Derrick had turned away the engagement party guests. He’d explained that Ellie was sick. She didn’t know much else because every time she opened her mouth Derrick tried to feed her or give her a pill.
The guy loved playing nurse. She let it happen because she worried about what would happen when he stopped. The game should be over. Everyone knew everything now. Noah had been by every day. He seemed connected to Spence’s side and had made a tentative peace with Derrick.
She must have really been sick.
She heard male voices and Derrick’s telling people to get out. His tone, frustrated and gruffer than usual, made her tense. She’d been waiting for bad news since she got home. Not that she needed to invite more.
Derrick hadn’t been overstating what they faced with this pregnancy. It carried all sorts of risks. Not as bad as it could have been because she hadn’t been that far along when they’d discovered it, but the risks were still pretty high. So she’d opted for keeping the IUD. Now she spent every day doubting the choice and worrying she’d lose the baby. Derrick’s baby.
After everything that happened, she still wanted to build something with him. But could she trust him? He’d kept most of his promises to her, but he still lied. At the very least, he held information back because it benefitted him. She couldn’t figure out a way to process that.
“Hey.” That’s all Derrick said as he walked into the room.
Just as he had since she’d come home, he seemed subdued and a bit on edge. Her insides churned and she half wondered if that rubbed off on him.
She tapped the couch cushion next to her. “Can you come sit with me for a second?”
He hesitated then nodded. “Everything okay?”
He’d asked her that so many times that she now dreaded the question. “Is it, Derrick?”
“What does that mean?”
The question had been right there, on her tongue. She’d bit it back for days. Didn’t want to invite trouble. But she had to know. “Do you want me to leave?”
He made an odd face. “What?”
“This relationship was fake and now that—”
He swore under his breath. The sound of the harsh words made her jump. She wasn’t afraid but he did let them fly. She started to get up, but he held her hands and pulled her closer to his side.
“Never.”
The word didn’t make any sense. “What?”
His chest visibly rose as he inhaled a deep breath. “Ellie, how can you not get this? I love you.”
She didn’t realize she was shaking her head until he touched her hair. “What?”
“I fell in love with you. Nothing about this or how I feel about you is fake.”
Her mind refused to believe and that made his words that much sharper. “You don’t mean that.”
This was about guilt and the baby. He’d been moping around, not going to work. The pressure…she got it. It crushed her, too.
“We can figure something…” She didn’t even know what to say. She’d practiced and now the words wouldn’t come.
He slid off the couch and went to one knee. “Ellie Gold.”
She froze. “What’s happening?”
“Go ahead.” Spence called out the encouragement from the top of the stairs. Jackson stood with him and Vanessa. Noah was there. And was Spence holding up a phone?
Jackson pointed at the cell’s screen. “Carter didn’t want to miss this. He’s still ticked off that Derrick didn’t tell the whole truth, either.”
“You mention that now?” Derrick swore again. “You’re all pains in the—”
“Keep going,” Vanessa called out.
“Fine.” But Derrick didn’t sound fine. His voice was sharp and he was fidgeting. Something he rarely did. Then he looked at her and the scowl disappeared. A softness moved into his eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She had no idea what else to say.
“I think I loved you from the first time I met you.” He laughed then. “You were so unimpressed with me and who I was. So beautiful and not interested in anything I had to say. It was a potent combination.”
The room started spinning again. This didn’t have anything to do with her pregnancy or fainting. It was the punch of happiness—hope—that seared through her. It left her breathless.
“I should have told you everything from the start, but I didn’t want you to find a new place to live.” Derrick laughed as he bent to kiss her hand. “Hell, it took forever to get you to agree to share a bed with me.”
He reached out a hand and fit it over her stomach. “Not that long, I guess.”
“Derrick…” She didn’t know what she wanted to say except his name.