Chapter Forty

 

Darius turned over in the empty bed without opening his eyes. He’d heard her get up over an hour ago. Stalling never solved anything and time wasn’t for sale. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands.

“There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up.”

“Why are you up so early; it’s only seven?”

“I’ve got to get some stuff done at the gallery. With only two more weeks left, I want to make sure Henri and Amanda can take care of everything while I’m away.”

She’d changed into the shortest shirt ever made. The top half of her stomach was covered and the round smooth skin on the underside gleamed like sun on water. Her panties covered the small patch between her legs. “You make pregnant look so sexy, I’d like to keep you that way.”

She put her hand on her hip and pushed out her round tush. “I may make this look easy, but believe me, it’s not. My body will need a few years to recoup after this.”

He pulled her down on top of him and ran his hands inside her panties. She squealed as he grabbed her firm butt cheeks and squeezed. “I can’t get enough of you.”

“And I thought I was the only one affected by my pregnancy. I see you kinda like all this extra stuff, don’t you?”

“Melissa, I like everything about you. It may have taken me more time than it should have to realize how much you mean to me, but now, I know I want to fight for us.”

She grew still and rolled off him onto the mattress. For several moments, neither of them said anything. The only sound was Turbo licking his big, hairy paw.

“I know we need to have this conversation. I’ve been thinking about us too.”

“My mom’s comment last night upset you, didn’t it? I saw you coming out of the bathroom with your sisters and Pam. You were upset,” he said while still lying on his back.

“Not by her comment. But, we’ve been playing house. The last few months have been so nice, I just pretended this was real. I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know if I can tell reality from make-believe.”

“Why can’t what we’re doing be our real life now? If we both want this life, then what’s stopping us from living it?”

She pulled on her bottom lip with her teeth before scrambling off the bed and beyond his reach. “I got to get going. My meeting…” She ran into the bathroom and closed the door.

He opened the door just as she turned on the shower and stepped into the stall. “Darius, I really don’t have time for this conversation this morning. Can’t we talk when I get home tonight? And put on some clothes.” She turned her back to him.

“I’m not going away, Melissa. I’ll be here when you get home. I’ll be here tomorrow morning and the morning after that.” He stood just outside the shower with his hands on the top of the door.

“Please don’t come in here, Darius.”

He opened the door and stepped in behind her. She dropped the soap at his feet. Either she was crying or water from the shower ran down her face.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“I know. I’m just not ready,” she pleaded with him.

“Ready for what? I’m not asking you to do anything. Just love me and let me love you.”

“We’ve been trying for five years. Nothing is different now except you knocked me up.”

“I’m different. Can’t you tell?”

“Yeah, but for how long? Until the next phone call from Dan, or the next tour, or awards show, or the next something.” Her voice grew louder with each accusation, and he deserved each one. But, he couldn’t apologize again.

“You just have to trust me. Believe when I tell you this time, I’ll be different.”

Water splashed over them. Steam clouded the clear glass. She stood perfectly still, her arms clamped to her sides.

A stream of water trailed over her shoulder and over her breast. Her nipple hardened, but she didn’t move. Her eyes never left his face.

“If my word isn’t enough, I don’t know what else I can give you.” He held her tight as she released the sob she must have been holding back.