Page 77 of Broken & Bound

The promise to Bella gnawed quietly at my insides. I stared at Allison. Then at the floor. Then back at her. God forgive me. I needed someone. The words practically tumbled from my lips the second I admitted that to myself.

“She’s pregnant.”

“Your dog?”

“I don’t have a dog. You know this,” I quirked.

She nodded. “I see. Unexpected I assume?”

I half shrugged but nodded all the same. Maybe it had been unexpected for Isabella. But for me? Somewhere between planning a future together and imagining what our life would look like once we got home, I’d started wanting more.

“She doesn’t want to keep the baby.”

“Oh shit. I made the opposite assumption. That you didn’t want it and she did.”

Her expression softened with understanding. She drew her legs up and sat criss-cross from me on the opposite end of the couch.

“And that is the crux of the issue. I want this baby with everything in me.”

“That’s tough, man.”

“It’s her body, her choice. I get that, I honestly do. I would never try to change her mind. But at the same time, it’s killing me.”

She nodded, listening intently. “It sounds like a difficult situation. Have you talked to her about how you feel?”

A hollow laugh escaped. “I tried to…” The words stalled, and I had to look away. “It didn’t go well. I’m not supposed to be talking about it, but I…I…”

The rest refused to come out. I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling.

Fucking breathe.

The familiar sting blurred behind my eyes. For several seconds, all I could do was focus on not completely falling apart in front of her. “I’m devastated.”

The admission barely made it out. Then I felt her hand caress mine.

“Pasha, I can tell you as someone who had to make that same decision, it isn’t easy. At least it wasn’t for me. Can’t speak to your lady friend—”

My head snapped toward her. For a moment, I simply stared. I wasn’t sure what surprised me more. The revelation itself. Or the fact she’d trusted me enough to share it.

“She’s struggling,” I offered.

Because for all my hurt, I’d never once believed this was easy for Isabella. Allison studied me for a long moment. She was pensive, as though she were putting puzzle pieces together. Finally, she nodded.

“Yeah, I can imagine.”

Her gaze drifted toward the floor for a moment. “You know I moved here from Seattle, right?”

“Yeah,” I answered, sitting forward.

“I left behind a stalker. My abusive ex. I get my situation was different, but it tore me up for a long while. The truth was, I wasn’t willing to risk it. I didn’t want to have to deal with him ever again. Maybe if I’d met the Kings sooner…”

“I’m sorry, Allison. I didn’t know.”

She shrugged, a sad smile on her lips. “I don’t talk about often. Only with Dr. Marcel. But I wanted you to know that maybe your girl’s decision stems from a deeper place.”

“From where, though? She knows I’ll be there. She knows I want all of it. Marriage. Kids. The whole thing. I would lay down my life for her.”

Allison smiled sadly. “You’re still talking about what you want. What you can give her.”