Page 50 of Say We've Found Forever
“We took it from a clinic before she was born. Sara kept thinking something was wrong, and I kept telling her it was fine. That it was the stress. We took it to ease her worries. Turns out she was right all along. There was something wrong.”
“How did she…” Wyatt trails off, asking the same question that Addison’s been wondering.
“Don’t know. She started bleeding right after and didn’t stop. It happened so fast.”
When he sniffles, she realizes they’re doing more harm than they need to, grilling him about his dead wife. His loss is still raw, and they’re rubbing at the wound, looking for answers or reassurance.
Jeff takes a deep breath, picking up the ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting’ book and shoving it at Wyatt. “Here, you’ll need this one, man. I already have a copy.”
Wyatt takes it with a flustered look before he seems to remember that he claimed her as his wife in the heat of the moment. “Thanks. You got food? We can spare a few things.”
Jeff’s face lights up when Wyatt pulls out a few packaged snacks that he grabbed from the stash and hands them over. “It’s been rough lately. We’re heading to the coast before winter hits. Got family down there or at least, I hope we still do. Are you all aiming somewhere?”
“We don’t have a direction yet,” Wyatt lies. “We’ll have to see where we land. The whole world is wide open now, right? Plenty of options.”
“If by options you mean plenty of places to get eaten for dinner, then sure.”
Wyatt snorts.
“Are you um…staying the night here? For now?”
It’s a soft-spoken half plea that betrays how much Jeff doesn’t want to be alone. He’s not a fighter, that much is clear. He comes up to Wyatt’s shoulders and has a mild-mannered way about him. Not cut out for this world, Addison thinks sadly, knowing exactly what that feels like herself.
He wants safety in numbers. Judging by the bags under his eyes, he hasn’t slept much.
“We are staying.” She smiles. “Just tonight, though. Maybe we can all find a spot to rest in the study area? There are pillows and furniture in there.”
“But I thought we were—”
“It’ll be like camping,” Addison says, cutting off Emma, who has no idea why they’re not going back home, then turning her attention to Wyatt. “What do you think, honey? This is a good spot for now, right?”
He agrees right away, nodding softly while his eyes land on that baby laughing at her own hands. “For tonight.”
They’ll stay awhile and give someone a break because it’s the right thing to do. She could think of far worse places to sleep than in a library.
* * *
It’s getting cold at night. Emma runs hot, always has. She’s already shucked the blanket Addison gave her before falling asleep on the floor beside her. Addison, on the other hand, is freezing. Her toes are numb, and her fingers are getting there fast. Not even stealing Emma’s discarded blanket is enough. She shudders to think of how she’ll cope when winter truly hits.
She’s the only one with this problem tonight. Even Jeff and the baby seem unbothered, and Wyatt hasn’t made an effort tocover himself at all. Addison wants to grab the blanket behind him, but it feels selfish, so she stays put and tries not to shiver.
Wyatt takes one look at her and shakes his head as he grabs the lone blanket on a chair. “Here. I’m cold just watching you shake.”
“I’m fine,” she lies. Admitting a weakness is the last thing she wants to do when she’s already worried he’s about to leave them.
He levels her with a flat stare, holding the blanket out between them.
She only pouts, which is silly, but at this point, she’s hurt and confused by his recent behavior. Being stubborn is the only option, even if she longs for that extra warmth.
“I’m gonna put this on you.” It’s a warning that he’s about to be in her space, and if she has a problem with that, she needs to make it known.
She stays silent, eyes wide as he scoots closer and wraps the fluffy throw around her shoulders. Large hands give her upper arms a vigorous rub, encouraging her nerves to work again.
He’s matter-of-fact, but she’s touch-starved for affection. Even this small amount is enough to leave her speechless. It doesn’t help that they’re closer than they have been since the gun range. Her mind starts to wander down dangerous paths, wondering if the slope of his neck is soft to the touch. If he smells good because it’s true or because her hormones are compatible with his pheromones. If he’d touch her gently in…other ways, or if he’d be as brisk as he is now.
She has no idea what her face is doing, only that something shifts and his matter-of-fact approach fades into a nervous, hard wince.
“Better?” he grunts, dropping his hands.
