I take her hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself to be fine with it. Just don’t think that you’re a bad person because of it. You were only trying to protect yourself. Self-defense. The law allows that, right?”
Jodie looks at me. “What about you? Have you ever killed a man?”
I don’t even think of lying. I promised myself there would be no more secrets between us.
“Once during that time I ran away from home,” I tell her. “Twice since I joined the organization. All self-defense, too.”
Jodie nods. Then she pulls up her knees and rests her chin between them.
“The ‘organization’, huh? I still can’t believe your father is the head of one, or that my father worked for one.”
“You’ll have to talk to my father if you want to find out his reasons,” I say. “But I want you to know your father was just the family lawyer. He didn’t participate in any criminal activity.”
“But he knew about it and he kept it secret.”
“Because he believed in my father,” I say. “He’s not a bad man, Jodie. He’s trying to do some good in the world in his own way.”
Jodie says nothing.
“If you want to pretend you never learned about the organization, that’s fine,” I tell her. “You can just walk away from all this. We’ll keep you safe.”
“As long as I keep quiet?”
I nod.
“And if I don’t, I’m dead?”
“If you don’t, a lot of people will suffer,” I answer.
She draws a deep breath. “And if I want to stay?”
My eyes grow wide. She does?
“You’ll be welcome, of course. You’re practically part of the family.”
“Yeah. I guess I am.”
She takes my hand and squeezes it as she looks into my eyes.
“I’m carrying your child, after all.”
My eyes grow even wider. My jaw drops. What?
“You’re pregnant?”
Jodie nods.
I don’t know what to say.
“I couldn’t believe Dr. Stadtfeld either at first,” she says. “But the result was there.”
“Dr. Stadtfeld?” I look at Jodie with creased eyebrows. “Isn’t that the doctor you represented in court?”
“Yeah. He’s an obstetrician.”
I sit up. “Wait. So you were at the hospital consulting Dr. Stadtfeld because you were pregnant?”
“Yes. Is that so weird?”
“No.”
I slap my forehead. Damn it. I feel so stupid.
“What’s wrong?” Jodie asks.
I let out a breath. “I thought you started going out with him.”
“What?” Jodie slaps my shoulder. “Wait. You saw us together? So you were at the hospital that day?”
“Yeah. Rick said you were at the hospital and I wanted to check on you.”
She touches her chin. “I knew I saw you that day.”
My eyebrows furrow. “You saw me?”
“Yeah, when you were going up the stairs.”
Hmm. So she was looking for me and I was looking for her? No wonder we didn’t meet.
Jodie moves closer to me and draws a deep breath.
“So, do you want to keep the baby or not?”
I look at her. “You’re asking me?”
She nods. “I wanted us to decide together.”
I glance at her stomach. A baby!? I still don’t know what to say.
Jodie takes my hand. “What are you thinking? Tell me everything.”
“That I love you,” I tell her. “And that I’m scared, not just because I don’t know the first thing about being a father, but because there’s a traitor in our midst, killers on the loose. I’ve lost my mother and my twin. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost a child.”
“We won’t lose a child.” Jodie puts my hand on her belly. “We’re having one.”
“I know. But I’m still scared. You know the kids in that summer camp I bought? One of the reasons I keep them there is for their own safety, too. I don’t want anyone to use them against me.”
“Hey.” Jodie touches my cheek. “I’m scared, too. But we’ll do everything to keep this baby safe. Our baby.”
She touches her forehead to mine as she looks into my eyes and my fears begin to fade. I press my lips against hers and she kisses me in turn. The warmth of her lips travels down to my chest.
“So I guess we’re keeping the baby,” I say with my mouth still next to hers.
Jodie pulls away. “I want to. Don’t you?”
I stroke her cheek as I nod. “Are you sure you want to start a family with me?”
“Of course.” She cups my face. “I know you believe Antonio was my first love. Maybe that’s true. But you’re the man who owns my heart now. You’re the man I’m entrusting it to. I choose you. And you know what? Something tells me you should have been my choice all along.”
I feel my face light up as I smile. “Do you mean that?”
“Yes,” Jodie answers. “I love you, Leo.”
“And I love you, Jodie,” I tell her before capturing her lips again.
I always have. And always will. No matter what the future holds.
~
~The End~