Officially Over It - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,59

sale—helmet prices were ridiculous. And I’d seen this one driving down the road with him on the way home from visiting the baby one day.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he kissed me.

Later that night, after I’d gotten into bed and Nathan had crawled in beside me, he’d startled me by saying, “I want this to be real.”

I’d lain there in shock for a few long seconds as I’d processed his words.

“You want what to be real?” I asked carefully.

“I want you and me to be real.” I heard his head move on the pillow, but since it was so dark, I couldn’t see his face. “I want this to be a real marriage. I want you to fall in love with me.”

Too late.

Way, too late.

“I know it’s early yet,” he continued. “I know that this is something that is likely not going to happen overnight. But I want this marriage.”

He was saying all the right words, and he had no fucking clue that he was doing it, did he?

“I…” I paused. “I’d do just about anything for you, Nathan. Even marry you, have a baby that wasn’t mine, and deal with you having the scariest job on the planet.”

I didn’t say that I already loved him, though.

I had to make sure that what he said was true.

I knew that he wanted them to be true. I knew that he had great intentions. But I had to guard my heart or he’d break it.

“So you’re willing to give this,” he said, placing my hand on his heart, “a try?”

“Am I willing to try to fall in love with you?” I asked curiously.

He hummed in agreement. “Yes.”

I felt tears welling in my eyes at his words. “Then yes. I’d be willing to give anything a try.”

I’d be willing to give you the heart right out of my gaping chest if that was what you asked for.

Chapter 21

I know life is unfair, but this is fucking absurd.

-T-shirt

Reggie

“I’m sorry, but what?” I asked, thinking that I hadn’t heard it correctly.

“Your drug dealer friend was let out on bail, and they gave him the kid,” Nathan repeated. “Can you believe that?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “That’s… irrational. What the absolute hell were they thinking?”

“I have no clue,” Nathan admitted, sounding much more tired than when he’d left this morning. “Are you headed to the NICU?”

Since Nathan was working tonight, I had the day to spend with my little guy all on my own.

The only problem was I’d have to pass Eerie all by myself on the way in and her way out.

It was going to be grand, I just knew it.

I also knew that she wouldn’t leave until I got there. She ‘didn’t want to leave him alone.’

More likely, she just wanted to make things difficult for us.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “I’m about to get in the elevator now.”

“I also asked Dare’s lawyer to give you a call. He said he had some important news to share but needed to call me back. I’m literally about to walk into a meeting with Luke and the rest of the SWAT team, so I can’t talk to him when he calls back,” he apologized.

“It’s fine. I’m not doing anything today,” I said. “But I’m getting into the elevator, the call’s gonna drop any second.”

He laughed and said goodbye, disconnecting just before my phone went dead.

I rolled my eyes.

The hospital was like a dead zone. The moment that I entered the building it started acting sketchy.

The moment you rose up above the second floor, things got really crappy.

Which was why, as I was stepping off the elevator, I was kind of surprised to find my phone ringing.

“Hello?” I answered, not recognizing the phone number.

“This is Darren’s lawyer, Prater?” Mr. Prater, who was former military, said with an authoritative voice. “I’m calling for Regina Cox?”

“This is she,” I said. “How are you today, Mr. Prater?”

“I’m well, thank you for asking,” he said. “I have some news on the DNA test.”

My brows furrowed. “Really? What’s the news?”

Yesterday when the baby’s lawyer had sent this stuff to his lab. I hadn’t expected to hear back from them so fast. But when the judge had said that it would be expedited, she wasn’t kidding around!

“The DNA provided is a match for the father. However, the DNA that you gave us for the mother is not a match. The potential mother’s DNA that you gave us isn’t related to her at all,” Mr. Prater