Page 81 of Louder Than Words

“I’m so sorry,” she chokes out, the words tangled in another sob.

“You never need to apologize, Allie,” I say, my voice breaking as I hold her tighter. “Especially not for making me a dad.”

Her body rips away from me, eyes locking on mine, eyebrows drawn tight.

“Wha—”

She doesn’t finish as she scrambles for the test, where two very dark lines practically scream at us.

Tears stream down both of our cheeks now as we look over the test together.

Her hand covers her mouth as her eyes rise to meet mine. “We’re gonna have a baby?”

I nod, pressing our foreheads together. My hand cups the back of her head, threading fingers through her hair.

“We’re having a baby.”

33

Allie

I don’t think I’ve ever been this obsessed with watching someone sleep.

Well, except for the girls. They were impossible not to watch. The quiet breaths slipping past their lips, the tiny lift at the corners of their mouths, the way their lashes fluttered like they were dreaming of something sweet. Every bit of it was addicting.

And now, I get to experience it all over again. But this time? This time, it’s with someone who wants it just as badly as I do.

I study the freckles dusting across Jax’s eyes, counting each time his chest rises and falls in perfect rhythm. Completely absorbed in the fact that—

I’mhappy.

Utterly, undeniably, breathtakingly happy.

And it’s all because of this man lying beside me in my queen-size bed.

Leaning in, I press my lips softly against his hair and he stirs.

Jax blinks up at me through half-lidded eyes, and for a second, I almost feel bad for waking him—until he gives me that lazy, warm smile that makes my heart feel like it’s floating. It almost makes waiting months for this worth it. Months without him staying over while he was recording, and with the girls at Trevor’s, I’m finally able to have him here, next to me in my bed instead of a hotel.

“Well, good morning,” he says, voice rough with sleep, which is unfairly sexy this early in the morning, especially with that accent.

“Mornin’ yourself,” I murmur, smiling back.

He stretches, his arms reaching over his head as one lands behind me. “How are you feeling?” he asks, his hand brushing gently along my arm.

I shrug. “A little better. I don’t want to jinx it, but so far, so good.”

He nods once. “Good.” Then he leans in to kiss my forehead before climbing out of bed.

I gape as he slides into a pair of gray sweats that hang dangerously low on his hips, just enough to short-circuit my brain and almost make me forget he jumped out of bed like the house was on fire.

“Wait—where are you going?” I ask, shaking my head.

He smirks. “To make you breakfast while there’s a chance you’ll actually eat something and keep it down.”

I can’t tell if it’s the hormones or if my life really has been this deprived of kindness, but suddenly—I’mcrying.

Tears blur my vision as his face falls. He’s back at my side in an instant, hands finding mine.