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LUKE
Jess was still frozen in place, her eyes locked on mine. Laura was in front of Josh, her hands gripping his like a lifeline, but Jess wasn’t moving.
Her gaze darted between me and Josh, her chest rising and falling rapidly, like she couldn’t quite believe we were standing here. Then, almost imperceptibly, her hand dropped to her stomach.
And that’s when I noticed it.
The small, protective way her fingers pressed against her belly.
My heart stuttered. I froze, my grip on the wheelchair faltering as the weight of what I was seeing started to sink in.
“Luke?” Jess’s voice was soft but trembling, breaking through the noise of the terminal like it was meant for me and me alone.
I stepped around the wheelchair, my mind racing. “Jess,” I said, my voice rough. “Is that are you?”
Her face twisted, tears brimming in her eyes, and her hand stayed firmly where it was.
I swallowed hard, taking another step toward her. “Jess,” I rasped, my pulse pounding in my ears. “You are…?”
Her lips parted, and for a second, I thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then, like a dam breaking, she blurted out, “Yes, you idiot!”
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The world tilted.
I stared at
her, my chest tightening so hard it was like all the air had been sucked out of the room.
“And it’s…” I hesitated my voice barely a whisper. “It’s mine?”
Her mouth fell open in shock, and before I could blink, her fist came flying toward my shoulder the injured one.
–
“Of course it is, asshole!” she snapped, her voice thick with tears.
I stumbled back, more from surprise than the force of the punch, my hand instinctively going to my shoulder And then it hit me like a freight train.
Holy shit.
She was pregnant. Jess was pregnant. With my kid.
“Holy shit…”
A shaky laugh burst out of me as I closed the distance between us. My knees hit the hard tile floor before I even realized I’d dropped, my hands reaching for her like she might disappear.
I looked up at her, at her tear–streaked face, and then back down at her stomach. My hands hovered for a moment before I pressed them gently to her belly.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Jess…”
Tears blurred my vision, and before I could stop myself, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her stomach.
Jess gasped softly, her hand flying to my hair as I stayed there, my forehead resting against her. I couldn’t stop the tears now, couldn’t stop
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the wave of emotion crashing over me.
“I’m so sorry,” I choked out, my voice thick. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I wish I knew… I would have…”
She sniffled above me, her fingers threading through my hair. “I only found out after your crash babe,” she said, her voice trembling. “But then you were gone, and I didn’t know if you were ever coming back, and-”
I pulled back just enough to look up at her, my hands still cradling her stomach. “I’m here now,” I said firmly, my voice steadier than I felt. “And I’m not going anywhere, Jess. Not ever.”
Her tears spilled over, but this time, she smiled–a real, beautiful smile that made my chest ache.
“Good,” she whispered, her hand resting over mine on her belly. “Because we’re stuck with you now.”
I laughed through the tears, pressing another kiss to her stomach before standing. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her against me ast tightly as I dared.
“I love you,” I murmured into her hair, the words coming out so naturally it was like they’d been waiting for this moment all along.
She buried her face in my chest, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. “I love you too, Luke,” she whispered, her voice muffled.
Behind us, Josh cleared his throat loudly. “Uh, not to interrupt the lovefest or anything,” he said, his voice laced with humor, “but can someone push me over there so I can get in on the hugs?”
Jess laughed through her tears, and I turned to look at Josh, who was grinning like an idiot despite the tear tracks on his own face.
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“Come on, man,” I said, my voice lighter than it had been in months. “Get your ass over here.”
Because for the first time in what felt like forever, everything was exactly where it was supposed to
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