A shiver moves through me and I try to tamp it down, but Perry notices.
He always notices.
“Hey, come here.” He removes Doja from his lap, who yowls in protest before running away, and he pulls me into his arms, holding me in his lap instead.
I curl up into him, my head pressed against his chest, his steady heartbeat calming my anxiousness. I grip his shoulder and turn my face more into his shirt, breathing in his scent. Sitting like this, absorbing his strength, gives me so much comfort, I feel overwhelmed.
Close to crying.
A tear slips out, sliding down my cheek. Uh-oh.
Guess I actually am crying.
“Hey.” Perry slips his finger beneath my chin, tipping my face up so I have no choice but to look at him. “Why are you crying? Don’t worry, wife. I won’t let that fucker get close to you ever again. He’ll have to kill me first.”
Oh the tears really start streaming down my cheeks now. Why did he have to go and say something like that?
“Charlotte, come on. Don’t cry.” He sounds in agony as he pulls me in so my head is pressed against his shoulder. I turn so I can brush a kiss to his neck. “Your tears fucking kill me, baby.”
Him using the word baby for some reason makes everything ten times worse, and I can’t help it…
I start sobbing.
He holds me for a while and lets me cry, my tears soaking the front of his dress shirt, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I cling to him, my mind awhirl with all the things. Having lunch with his mother was tough. Shopping with her even tougher. She’d throw out a sly not-quite-an-insult here and there. Passive-aggressive behavior has never been something I enjoy—who does?—and Caroline Constantine is an expert at it.
I begged off shopping less than two hours after we started. On the ride home, Tinsley sent me an apologetic text, saying we needed to get together another time, just the two of us. I responded quickly, agreeing with her, but I don’t know.
Pretty sure I’ll stick to online shopping only for Christmas. That excursion was just exhausting.
Perry rubs my back, his touch gentle. Comforting. My sobbing starts to subside, until I’m sitting there sniffling, pulling away slightly so I can wipe my tears away with my fingers.
“I know it’s upsetting to hear he’s still around, looking for you,” Perry finally says. “But I’m here, and I’ll always be here, Charlotte. I’m going to protect you no matter what. You’re the most important thing in my life and I’ve told you this before, but it needs to be said again. I protect what’s mine. No matter what.”
Lifting my head, our gazes meet, and I say the first thing that comes to my mind.
“I’m pregnant.”And I’m terrified you’re going to do something stupid if you run into Seamus.
But I don’t say that last sentence. Now is not the time.
He blinks, his lips parting as if he’s going to say something but nothing comes out. He just stares at me, as if he can’t quite believe what I just said.
“Did you hear me?”
Slowly he nods, his arm tightening around me as he swallows hard. “Are you sure?”
“I took a test right when I came home.”
“And it took you this long to say something?”
“You had a few things to say first.” A sigh leaves me and I touch his cheek, the stubble lining it prickling my palm. “We’re going to have a baby, Perry. We’re going to be parents.”
We stare at each other for a long, quiet moment, absorbing what I just said.
“Are you upset over it?” he asks carefully, his gaze searching. “Is that why you were crying so hard just now?”
Am I upset? I don’t know. More like I’m just… overwhelmed. A lot has happened these last few months, and it’s happened so quickly. Engaged. Married. Angry sex. Passionate sex. A baby on the way.
From the outside I’m guessing we look like the picture-perfect couple, and there are things I’m happy about with my marriage to Perry. He’s kind. Funny. Sexy. Sweet. But nothing about our relationship is normal.