.
I was always ready for him.
We might be partners in life and twin flames of the soul, but he was still the ruler of my body. After six months of playing our games and shattering apart with mutual ecstasy, the moment I heard his voice, my body melted for him.
It’d come in rather convenient.
Mounting me, he grunted with pleasure.
My legs flopped wide as I surrendered to the bliss only he could give me.
Hard or fast, cruel or careful, Henri knew exactly how to push me out of mere want and straight into delirium.
Clawing his scar-laced back, I gasped as he thrust.
“You know you’ve already put a baby inside me, right? You don’t need—”
“Fuck, say that again.” His teeth landed on my neck, igniting my blood with fire.
“You’ve impregnated me, you fool.” I giggled then groaned as he bit me. “You can’t do it twice.”
“Watch me.”
I laughed and clung to him.
“You know this means we have to get married, right?” He rocked and thrust, driving me into the carpet. “No more waiting for families and friends. No pretty invitations. No big event. We do it tonight. Right now.”
I moaned as his pace increased.
The gravel outside crunched with car tyres.
“Perfect. Paavak is here.” Henri grinned. “He can do it. We’ll get him ordained online and make him marry us.”
The front door opened and closed. “Oi. Anyone home?”
“Don’t come up here,” Henri roared. “We’re busy.”
A chuckle sounded from down below. “She told you then.”
“What?” Henri stilled inside me. “He knew?”
I smirked, not afraid he’d get jealous. Him and Peter were close. Maybe even closer than him and Q. “He guessed.”
“And he didn’t tell me? Why that treacherous motherfucker.”
“I can hear the floorboards creaking!” Peter yelled up the stairs, unable to hide his laughter. “Get off her, you animal.”
“He can hear us, huh?” Henri smirked. “Well then...let’s give him something to listen to.”
“Henri...behave.”
His teeth flashed. “Ily...scream.”
I cried out as he bit me.
I moaned as he fucked me hard.
And I screamed like he commanded as he shoved me headfirst into an orgasm that made me see a million twinkling stars.