“It’s bad luck,” my sister tells me, stepping up to my side and resting her hand on my shoulder.
“I don’t care.” I hold her gaze for a moment, then watch her sigh.
“Come on, July. We’re not going to be able to stop him.”
“But—” July starts, and Melanie shakes her head, pulling her away as she sputters in disbelief.
Without a backward glance, I head through another set of closed doors, and as soon as I step into the room, my mom and November, who are both standing near April, turn my way.
“We’ll wait outside,” Mom tells her, and April nods, then gives her mom a hug, and a moment later, I hear the door close behind me.
My heart lodges in my throat as I stare at her across the distance between us.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she whispers, the worry in her tone setting my teeth on edge. The idea that she doesn’t want to marry me, doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life with me, is enough to send me over the edge. My whole life, I’ve been waiting for this moment without even knowing it, and finally it’s here right within my grasp.
“You we’re supposed to meet me down on the beach twenty minutes ago.” I take a step toward her, and she takes a step back. “I’m not letting you out of this.” I take another step, lessening the distance between us. “You said you would marry me, and I’m holding you to that promise.”
“I’m pregnant.”
My entire world stops on those two words, and every cell in my body becomes hyperaware of her—every move, every breath she takes.
“I thought I might be, but I found out for sure just a little bit ago.” She glances down at her hands in front of her that seem to be shaking. “I know this isn’t want we wanted. I know that you wanted—”
“You,” I cut her off before she can say more. “All I want and ever wanted is you and the life we build together.” I take the last few steps, closing the final few feet keeping us apart.
“We had a plan.” I hear the tears in her voice as I pull her against me, and her arms wrap around my waist.
“Now we’ll make a new plan.” I lean back just enough to see her face and swipe the tears from under her eyes with my thumb, then let my hand drop to rest against her flat stomach. “I knew I loved you long before the words were ever spoken, knew you were my future before I put a ring on your finger, so it seems only right that a life we didn’t know we created took root before we planned for it.” I dip my head to press a kiss to her soft lips. “The most amazing things to happen in my life have been unplanned, so this is happening right when it’s meant to.”
“You’re going to make me ruin my mascara if it isn’t already.” Her bottom lip trembles, and I shake my head.
“You look perfect,” I assure her, then press my forehead against hers. “Now, will you come downstairs and fucking marry me already?”
“Yes.” She laughs, resting her palms against my chest. “And I was coming. I just got sick, so I had to have your mom and mine help me fix my hair and makeup.” She shakes her head. “Did you really think I left you standing at the altar?”
“When you didn’t show up, I wasn’t sure what to think, but I knew if you were getting cold feet, I wasn’t giving you the chance to run off. ” I palm her cheek and smooth my thumb over her bottom lip. “We’re having a baby?”
“Apparently.” She drags in a deep breath, then looks down at her stomach, covering it with her hand. “It doesn’t seem real.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“No more tears until after we say I do.” I touch my mouth to hers, then take a step back. “I’ll see you on the beach.”
“Okay,” she whispers, and I kiss her once more, then head out of the room. And not surprising, I can tell the women on the opposite side of the door have been eavesdropping.
“See you all downstairs.”
I head back down to the beach, then ten minutes later, with the sun setting, she walks toward me, seeming to glow. The first time I ever saw her, I thought she was beautiful, but with her hair up, wearing a form-fitting white dress that is molded to her body, with her makeup done to perfection, she absolutely takes my breath away.
And as we say our vows in front of our friends and family with our little one safely growing in her belly, I place my hand on her stomach, feeling overwhelmed by pride, fear, possessiveness, and a love so deep that I wonder if I’ll drown in it.
April
Approximately two years later
“MY DADA.” MALIA, my beautiful two-year-old daughter with dark hair just like her daddy’s and eyes the same color of mine, grabs Maxim’s hand off of my thigh where he rested it, then pulls it up to her face, holding it there while glaring at me.
Hearing her dad laugh, I give him the dirtiest look I can muster up, when all I really want to do is melt into a puddle of goo at the sight of him and our daughter together.
Truth be told, when I took that pregnancy test on our wedding day and it came back positive, I felt like I was going to be missing out on all the things I had been looking forward to. Little did I know that I was getting something greater than I could have ever imagined.
Now, instead of traveling the world and going on grand vacations, our days involve early pancake breakfasts at home, chalk in the driveway in the late afternoons, finger painting before dinner, and a dozen other activities to keep Malia occupied throughout the days.
And because of our sweet girl, I finally understand why my mom always seemed so content to just be a mom and wife. Within my own little family, I’ve found a different kind of happiness, one I didn’t know existed. A happiness wrapped in baby giggles, stolen kisses, sticky fingers, date nights in bed, family Halloween costumes, midnight showers, and a million other little things that mean nothing but also mean everything.
But maybe that is the point of life—understanding that all the best parts are tied up in moments we don’t think much of at the time.
The End
A big thank you to my husband for thinking up the perfect match for April, she needed someone strong and Maxim is perfect for her.
About the Author
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose wildly popular series include the Until, Until Him, Until Her, Fluke My Life, Underground Kings, How to Catch an Alpha, and Shooting Stars series.
Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.
For more information on Reynolds’s latest books or to connect with her, contact her at [email protected]
To order signed books go to AuroraRoseReynolds.com E-mail at [email protected]. Instagram @AuroraroserFacebook AuthorAuroraRoseReynoldsTwitter @Auroraroser
Other Books By Aurora Rose Reynolds
The Until Series
Until November
Until Trevor
Until Lilly
Until Nico