“Tash…” his voice gets quiet. “Baby, please open up.”
“So you can tell me I’m everything you ever wanted, then go and say the same thing to the next piece of ass you see?” My voice is shaky as the words leave my mouth.
“Baby, please open up so I can explain.”
I shake my head again, even as my legs take a step forward. Damn legs. “I don’t want more lies from you,” I say as the first tear rolls down my cheek.
“No lies, Natasha. Just truth. Have I lied to you before? Please give me the benefit of a doubt. Let me explain.”
“I’m scared,” I whisper. Holding my hand to my chest as I take another step toward the door. My stomach churning at the prospect of him potentially not having a good excuse. Because I want him to have one. A good one. One that would make me laugh at how silly I was to even think something was amiss.
“I’m not going to hurt you, baby.” His voice is full of pain. “I hate that you think I could. Just open the door. Please.”
With tears running down my face, I unlock the door. Hayden doesn’t wait before he rushes in and scoops me up into his arms. But I’m like a rag doll, unable to reciprocate just yet. Not until I hear what he has to say. I have to guard the little piece of my heart still left beating in my chest. Because there is another person, it has to beat for.
“Natasha, youarethe person I’ve been waiting all my life for. The moment you walked through my office door, I knew. I loved you the minute you turned around clutching that enormous-looking box of cookies, looking flustered and determined. You were—are—everything I ever wanted in apartner.You’re kind, generous, and hilarious. You make me want to be a better man. You make me want to settle down, get married, and have a family with you. It’s you, baby. It’s always beenyou,” he says into my hair. But I’m still stiff as a board, even though my insides are melting. How can I believe his words when he said the same thing to someone else?
My stomach churns again, and suddenly I know it’s the baked bean that’s revolting. I untangle myself from Hayden and rush to the bathroom, making it just in time to say hello to my breakfast again.
“Natasha? What’s wrong? Are you still unwell?” Hayden is right behind me, his hands holding back my hair.
“Something like that,” I groan into the toilet bowl.
“Shall I call my doctor? I’m calling my doctor.” He stands up, tapping his pockets for his phone. “It’s not normal to be sick for so long.”
“No.” My hand shoots up to his leg, grabbing his pants. “I’m better now, seriously. I just need to… rest. And water,” I say, flushing the toilet.
Hayden nods and rushes to the kitchen while I swig some mouthwash around, suddenly feeling exhausted.
Instead of going back to the living room, I drag myself back into my bedroom.
“It was my sister,” Hayden says from the doorframe as I still halfway lying down on the bed.
“Sister?”
“Emily Huntington,” he whispers, the tone of his voice excited.
“I thought—”
“I spent so much money trying to find my mother, or anyone related to me, for nothing. And then she finds me through 23andme. Can you believe it? Something I did on a whim when I was eighteen.”
“You have a sibling?” I ask. Someone he’s been wanting all his life.Everything he’s ever wanted.
He nods, his eyes shining as he sets a glass of water on my nightstand.
“She was adopted at birth. Got a DNA test as an early Christmas present from her boyfriend and got the results last week. She called me this morning asking if I’d ever like to meet. I could not pass up the chance.”
I smile up at him, tears of happiness shining in my eyes, then vomit all over his trousers.
It’s official. My love life is dead.
ChapterSixteen
Hayden tucks me into bed, brings me a cup of hot peppermint tea, and is generally a freaking angel in boxer shorts. A side effect of my morning sickness you will not hear me complain about. Also, what the hell is it with calling it ‘morning’ sickness? Clearly, it’s an all-day thing! At least for me…
I’m finding it difficult to keep the news to myself, but I want Hayden to tell me everything about his sister first. And I don’t want to overshadow one of the happiest moments of his life. It’s not every day you find a family member you’ve dreamed about most of your life. And I’ve already cut their meeting short…
I know he’ll be happy to hear about the baby—well, I hope, especially with all his talk about putting a baby in me. A feat he has clearly already managed to achieve—but I think it’s best if I let him breathe for a bit. Get used to the idea of having a family. Baked bean and I aren’t going anywhere without him. If he wants us, that is. Which he will, right?