Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
“Can’t believe I didn’t notice this,” he uttered, eyeing her stomach.
Like he could read her thoughts.
“I clock everything about you, every second I fucking can, and I didn’t even see what was happening right in front of my face.”
“I know it’s not what anyone else wants me to do,” she whispered, “but I want it, Nico.”
“I know, babe.”
“And why can’t I still do the things I want to do? Who says I can’t play soccer with my baby on the sidelines? Who says I can’t attend NYU and play for them? Who says I can’t?”
“No one.”
She stilled, then. “W-what?”
Nico shook his head, grabbing her face again to stroke her cheek with swipes of his shaking fingers while she stared up at him. “No one says that. No one thinks that. No one will make you do anything, but exactly what you want to do and can handle. Just so that’s clear, okay?”
“But—”
“No buts. I know you heard things your father said last night, but here’s the thing. He was mad, and we say shit we don’t mean when we’re mad because we’re just trying to get all the stuff that scares us out of our heads so we can think clearly and get back to what’s most important. I know what you heard, but that’s not what he meant to say. I know it, because I felt like that, too, standing there while you admitted what you’d done to Carina. I felt the same way, but I just didn’t say it to you until later. And I didn’t mean it, anyway. Just because I’m scared how life is gonna look for me and you in a few years doesn’t mean that’s what’ll happen.”
She remained silent.
Nico continued, “If you want to go to school next fall and be a mom, okay. We’ll make it work. If you want to go to the training camp for Team USA next winter, then you’ll go. Who cares if you miss it this year? If they want you now, they’ll want you in a year. Or two. Fuck, I will have a jet on standby to be there every weekend with the baby, so you don’t even have to travel back and forth if you don’t want to.”
“That’s what, a hundred grand a flight every week? Where’s your money, babe?”
Nico smirked. “Oh, don’t worry. I can always make money. I always am. That’s never been a problem for me.”
“You’re wild.”
“For you.”
“I don’t think I could leave the baby for that long,” she admitted.
“Okay, then we get a nanny. And she goes with you and the baby. You will do everything you want to do, and more, and I will make sure of it. Your father? Carina? Everybody on this fucking property? Frankie, they will make it happen, too. I’m telling you.”
“What about you?” she asked. “What do you want? Where are you in this whole plan, Nico?”
“I told you last night. I got what I want.”
She rolled her eyes that time. He tickled her in response.
“Stop,” she gasped.
He did. The moment she said so.
Dropping down to dot kisses across her closed eyelids and along the bridge of her nose, he murmured, “I’ve got you—you’re mine. That baby’s mine. I meant what I said when you woke up, I’m just trying to figure out if the woman who screamed at me that she would marry me is still the same one here with me right now. That’s all I care about.”
“Your dad won’t react like mine,” she whispered back, keeping her eyes closed. She didn’t want to see his face after saying that.
“Until I’m told otherwise, I’m not bringing the news to my father.”
So much for closed eyes. Frankie opened wide. “What?”
“I’m not telling him.”
“Ever?”
Nico shrugged. “I mean, eventually. But right now, there’s no need, your father told me not to, and I don’t really mind. One less thing to deal with, honestly.”
“Oh.”
He peered down at her, curious.
“Why’d you say it like that? All sad and...sad.”
She chewed on her lip, trying to make sense of her own thoughts and feelings. “I just thought...”
“What?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Nothing you think is stupid to me, Frankie. When are you gonna figure that out?”
“Probably the same time I learn how to control my anger.”
Which was never, considering the way she handled everything recently.
He gave her a look. “Yeah, that’s another thing you forgot when I asked what we agreed on last night. Did you actually forget, or just—”
“I need to respect you like you respect me. I can’t be throwing shit at you or hitting you for any reason. If I do it again, we’re going to reevaluate what we want together.”
She didn’t know what reevaluating anything meant. But it scared her to death that it would end up with them not together. Which was fair—he had every right to make that call.