‘Just tell me,’ he whispered. ‘Whatever it is, Zo, we can fix it. Together.’
Zoey took a breath so deep he could see her chest rising. And he knew in that moment exactly what was coming next. But somehow he still wasn’t prepared for it.
‘Ash, I’m pregnant.’
And his whole world shifted again.
* * *
Relief settled over her the moment the words were out. She hadn’t wanted to tell him here, or like this. But, however it had happened, she was glad that he knew. Glad that she wasn’t keeping this secret alone any longer.
Glad that Ash knew he was going to be a father.
‘That’s why you messaged today? To tell me?’ Ash asked, and she nodded. ‘And how long have you known? Because I figured, when I didn’t hear anything weeks ago...’
Zoey winced. ‘I know. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t work up the courage to take a test until this morning. I texted you as soon as I knew.’
Ash nodded, still looking poleaxed. She couldn’t blame him. She still felt much the same way.
‘So it’s definitely... God, no. I’m not even asking that. Of course it is. You wouldn’t be telling me otherwise.’
‘Yes, it’s yours,’ Zoey confirmed for him anyway. ‘No doubts there. Abstinence thing before the wedding, remember?’
‘Right. Sure.’ Ash ran a hand through his dark hair, his pale blue eyes still wide and wild beneath it. He shouldn’t look so gorgeous right now, Zoey thought. Or at least she shouldn’t be noticing it. There were kind of weightier matters to deal with. But it seemed her libido—or her heart—didn’t care so much about those.
She stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm, looking up into his handsome, dear face. ‘I’m sorry, Ash.’
Her words seemed to snap something in him as he shook his head firmly.
‘You have nothing to be sorry for,’ he said, his voice low and harsh. ‘We were both there on that island together. I take my half of the responsibility too. And even then, it’s a baby, Zoey. Our baby. We made a new life together. Neither one of us should ever have to apologise for that.’
Our baby. For the first time since she’d seen the word forming on the stick that morning, some of the tension drained out of Zoey’s shoulders. She wasn’t alone with this any longer.
Maybe we humans weren’t made to do everything alone, anyway. Which didn’t mean she was ready to give up her plan for taking care of herself. But it wasn’t just her now, was it?
And it was kind of a relief to let Ash shoulder some of the responsibility from here on out.
‘Are you okay?’ He was close, Zoey realised suddenly. Very close. His hands held onto her upper arms as he studied her, but there was none of the lust and want she’d seen there last time they’d been together. Instead, he held her almost delicately, as if he were afraid he might break her. ‘With the pregnancy, I mean. Have you seen a doctor yet? No, you only took the test this morning. Well, that’s first up, I guess?’
Zoey nodded mutely, unsure how much he actually needed her to contribute to this conversation.
‘And Zoey—’ those pale blue eyes held hers in their gaze, steady and sure and reassuring ‘—you’re never on your own in this, okay? I’m here, for whatever you need.’
The nausea was starting to rise up again, as if now she was officially pregnant the morning sickness needed to up its game. ‘Mostly I think I need to get out of here,’ she admitted. ‘Can you take me home?’
‘No,’ Ash said, smiling incongruously. ‘Because if home was somewhere you were happy to be you’d have let me pick you up from there this evening.’
Zoey winced. ‘I’ll find somewhere new before the baby comes,’ she promised.
‘We’ll find somewhere else,’ he corrected. ‘In fact, you already have somewhere else. Move in with me.’
‘Ash...’
‘I mean it. It’s the obvious solution.’
She knew that he meant it; that wasn’t the problem. But the idea of being there with him all day, every day, living in his space... How was she meant to keep resisting him if he was that close?