“I was so scared,” he whispers. “So fucking scared, Jennie.”
“I didn’t know,” Cara whisper-yells at Emmett, arms in the air. “Okay, I knew, like, a little bit.” She points at Adam and Jaxon, who followed Garrett in. “But they knew too!”
Emmett throws his arms overhead. “Oh, so everyone knew except me?”
“That’s not true,” Cara argues.
Adam scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, Carter also doesn’t know.”
“I didn’t know!” Mom cries, hands clasped under her chin. “But I’m so happy!”
“What?” Hank asks, head whipping back and forth. “What am I missing? What’s happening?”
Cara leans over, whispering in his ear, and a smile erupts on his face.
“Oh boy. Carter’s not gonna like that now, is he? Mr. Nice Guy Adam might have been a safer bet, Jennie, but if you’re going to go for it, go all the way, that’s what I always say.”
Garrett sighs. “I’m sorry. I acted without thinking. I saw you and I…I…I don’t know, Jennie. I was terrified.”
I press my whispered words to his lips. “I love you.”
“Oh shoot. Fuck. Fuck.” Mom’s body collides with ours. She slaps at my arm, trying to fit her hands between us, then yanks on my shoulder. “Down. Get down!”
“Carter!” Cara calls, then dashes down the hall, out of sight.
I slip down Garrett’s body, and he lifts my hand to his lips and gives me a sad smile before stepping away. Five seconds later, Cara and Carter appear, followed by a doctor.
“Everything’s fine. Olivia’s fine, and the baby is fine.” Without Olivia by his side, he looks years older, utterly exhausted. The skin on his face is ashy and muted, eyes lacking their usual playful sparkle. He looks…broken. “They’re gonna keep us overnight—”
“Uh.” The doctor pushes her glasses up her nose. “We technically only need to keep Mrs. Bec—” Her teeth clatter when she slams her jaw, meeting Carter’s menacing expression. “Both of you. We definitely need to keep both of you.”
“They’re going do some monitoring before sending her home in the morning. She’s gotta go off work until the baby comes, take it easy and hang out on the couch.” Carter hangs his head. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
“She won’t be,” Jeremy, Olivia’s brother, says. He tugs Carter into his arms, clapping a hand to his back. “We’ll watch out for her when you’re on the road.”
A camera flash goes off, and Cara pulls her phone back, sniffling. “She’ll never believe you two hugged if I don’t have photographic evidence.” She pats at the raw skin below her eyes and slings her purse over her shoulder. “Okay, I’m going to get her a twenty pack of spicy nuggets and a large Oreo McFlurry. She can’t eat this hospital slop.” She embraces me tightly. “So glad you’re safe, Jennie. I’ll come by in the morning with some breakfast for you.”
When she pulls back, I find Carter’s gaze on me. He’s shut down, I think. I almost don’t recognize him like this, and I don’t know what’s changed so quickly, or if he simply can’t handle any more.
He looks between Garrett and me. “Since you’re here, Gare, do you mind taking Jennie home? That way I can stay.”
Garrett nods, his hand on my lower back as he gently guides me forward, and as soon as we’re through the doors, he threads his fingers through mine and tells me how much he loves me.
There’s something to be said about a man who drives with only one hand on the wheel. Something so inherently sexy about the way he finds a way to keep a hand on my thigh the entire time, squeezing, fingers trailing, like he needs to feel me to know I’m there, I’m safe.
He doesn’t let go until we’re in my apartment, where he forces me to the kitchen island to eat before disappearing down my hallway.
When I’m finished, I find Garrett in the main bathroom, sleeves rolled to his elbows as he kneels in front of the tub. He wipes his wrist across his face, and when he stands and turns to me, his right brow is covered in bubbles.
I giggle, swiping them away. “What are you doing?”
“I ran you a bubble bath. So you can relax.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet of you.” I stand still as he undresses me. “Are you going to get in with me? It’s a big tub.”
“Do you want me to?”
I nod, reaching for the hem of his shirt, and he lets me peel it off him.
He turns on the music and helps me in, then steps in behind me, sinking into the bubbles. Fingers wrapping around my hips, he guides me down between his legs. When I sink with a sigh, he winds his arms around me and buries his face in my neck.
“Garrett?” I place my hand on his as it slides over my belly. “I love you, and I’m proud of you.”
“Proud of me? For what?”
“For giving your dad the chance to change. For supporting him always, even if sometimes the journey has felt long and challenging.” I turn my head when I feel his cheek on my shoulder, and he peers up at me. “I’m proud of your dad for choosing himself and his family, because I can’t imagine how hard it is to fight your addiction every day. He’s so strong, and I hope I’ll get to meet him one day.”
Garrett covers my mouth with his. “Thank you, Jennie. I know today isn’t about me, but I think I really needed to hear that.”
“What are we going to do about tomorrow? I don’t want to stress Olivia out with all of this, but I’m tired of hiding.”
“I don’t know. Maybe we can get her advice, see what she thinks is best.”
That sounds like a good idea, but if I’m being honest, there’s more on my mind than just telling my brother about us without giving him a heart attack and sending Olivia into labor too early.
“Garrett?”
“Yeah?”
“You said you didn’t see any end in sight, but…What about my interview? Maybe I should just cancel.”
“You have to go,” he insists quietly. “I know you aren’t sure if it’s what you want anymore, but you owe it to yourself to check it out, give it a chance. Go to Toronto and see how you feel.”
“But what if I feel empty without you?”
“I don’t think that’s possible. You don’t need me to make you feel full. You’re already enough. It’s okay to not want to be apart, but I don’t want you to make any decisions because of me.”
“I don’t want to lose this.” Him. I don’t want to lose him.
“We won’t. If you want this, even if you want to leave, we’ll work it out. I promise.”
A soft moan leaves my lips as he trails his fingers along the inside of my thigh in the warm water as he palms my breast. “It’s hard to focus when you’re doing that.”
“That’s the point,” he murmurs against my neck. “I want you to forget, just for a few minutes. Forget about today, forget about tomorrow, forget about the job.” He drags one finger up my slit, making me shudder. “Let me take care of you. Let me do something.”