Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
I truly can’t believe he’s telling me all of this right now.
Killian’s knee starts to bounce up and down. “So, one night, she comes home and says she missed her period again, and I freaked out. I fucking lost my mind and said she was cheating.” He starts to choke up. “She was so confused, so hurt I would lash out at her, so I just blurted out that I was sterile from my chemo and that if she was pregnant, she was cheating. We got into a huge fight, and she left me that night, no explanation, blocked my phone. I knew Hudson was still in contact with her. And sure enough. About a month later, maybe two, the band broke up and she started dating him.” His voice cracks. “They’re expecting their first child, as you so clearly saw.” He nods his head, tears run down his cheeks. “So, there you go, that’s it, that’s why I didn’t tell you. I was weak, afraid, just like I am now, I was a complete ass to her, but I’m happy for them, I really am. I’m sad that the band broke up because of my own inability to hold my shit together on top of us wanting to go our own directions, but at least they’re happy. I think I can find a bit of solace in that.”
I’m so stunned I can barely move. In all the secrets I thought he had, most of them included secret babies, drug usage, prison—nothing had anything to do with what he just confessed.
Slowly, I let go of his hand and stand to face him. “I’ll walk away. If you want me to, I’ll walk away.”
He jerks his head up, tears still streaming down his face. “What?”
“If you want me to, I’ll walk away, but only after my turn.”
“Your turn?”
“You see…” I hold my hands out in front of me, squeezing them together. “We all have secrets. When I was with Rob, I had a miscarriage, which caused me to have to go to the doctor, which also caused several examinations, which ended up explaining why I miscarried. My chances, after having the walls of my uterus painfully scraped when they discovered that I had the onset of uterine cancer, meant my chances of conceiving were less than one percent even if I took treatment.” I shrug. “Rob didn’t take the news well, you know, because it’s important to have someone with your bloodline.” I laugh. “He literally said that to me as I was holding my knees to my stomach crying from the pain and humiliation of staring a nurse down while she looked back at me like it was my fault, when I had nothing to do with it. My body rebelled, it’s as simple as that.” I swipe the tears from my own cheeks. “So, I’m telling you the same thing. If the broken you wants the broken me to walk away, I will, no questions asked, but Killian, I really, really, want you to ask me to stay.”
He jumps to his feet and pulls me into his embrace so tight that I can barely breathe. “It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not yours either,” I whisper back, holding him so close I feel his pain wrap around me like a blanket. Suffocating both of us, freeing us at the same time.
“Stay.” His lips move across my neck. “Please stay with me. Please don’t go.”
“If I stay, you stay.” We pull away from each other, I reach up and wipe the wetness from his cheeks. “You’re perfect the way you are. Plus, we do have Dustin to raise so…”
He bursts out laughing and rests his head against mine. “Might need to hire a nanny.”
“Maybe if we get him into organized sports?”
“Just not rugby, he’d die,” Killian agrees.
“Checkers could be a consideration. He can wear his bowties, make some sick ass moves with his hands, hey and I bet they have documents he can sign, he’ll probably cry.” I giggle and grab Killian’s collar. “Now, can you please kiss me and then fake marry me tomorrow?”
His smile falls.
“What? What’s wrong? More secrets? Oh no, you have a mistress?” I look around. “We’re on camera? Your agent’s pissed again?”
Killian drops to his knee and looks up at me. “A year ago, you asked me to sing for you. Today, I only have one question.”
My heart stops.
“Scarlett, will you marry me?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Killian
Scarlett’s eyes go wide.
I have no ring.
No special words.
Only one question.
“I’ll marry you!” Shouts Adrian from the right.
I shoot him a glare. “Kinda busy here, Adrian.”
“No, not that.” He winks at me. “I mean, I’ll marry you guys. I am a priest, so I can get the job done and we can do the official paperwork when you two get back. I’m sure Dustin has a guy for that.”