Chapter Twenty-Six

Sophia couldn’t stop grinning. It was ridiculous to be expecting a baby, on the outs with her family—though something had shifted there, something she couldn’t put her finger on—and be crushing, seriously hard, on her boyfriend. That’s the term she went with: boyfriend.

“What are you grinning about?” Declan asked with a scowl, still staring at the screen.

“You. I cannot believe what a poor sport you are,” she said.

He’d surprised her with a visit to Crazy Cade’s. She hadn’t been there in years and had several warm memories attached to the flashing game lights, bell-ringing noises, and the smell of orange, gooey, melty cheese.

“I’m not a poor sport,” Declan said, tugging on a lock of her hair. “I just think it’s ridiculous that these new games take such advantage. There’s no way to win that. Give me an old-fashioned arcade game, any day.”

She pointed to the back corner of the busy room. People of all ages played an assortment of games, but in one corner, they kept the vintage ones.

“We can go play PAC-MAN and Donkey Kong after you buy me some nachos with extra cheese.”

He cringed. “Babe. I don’t even know what that stuff is made of.”

She shrugged. “Happiness?”

Chuckling, he took her hand, and they walked toward the concession. “This baby is going to come out weighing eighteen pounds.” Then he side-eyed her. “That’s gonna hurt.”

Sophia swatted his arm and laughed, but that very thing —the baby coming out part—had been popping into her head lately, and she wondered if she should join one of those prenatal mommy groups. The rec center had a few, and it wouldn’t hurt to meet more people.

“I’m trying not to dwell on that part,” she said as they waited in line.

“You won’t be alone.”

She believed him, which said a lot about her heart. At one point, she hadn’t thought she’d believe in another man ever. Still, she didn’t get tired of him reminding her.

He laughed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

She grinned. “You’re easy to look at.”

“Back at you,” he whispered, giving her a quick kiss before he ordered. They moved over to the side counter, and Sophia watched all the people racing around, adults and kids.

Declan pulled her out of her people-watching by taking her hand. He pulled her to one of the tables in a row of them. “Eat these while they’re still warm.”

Her stomach tipped upside down and felt like the cheese looked. She frowned.

“What?” he asked, laughing.

“I don’t know. I really wanted them, but now just looking at them is making me sick.”

“God, you’re adorable.” He took the chips, stretched out his long, gorgeously muscled and tattooed arm, and dumped the chips in the trash.

When he turned back, she knew her grin must have been goofy. “You have a strange scale of adorable.”

“Maybe. But it works. We work.”

She smiled, thinking maybe he was right. “Looks like.”

“Come here,” he said. He tugged her arm so she stood then landed in his lap.

“Dec. There are kids here.” But she didn’t move. He nuzzled her neck, and she sighed. Definite moments of perfection.

“There’s one right here. How amazing is that?” He covered her stomach with his hand.

She leaned back and looked down at him.

Declan’s hand slid up through her hair, and he pulled her face close so he was a little blurry. The scent of his cologne chased the lingering scent of nachos away.

…

Even in this noisy, crowded atmosphere, he managed to make her feel like they were alone. Just them. Regardless of what came at them. “You’re just about perfect.”

He laughed as he nipped at her bottom lip. “I’m not perfect. We’ll fight. We’re both too stubborn for us not to. But I figure the way I feel about you is what everyone meant when they kept saying I’d just know.”

With her heart hammering in her chest like a marching band, the words she longed to say tried to high dive off her tongue. But she’d said them before, and things had ended badly. Belly-flopping on cement badly.

“I might be addicted to you, Declan James.”

He grinned that sexy smirk that made her want to be alone with him. “Best news ever. Remember that, okay?”

She nodded, even though she didn’t really understand what he meant by that. As they made their way out of the arcade and drove back toward his home, she figured it out, though. Especially after he said he was getting hungry. When he pulled up in front of Pop’s, her heart tried to scramble in a hundred different directions.

“What are you doing?” She glared at him as he turned off the ignition.

Unclipping his seatbelt, he rested a forearm on the steering wheel. “Try not to be too mad. Your sister Viola texted me and asked if I could get you here.”

Sophia turned in her seat, anger—and fresh hurt— bubbling, at him and her sister. If her family wanted to talk to her, they should damn well do it, not go through Declan. She didn’t need everyone going behind her back to arrange her life or make her decisions.

He held up a hand. “I said I’d bring you. You don’t have to go in. But before you decide, know your dad and Marcus aren’t there today and your mom and both sisters are. On purpose. I know you have reason to be mad. Probably at me, too, but this is an olive branch, baby. Up to you whether you take it.”

Thickness in her throat made it hard to swallow. She looked out the passenger side window into the restaurant that was fairly quiet, with just a few tables full of families sharing pizzas. The sign, the decor, the counter, the menu…they all looked the same. Like her childhood had frozen in place and waited for her to return.

“Sophe? I didn’t know what to do. Please don’t be mad.”

Looking back at him, seeing the caring in his expression, her heart settled. “Next time just tell me, okay? If it’s you and me, Dec, then we have to be open.”

He nodded and leaned in to kiss her so sweetly it stole her breath. “Want me to come in?”

She pressed her lips together. Sophia felt stronger with him beside her, which she hoped didn’t make her seem weak. Still. There were always going to be roads she had to travel alone. It was good to have support, but she needed to be able to carry herself. Now more than ever.

Patting his hand, she shook her head. “No. I got this.”

“Yeah, you do.” The look in his eyes told her he believed that completely. He believed her. In her. It made it easier to believe in herself.

“I’ll see you later?”

“I’ll be at home. I could spend some time moving your stuff back there,” he said with a smile.

She laughed. “One major life event at a time, okay?”

“You got it. No rush.”

Sophia pressed her palm to her stomach. “No. None at all.”