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"After the wedding, everything would have been over anyway." The contract had only stipulated that I appear as Carter's fiancée at the celebration and receive $50,000 for it.
Carter looked at me heatedly. Even now on the dimly lit street, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. "Forget the contract. I..." He swallowed. "I only want you. It's been that way the whole time. I just didn't want to admit it because it scared me so much. I'd rather chase you away than confront my fears."
Speechless, I stared at Carter. I had never heard such words from a man before. He... he was laying his innermost self bare before me, and I wanted so badly to believe him. But there was still one thing that needed to be cleared up.
No, two.
"So you didn't... reconcile with Abigail?" I asked again. I just had to be sure about this matter.
"What makes you think that?" Carter's voice couldn't have sounded more surprised.
"At the wedding, Abigail told me that she... that you... well, just before we in the office..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence properly. But Carter understood me anyway.
"Of course I didn't reconcile with her. As I said, I'm glad to be rid of Abigail. I... I don't want to lie to you or hide anything from you." Carter cleared his throat. "After the wedding, Abigail tried to hook up with me one last time. She came to my house."
With a pounding heart, I looked at Carter. He continued: "I made it clear to Abigail that she should never contact me again. This time she understood. From what I've heard, she's gone on a trip to Europe with her father." Carter shrugged. "Maybe she'll have more success with men there."
I didn't know what to say.
Carter swallowed. "You can't imagine how happy I am that I found you, Isabella. I... I love you. Can you forgive me?" Carter looked at me pleadingly.
I would have gladly thrown myself into his arms right away. I looked at him seriously. "There's something else I need to tell you."
Carter's eyes flickered strangely and his voice sounded tense. "What?"
I considered how best to tell him that...
"I'm pregnant," I blurted out.
Carter didn't move an inch.
My heart skipped a beat.
It was over.
The end.
He didn't like children.
He didn't want me like this.
"You're going to be a father," I added dejectedly.
"I'm going to be a father?" Carter looked at me in disbelief.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Oh... oh... oh... I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!" Carter shouted at that moment so loudly that passersby on the sidewalk turned to look at us. "I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER."
Then he pulled me into his arms and buried his face in the crook of my neck. I breathed in his masculine scent and felt his athletic body press against me.
"You're simply amazing, Isabella Abbott. You rear-ending me at a green light that day was the greatest luck of my life."
"Wait a minute... the light was green?" I stared at Carter.
He grinned. "Yes. And luckily, I was so distracted that I didn't drive off."
After a millisecond, I laughed. "Then I'm not such a bad driver after all."