Page 37 of A Minute Past Midnight

An hour later, she came out of the bathroom with steam trailing behind her, her hair still damp from her bath. My shirt swallowed her whole and hung loosely against her body. The sleeves covered most of her arms.

And damn.

I didn’t say a word.

I didn’t have to.

My eyes followed her as she crossed the room, taking in every soft movement until she looked up at me. Whatever I was feeling must’ve been written all over my face because a small smile touched her lips.

Smitten.

That was the only word for it.

I reached over and turned the lights down low before climbing beneath the covers. She joined me moments later, but somehow, she managed to put an entire country’s worth of distance between us.

I frowned. “Nah,” I muttered, reaching for her. She let out a soft laugh as I pulled her against me, fitting her back snugly against my chest. My hand settled over her stomach, rubbing slow, gentle circles as the room grew quiet.

“Sweet dreams, Cinderella.”

“Same to you, Prince Charming.”

I smiled.

Her breathing eventually evened out.

Mine followed soon after.

And with her tucked safely against me, wearing my shirt like she belonged in it, I let my eyes close and fell asleep with the only woman I wanted in my arms.

The Next Morning

I woke up before her.

For a few seconds, I didn’t move.

Juliana was curled on her side with her body turned toward me, my shirt still hanging loosely from her body, her hair was spread across my pillow, and her face looked peaceful in a way I hadn’t seen much since meeting her.

I just stared like a creep.

Did the Big Homie really bless me with this woman?

The thought came out of nowhere, but it stayed. I’d known Juliana for three minutes it felt like. Hell, there were people I’d known for years that I trusted less than I trusted her. Yet, in what felt like the blink of an eye, she had become important to me.

Important enough that I found myself waking up just to make sure she was still beside me.

Important enough that I was going to be a father.

I looked down at her stomach before my eyes slowly traveled back to her face.

A baby.

We were having a baby together. I was having a baby with a woman I barely knew.

That should’ve scared the fuck out of me, but every time I thought about it, I felt something else too: hope.

I slowly reached over and pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

“Please let this shit work,” I whispered.