“I have to get out of here,” he said. “This town. This place. I need to leave. I can’t explain it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to, but I feel like I’m drowning here. Ever since I came back, I’ve been telling myself that it’s for the best. I thought it would help me heal, but it’s just doing the opposite. I think I just need to leave.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. I’ve felt that way before.”
“I’m not finished.” He paused for an instant before adding, “I want to leave, but I want you to come with me.”
I took a step backward and frowned. “What?”
“Run away with me,” he urged, speaking franticly. “Let’s just pack up and bail. You can call your office and say you’re taking a leave of absence or something. We can just go.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere! Everywhere! We can just start driving and see what happens. I have to leave, Alicia, but I don’t want to leave you. I can’t leave you. Not again.”
“Zane, it’s not that simple. I can’t just—”
“Yes, you can!” He took my hands in his. “Alicia, I love you so much. I’ve always been in love with you. These past few years without you have been awful. Even when I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do, something was missing. I didn’t feel complete and that’s because you weren’t there. I need you with me. You’re the woman I’m supposed to be with. I knew the second I saw you again. Deep down, I’ve always known it.”
“Zane…”
“I know you feel it too. You can’t tell me you don’t. I know you love me.”
“Yes, I do,” I said quickly. “I love you, Zane. And I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions last night, I really am. But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t just run away with you.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason why you can’t.”
“Work. I have a job that I love.”
“You can be a lawyer anywhere!”
“That’s not true. I’ve worked hard to get where I am now. You can’t ask me to give that up.”
“But I am,” he said. “I am because I love you and you love me. Our life together could be amazing—more than amazing. It could be everything we’ve always wanted it to be. I know it can.”
“I feel the same way, but…”
“Just stop. Stop thinking of reasons why you can’t do this and start listening to your heart.”
“I am…”
“No, you aren’t!” he half yelled. “If you were, you would know that our love is something that only happens once in a lifetime! We have to fight for it! There’s nothing more than important than us. Nothing.”
“Yes, there is,” I said firmly.
“Like what?” he demanded.
“Our daughter.”
CHAPTER 24
Alicia
I could see that my words had hit Zane’s ears like a brick. His entire demeanor changed instantly. He sunk into himself, his eyes darkened, and his face lost all color. His breathing practically stopped completely as he stood there, staring at me in shock.
“What did you just say?” he asked, dumbfounded.
I took a deep breath, knowing it was time to explain. “When you left,” I said, “I was pregnant. I didn’t know it at the time. That night, I only knew that my heart was breaking. A week later, I found out I was pregnant.”
“Oh my god…”