Still Here

I just knew I had to kiss them.

I reached for her chin and titled it up as I gazed into those full, barely parted, lips. I would have them. I bent down capturing her lips and pressing against them as my tongue invaded her mouth, tasting her. I wanted more than just a taste. So much more. But that would have to wait.

Tonight was about making her want more from me, making her realize just who I was and what I was capable of. I broke the kiss, and left her wanting more, her lips still parted, a flush in her cheeks.

“Wyatt,” her voice trailed off as she looked up at me through those thick lashes. Damn, she was so gorgeous.

“You up for a walk by the creek, or would you rather I take you home?” I asked, looking deep into those beautiful eyes. I wanted more time with her. More time next to her.

“A walk would be nice.”

I wanted to steal as many moments as I could, but my hip pocket started buzzing. God dammit. Why did he have to interrupt everything?

“Shoot, it’s my dad. I have to take this, work.” I cursed under my breath and looked up at her. She was flustered, her cheeks pink and her mouth turned up. She was just as angry as I was.

“You never change, do you?” she said, her voice soft and filled with contempt.

“What?” I asked, “Rose, I don’t have a choice. Just give me a minute, I’ll get rid of him.”

“That’s the same story I heard years ago. You never do, do you?” she asked again.

What the hell was her deal? She was all wound up and coming after me.

“I’m not the one who left. I’m not the one who walked out.” They were bitter words, and I knew it even as I said them. I should’ve held my tongue. Should’ve let her be mad.

But old wounds had a way of opening after all these years.

She stood there, her arms crossed as she watched me. She was angry and I wanted to apologize, but I set my jaw and turned. “I’ll send someone to take you home if that’s the way you feel.”

“Don’t bother, I can get there myself.” She turned away from me and started walking.

Dammit.

Chapter Fourteen

“You don’t understand. He just, he pushed me away. He stole the trust that we had,” I argued. I was trying to justify it. Trying to explain it. But I couldn’t. I was so angry, so hurt. Nothing else mattered to me except for the fact that he wasn’t there. He let me walk away like that, left me without anyone recourse.

He’d left me at that park, just let me walk away. Like I was nothing. Like a little fight was all that it was going to take to break us.

If that was the way he was I didn’t want anything to do with him. Forget him. I could raise this baby all on my own. He didn’t need to know about it.

“Rose, you’re angry. You push when you’re angry. I know it, you know it, all of Laurel knows it. You were like that in school and you’re like that now.” Jess reached out and tucked a small strand of hair behind my ear.

She knew me better than anyone else, but I wasn’t ready to admit it.

“Are you ready for this? It’s a big step,” she said as she looked up at the office sign from the parking lot. Dr. Foster and Associates - Family Medicine.

It was finally here. My first official appointment. The one where I got to see the baby. Got to hear it’s heartbeat.

I swallowed hard, tears stinging my eyes, but I willed them away. I wasn’t going to cry over him. Not one tear. Not one tiny little bit of sorrow. He didn’t deserve it.

“I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be,” I said as I opened the car door. She got out too and looped her arm in mine.

“It’ll be okay. It will all be okay.”

She must’ve known that I was thinking about turning and running because she held my arm firm as we walked together towards that office.

My entire world was about to change.

* * *

“There it is,” the doctor said as she pointed to the sonogram machine, a grin on her face. “Normally a technician will do these, but for your first appointment I make it a point to do them personally. She grinned. “You can see the little bugger right there, heartbeat strong as ever.”

I smiled and looked over at Jess. She held my hand the entire time, through the whole appointment.

She was a true friend. I didn’t have many of those, any, really. Except for her.

“And it’s okay?” I asked, the tears flowing freely. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe there was a little baby growing inside of me. I’d been trying to hard not to get my hopes up, not to let it consume me, but the proof was there.

“At this stage of development I would say you are in perfect health, Rose.” She confirmed, as she took pictures of the ultrasound, made measurements and then finally removed the wand. “I’ll step out for a moment and let you put your pants back on, but from this end everything looks exactly the way it should.