Chapter Seventeen
The last thing Hex expected to find when he arrived home was Elle sitting on the couch, sobbing.
He stood for a moment, wondering what the hell was wrong and who he’d have to knock some sense into then went to her and pulled her into his arms. He knew no one had been to see her, Ryan had been sitting out front since Hex left, and he’d spoken with the prospect before sending him back to the clubhouse.
He had no idea what was wrong, and she was in no condition to tell him, not at the moment, he picked her up, set her in his lap as he took her spot on the couch and just held onto her while she cried.
He didn’t know if it was stress or hormones, but eventually she would get all of this out and be able to tell him what was going on.
They sat for several minutes, Hex rubbed one hand up and down her back, not telling her everything would be okay, not pushing for answers, just letting her get it all out while still being there just in case she wanted or needed anything.
It took roughly fifteen minutes before her crying subsided. Elle lay curled and seemingly exhausted in his lap, her head resting against his shoulder as he kept his arms wrapped around her.
Hex didn’t say anything, only held her, and waited, though it was difficult to resist the urge to lean in and kiss the top of her head, so he gave in, inhaling the scent that was uniquely her while he was there.
He found her scent a little different than usual, probably because she’d used his body wash when she’d taken a shower.
He took a closer look and found she no longer wore the clothes she’d had on the night before, the pajamas she’d had delivered to her hotel and had slept in.
Instead, she had on one of his t-shirts and what looked like a pair of his sweats.
“Glad you found something to wear,” Hex said, one corner of his mouth quirking upward.
Elle looked down at herself, then back up to him.
“Sorry. I showered and wanted something clean, but comfortable and the things I ordered yesterday were scratchy.”
“Not worries, sugar. I like seeing you in my clothes. And I love that you are comfortable enough here to go looking. That you’re at home enough with me to want to wear my things and smell me every time you move.
” He tightened his arms in a quick hug, then eased his grip.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?”
She nodded, then shook her head. He didn’t say anything, just watched her for a moment, until she looked up at him. She took a breath and let it out before speaking.
“I would if I knew. But thank you for not trying to stop it or fix me. I think I just got overwhelmed and needed to let it out.”
“Overwhelmed by what?” He gave the phone she still clutched a look, as if to say he suspected her crying jag had something to do with the device.
“I talked to Mama.” She put her head back on his shoulder.
“What did she say?”
“She isn’t happy, but I knew she wouldn’t be. She’s worried about what everyone will say. I told her I’m pregnant and it’s not Michael’s. She wanted to know why I didn’t just pass it off as his. Said it’s been done for generations.”
He couldn’t help the way his entire body stiffened at that. Had Elle thought about not telling him? How close had he come to never knowing he and Elle had created a life?
“I told her I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t not tell you.”
“So, she knows you’re with me?”
Elle shook her head. “I refused to tell her where I am. She asked, but I didn’t tell her. I also didn’t tell her that you’re the one.”
“I’m surprised she let you off the phone without telling her.” He’d known Sandy Williamson most of his life, and knew that typically she was like a dog with a bone when she wanted to know something.
“She tried, but I wouldn’t tell her. I told her that I didn’t want any chance of word getting back to you before I had a chance to tell you.”
“You lied to her?” He didn’t even try to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“No, but I skirted the truth. She asked who, I said I wouldn’t tell her because I thought the father deserved to know first. She asked when it would be, I said I had to find you first. She wasn’t happy about that, but I got around it.
And it wasn’t a lie, I knew where you went, but I didn’t know exactly where you were, so I did need to find you.
And you do deserve to know before it’s public knowledge, I just left parts of the story out. ”
“Very tricky. Am I going to have to be careful when I need to know things from you?” He wasn’t worried about it.
“No, Kevin. You’re not like Mama. I know I can tell you I’m not ready to share something or that it’s a secret for now and you won’t push and harass me until I tell you.”
“True,” he hugged her against him once more, “and sometimes there will be things I need you to trust me about. I’ll do my best not to hide things from you, but sometimes there are things you’ll be better off not knowing.
We can handle those a couple of ways, but we’ll look at that later.
Right now, is there anything you need or that I can help you with? ”
“I could use something to drink, I made some tea if you want some, then I need to make another call. It’s the one I needed to make in the first place, but when I turned on the phone, there were so many messages I got distracted replying to them, then I had to call Mama.”
“I get it, sugar. Any other messages to reply to?”
“Just Michael’s and I’m not ready to even read through them.”
“Ignore those for a bit. Do you want me here with you for the call or would you rather space? I can go fix you a glass of tea.”
“Tea please if you don’t mind. This call won’t be so hard, I’m just scheduling an appointment.”
“Okay, sugar.” He kissed the top of her head again, but paused before releasing her or getting up. “You know you can ask me for anything, right? You know I’d do anything to make sure you’re safe and happy, right?”
“I do. And thank you.” She tilted her head back and kissed his cheek.
Hex wanted more but knew this wasn’t the time.
She had things she needed to do, plus, the prospects could be back any time.
Packing her place up should take them a couple of hours but with four of them, it might not take as long as he thought, and he didn’t want to embarrass her by being in the middle of anything when they arrived.
He released her and let her clamber off his lap before he headed for the kitchen.
“I wasn’t sure how sweet you want it, so I haven’t added sugar yet,” Elle called after him.
“Whatever you want is fine by me, sugar. How much would you normally add?”
“About three quarters of a cup.”
He wondered for a moment if he owned any measuring cups, and where they might be if he did, then decided he could just wing it as he pulled out the sugar and poured some in. If it wasn’t enough, they could add more later.
By the time he’d stirred in the sugar and fixed a glass, before he had a chance to take it to her, Elle padded barefoot into the kitchen. “All done?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ve got an appointment tomorrow.”
He lifted his brows. “That was fast.” He didn’t know what kind of appointment she’d scheduled, but next day was pretty quick, no matter what.
“They had a cancellation, plus the nurse said the doctor prefers to see women between six and ten weeks, apparently I’m already close at the ten week mark,” she said with a shrug as she slid onto one of the barstools and watched as he moved around the kitchen.
She’d been scheduling a doctor’s appointment.
“Are you worried about anything? Why the rush?”
Elle shook her head. “Not worried but I wasn’t expecting this. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I want to make sure this little one stays healthy.” She set her hand low on her belly.
He set her tea in front of her and moved around to stand behind her. The barstools had a short back, but it wasn’t tall enough to keep her from leaning back against his chest. Hex wrapped his arms around her, letting one hand rest on top of hers as they stood for a moment.
“Are you sure this is what you want? We can take a trip. Just you and me. We can go to Atlanta, or somewhere, and we don’t have to do this, sugar.”
“Do you not want this?” Elle’s voice shook as she tilted her head back and looked up at him.
Hex looked down and met her gaze. It didn’t matter that her face was upside down and all he wanted to do was to kiss her, to pull her into his arms and carry her back to his bed.
“I do, baby. I’ve dreamed of this, I want this child and you, but if it’s not what you want, then I won’t force you to go through with it.
I won’t pressure you or make you feel bad.
” He took a deep breath and kept going. He needed to get this out, he needed to say these things to her, no matter how much they made his heart ache.
“If you want to have the baby and give it up, I’ll take it.
I’ll raise it without you if you don’t want it.
” He forced himself to swallow down the lump in his throat.
“I want it all. I want you here with me, with us, but if it’s not what you want, I won’t make us all miserable by trying to force it. ”
“You don’t make me miserable, Kevin. I’m not sure you ever could.
No, let me say that again. There are things you could do to make me miserable, but I don’t think you’re the kind of guy who would do them.
I don’t want to give this baby up. I want to keep it, and I want to be here with you, to raise it with you, if that’s what you want? ”
Hex hated the uncertain tone in her voice.
He didn’t want her to doubt him, ever. Elle lifted her head, then rested the back against his chest. He didn’t say anything.
He suspected keeping her head tilted back like that had started to hurt.
He couldn’t resist the urge. Hex leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“It’s what I want, sugar.” Hex kept his voice soft.
His mind spun with all the things he needed to do.
Making sure whatever shit Anderson was into didn’t splash back on to Elle was number one.
Well, make that number two. They needed to figure out what the Demented Souls wanted them to do with their guest and handle that, then Anderson and making sure Elle was safe and happy would be the priority.
Speaking of, Wrath should have heard back from Jake or Gizmo by now, Hex should reach out and see if they had an answer yet.
“What’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Elle asked interrupting his thoughts.
“The prospects will finish loading up the stuff at your place and bring the stuff you wanted here. I want you to tell them where you want it, but I don’t want you lifting or carrying anything. I need to head up to the clubhouse for a little bit, as I’ve got a few things to take care of.”
“And I need to stay here and wait for the prospects,” she said as if finishing for him.
Hex frowned. Did she want to go to the clubhouse with him?
“No. You don’t need to stay here. I can reach out to the prospects and have them let us know when they’re headed this way. That would give you plenty of time to get back here, if you want to go with me.”
Elle turned to look at him, this time twisting the seat on the bar stool and turning in his arms.
“I’m allowed at the clubhouse?”
Hex’s frown turned to a scowl.
“Of course you are. The guys are rough and course, the place is a mess half the time, but you’re welcome there. You’re always welcome in my office there. There are a few places that are off limits, but I don’t think you’ll want to go in most of them.”
“Off limits?” She frowned at him, clearly confused. “Why wouldn’t I want to go there?”
Hex lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “Most of the places I won’t want you going are into the brother’s rooms.”
“Rooms? What kind of rooms?”
The wrinkles on her nose were adorable and made him want to lean in and kiss them away. He didn’t think she would find it as cute as he did, so he stayed here he was.
“Bedrooms.”
Her frown turned to a scowl as she tried to think it through.
“They all live there?”
“Some do. All the officers have houses here on the compound, and we’re working to get houses for anyone who wants them, but we can only build so fast.”
“You build them?” Elle’ eyes went wide.
“We all have different parts we’re better at, and we’re still learning some of it, but yeah. The Warriors built this place. We started doing it because it’s cheaper, but you know what it means?”
“What?” she asked.
“If you want more room, we can add it. You want to change something? We’ve got someone who can figure it out and make it happen.”
“Even if I want a total remodel of the kitchen, with new cabinets and a deep pantry?”
Hex swallowed, he hadn’t thought she would want changes that large scale, but if that was what she wanted, he’d make it happen.
“Even if.”
“Wonderful. I’m not ready to make any changes, at least nothing that big. But it’s good to know I could if I wanted.” She leaned forward and rested her cheek against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his middle. He found himself smiling as he held her back.
Hex couldn’t help but shake his head. If someone had told him, even twenty four hours ago, that he would be here, holding her today, he would have laughed in their face. But now, as he held on to her and they talked about raising their child he knew there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
He didn’t know how long he stood holding her, but he stayed there until she pulled away.
“I need to change if we’re going up to the clubhouse.” She slid off the stool.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not presentable. I can’t go in public looking like this.”
“I wouldn’t call the clubhouse public, sugar, and you’re far more dressed than the other women.”
She turned and frowned at him. “That’s not making me feel better.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he let her go change clothes. Sometimes it was better not to argue.