I glance up at him as he wraps his arms around my waist. He lowers his lips to mine. “I don’t know what to do here, Lo. I can’t leave her now, and I can’t walk away from you either.”
I shake my head and swallow through my tears. “You can’t have us both.”
“All I want is you.”
“You’re going to be a dad, and that little baby has to be the most important thing in your life.”
“You’re the most important thing in my life.”
“You can’t say things like that anymore.”
“I’m not ready to let you go, Lo.”
“Me neither, but I think it’s best if we take a step back from this ... from us, for a little while.”
“I’m not giving you up.”
“I don’t think you have a choice.” I glance up at the snow falling around us. Only days ago, we were making snow angels by the side of the road. The cold hadn’t affected me then. I washigh from holding Gabe’s hand in the back of his Charger, but now I’m heartbroken. I don’t think I’ll ever look at snow the same way again. I sniff back my tears. “I’m not numb anymore, and it hurts like hell.”
“Gabe?” Annie calls from inside and Gabe releases me, taking a step back. She opens the sliding door and pulls her robe tightly closed around her. “What are you doing out h—” Her words cut off abruptly when she notices me standing out here with him. “I should have realized you were out here too, Harlow.”
I cringe, because she knows how much I hate when she uses my name. I hate when anyone uses it. “Yep, just catching up on the night’s drama. Congratulations, by the way.”
Annie glares at Gabe. “You told her?”
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s just I was hoping to tell my family first, and it’s still very early.”
“How far along are you?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen a doctor yet.”
“Oh.” I nod and give a smile that I’m sure doesn’t reach my eyes. “Well, I should get to bed.”
“We should too, honey. You’ll catch your death out here.”
“I’m gonna stay for just a bit,” he says.
“But it’s four in the morning.”
“Then I guess I’ll watch the sun come up. I can’t sleep, anyway.”
Annie glances between me and Gabe. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath.
Gabe shakes his head. “I was just telling Lo about the baby.”
“Well, night.” I walk toward the door. I can’t stand to look back at him as I walk away. I don’t want to see whatever emotion is hidden there in those cool green eyes, and I certainly don’t need to give Annie any more ammunition against me.
I move into the darkened house and just stand there, taking in everything Gabe just told me, but I refuse to fall apart again until I’m in the privacy of my room.
“So, I guess you and Gabe are off the table for good, huh?” Mace sits in the darkened living room, the moonlight from the window beside him glinting off the bottle in his hand.
I shake my head. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“I mean, Annie’s pregnant, and now we’re never going to get rid of her.” He gets to his feet and crosses the room toward me. “Gabe’s having a baby. I overheard everything they said last night,” he mumbles, pressing the bottle to his lips and taking a hearty pull. “Judging by the look on his face, I’m guessing he just told you.”