Killian puts the cigarette out and takes his shirt off. I move aside for him to come in. He shoves his smoke covered shirt in a plastic bag and seals it.
“That’s a bit overboard isn’t it?”
“Not taking any chances with you and our baby.” Moving into the bathroom he drops his pants and kicks them aside. I sit on the toilet lid and watch him start his water. “What’s this confession?” My man steps in the open shower, and I lose my train of thought watching him soap up his naked form. I could watch him do this for hours. “Liri?” He prompts with an adorable grin.
“Right. Sorry. Um, I accepted an illustrator position with a publishing house in Chicago. I’m supposed to join my mom and Cooper there after the first of the year.”
“Well it’s not as far as Paris. Do they know that you’re pregnant?”
“Yes. They want to help.”
A scowl crosses his face. “We don’t need their help.” He squirts shampoo in his palm and rubs it through his hair.
“Well that was before we got back together. I wish you could have been at the crazy dinner I had to endure.” I go into detail telling him about the fighting and how everyone was arguing about adopting my baby.
Stepping out of the shower he wraps a towel around his waist and shakes his hair at me like a dog. “Well, all their fighting and planning was wasted. No one is raising our baby but us. We can get a bigger apartment. You can stay in school. I can get a job working construction with Dillan. I’ll support you and the baby.”
“Killian, babies are expensive. If we go to Chicago we can live with Mom and Cooper until I start making my salary, and you could finish your degree.”
“I’m not living with your mom and Cooper. I doubt they want me in the equation. I don’t care what they want.”
“Just think about it. We could have a fresh start and leave all the drama of Crestwood behind.”
“I don’t want your family’s handout.”
I follow him from the bathroom to the bed after we both brush our teeth. Killian slips his boxer briefs on, and I strip down to a tank top and my panties. He turns the covers down, and I slide in on the right side. My husband to be gets under the covers on the left side but automatically moves to the middle and pulls me into him, spooning me from behind. One hand resting on my stomach he kisses my neck and I melt. I’ve missed this…being in his arms and feeling safe.
“Will you consider moving to Chicago if we get our own place?”
“Is this job what you really want?”
“I don’t know. I know your family is near Crestwood, but we could always come back to visit them. I don’t want to deal with Jackie or Hunter.” Their names makes me cringe.
“Why don’t we sleep on it and tomorrow we can make a list of pros and cons and see where we end up.”
“Deal.” I turn around to face him. “Look at us being all mature.”
“I told you, baby, this time around I won’t let you down.” I want to believe with everything in me that he does mean it.
**
“I told you he’d come around.” Noelle beams at me.
“Is this crazy?”
“You marrying Killian?”
“Yeah. Do you think we’re ready?”
“If you put something off until you think you’re ready, life is gonna pass you by. Think about how long it took me to get Dillan to commit to actually setting a date. I didn’t think this day would ever come. Does it feel right to you? Do you want to marry Killian? If the answers to both those questions is yes, then what’s it matter what I think?”
I smile at her. “You’re good at this whole advice thing.”
“I merely tell it how I see it, chick.”
“Here’s your drinks ladies. This one is yours.” Hayley hands one of the daiquiris to Noelle. “And the virgin one is for you.” I accept the glass and suck it down through the straw.
“Why aren’t you drinking?”