“I’ve lived here a long time. I’ve seen a lot of couples come and go. Even when I pass, I know a lot of people will come and go.” Elizabeth sighed again. “It has been a pleasure to witness. Rumor has it as a cursed house. It’s not. It is a house with a gift. Love is always and will always be a gift.”
“What if you don’t believe in all of that stuff?” Jaxson asked. “The two people who have moved in after myself and the Larsons. The woman who took my house, is a man-hating woman. The man who took Larsons’ house hates women. Trust me, there’s not going to be any love there.”
“So, they start out as enemies. The sex would be epic when they cave,” Elizabeth said. “I see I’ve shocked you, young man.”
“No, not shocked.”
“Well, I am. You’re sitting here, staring at your old house instead of going to find the woman that makes your life miserable.” She tutted.
Jaxson turned as he heard another car pulling up.
Hector was in the front seat, and he jumped out with a big smile on his face. “Did I miss anything?”
There was no way he was sitting around watching this. He was done. “It was nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
“That feeling you’re experiencing. The pain, where you feel like you can’t breathe, and you are walking around numb, not really knowing what to do with yourself. That, my dear, is love, it is the cost of love, and you need to go and find your woman before it’s too late.”
Chapter Eleven
Teal was pregnant.
She had arranged to go see the doctor, and they had confirmed it. She was completely, one hundred percent pregnant with Jaxson’s child. She wanted to tell him, but there was only a couple of problems. She had no idea how to reach out to him.
The house he was in was sold. He’d moved back to his old job, and she didn’t know where that was.
Wrapping her arms around her legs, she stared out the window, and she didn’t see the scenery outside, but flashes of her time with Jaxson. His smile. His head thrown back in laughter. How he held her. The way he made love to her.
She rubbed at her temple and tried to push the memories out of her mind, but none of that would work.
He was there. Part of her.
Slowly, she dropped her hand down toward her stomach.
There was a soft knock at her door, and she quickly jolted, just as her mother opened the door.
“Hey, sweetie,” her mother said.
“Hey, Mom.”
“How did everything go?”
“Fine.”
“Okay, I’m going to tell you, sweetheart, that I know you went to the doctor today. I got the call for confirmation, and I told them that you would still be there.” Bethany stepped into the room. “You’re pregnant?”
Teal felt the tears well in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey, don’t.” Her mother rushed toward her, wrapping her arms around her. “I love you so damn much, and you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. Nothing at all.”
“I, I feel like I can’t breathe, Mom. I see him everywhere,I feel him.” She turned toward her mother’s chest and sobbed.
“It’s going to be all right.” Her mother stroked her hair and Teal basked in her mother’s love and affection, needing it so damn badly. She couldn’t stop. Didn’t want it to stop.
Each indrawn breath felt so empty. She missed Jaxson so much.
Time passed. She held on to her mother, not wanting to let her go because it helped her to feel grounded and in control. They moved to the bed, and Teal sobbed until there was nothing left, but it wasn’t long before her mother had to go. She promised to be back with hot chocolate and some ice cream.
Christmas was her favorite time of the year, and so far, she hadn’t helped her mother decorate or even done a little bit of baking. She’d done nothing. Absolutely nothing.