“I love you.”
My body warms at her words. I’ve been waiting so fucking long to hear her say that. “Say it again,” I beg, not caring if I sound pathetic.
“I love you, I love you, I love you … Edmund.”
I groan, chuckling against her. “Don’t go and ruin it for me.”
“I can’t believe your name is Edmund.”
“I can’t either.”
She pulls away enough to see my face. “I really thought it was Theodore and you were just messing with all of us.”
Throwing my head back with laughter, I say, “No, definitely not. You know you didn’t actually give me an answer.”
She laughs and I feel that sound through my entire body. It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve seen her, held her, but it feels like years. “I thought ‘I love you’ was answer enough.”
“I want to hear it, Van,” I plead.
She smiles, reaching up to trace her finger over the side of my jaw, over my chin, and then around my lips. “I want to be yours. For real this time. No take backs.”
“No take backs.”
I kiss her again, silently vowing to kiss her every single day for the rest of our lives. She deserves nothing but the best, and that’s what I’m going to be.
Epilogue
Six Years Later
Vanessa
Walking down the bustling Brooklyn streets, I can’t stop smiling to myself. I’m sure to anyone glancing my way as they pass by I look like I’ve lost my mind, but I’m so happy I can’t keep my smile contained.
My life is as close to perfect as one can get.
I have my dream job in Manhattan, working PR for a book publisher. I’ve been married to the love of my life for the past four years. We have a beautiful three-bedroom apartment that’s spacious for the city. Shortly after we graduated, just like he said he would Teddy sold his shares in his family’s business. Well, all but five-percent. I think there was a part of him that couldn’t fully part with what he always thought he’d have and that’s fine. Now, he owns a cookie food truck that’s become a hot spot throughout the area. And our relationship is solid. He’s my rock, my best friend, my lover.
Teddy McCallister is everything I didn’t know I wanted and everything I needed.
Walking up the steps to our building, envelope clutched to my chest, I take a breath to calm my excited nerves.
Teddy and I have been trying to get pregnant for two years now. After no luck, we finally got pregnant six months ago but it ended in a miscarriage at eight weeks. It was devastating for both of us and having to tell everyone we lost the baby was the worst kind of torture.
This time around, when I missed my period and took a test, I didn’t even tell Teddy. Not because I didn’t want to, but I saw how much it upset and stressed him after we lost our first baby, so I wanted to wait until I went to the doctor and got everything checked out. Sure, anything could still happen, but my doctor is optimistic so I’m choosing to focus on that.
Letting myself into the apartment, I’m met with my husband yelling after our pug—he surprised me with a puppy a year after we moved to the city, all because he remembered me telling him in the truck stop when we were first getting to know each other that I had always wanted a pug.
Teddy doesn’t forget a thing.
Closing the door behind me, I kick off my flats. Heels are in my bag, but I refuse to walk around the city in them, only slipping them on when I reach my office.
“Penny! Stop stealing my socks! This is why I don’t have any matching ones.”
He runs past me after the pudgy little pug, a hot pink sock with pizza slices on them clasped in her mouth.
I laugh at them, setting my bag down. My fingers flex around the envelope, excitement pulsing through my blood.
“Babe,” I call out. “Forget about the sock right now.”
“But—”
“Please.” I pout my bottom lip.
Penny wiggles her chubby butt beneath the couch, tail wagging victoriously.
He follows me into the kitchen, grabbing orange juice from the fridge and taking a drink. “How’d your doctor’s appointment go?”
I told him I wasn’t feeling great and had an appointment since I knew I’d be later than normal getting home from work.
Sitting at the counter—we don’t have room for a table—I slide the envelope across it. He eyes it, then me, a question lingering there.
“Take it.” I bite my lip, suppressing my smile.
He places his hand on it, hesitating. “You’re not sick-sick, are you?” The worry in his tone gives a tug on my heart.
“Not in that way, promise.”
He opens the envelope, pulling out the ultrasound that shows the tiny little bean living inside me. His eyes grow large, lips parted as he looks from it to me and back again. “You’re pregnant?” I burst into tears, nodding enthusiastically. “We’re having a baby?”
“Yes,” I gasp out. “It’s still early but … yes.” He pulls me off the stool, hugging me so tightly I can hardly breathe. He buries his face into my hair, his body shaking. “Babe? Are you crying?”
“Of course, I’m crying.” He doesn’t sound the least bit ashamed. “We’ve been waiting so long for this.” He holds my face tenderly between his hands, kissing me reverently. Then he drops to his knees, putting his hands on my stomach and kissing it through the fabric of my dress. “Hi, baby. I’m your daddy. You better hang tight in there and grow strong, because your mommy and I want to meet you so bad.”
I can’t help it when I start crying. I wish I could blame it on hormones, but it’s not that. Not getting pregnant was hard, losing our baby was torture, now we hang in the balance of being thrilled at being pregnant but terrified of what could happen.
“Don’t cry, Van.” He looks up at me from his knelt position. “The baby told me it’s here to stay. It can’t wait to meet you.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.” He stands, kissing me again and doing his best to erase my fears.
He wraps his arms around me, holding me, supporting me. “This baby is so lucky to have you for its daddy.”
“We’re the lucky ones, Van.”
I curl my fingers around his neck, tears coming anew. “You’re right.”
Placing my head against his chest, his heart thumps steadily against my ear. Who would’ve thought that Teddy McCallister would become my whole world and now we’re going to have a baby.
I used to a dream of a life like this.
The reality is even better.
Want even more Teddy and Vanessa? Check out this bonus epilogue and find out what happens next.
Haven’t read Mascen and Rory’s book yet? Read it now.
Want to know more about Cole and Zoey? Read it now.
What’s coming next in The Boys series?
Good Guys Don’t Lie (Cree’s Book)
Broken Boys Can’t Love (Jude’s Book)
More information coming soon.