Page 95 of Hold 'Em Tight

“The baby,” Mateo whispers. “She’s really pregnant?"

“Yes.” The doctor nods.

“We’re having a baby.” Donny laughs. “We’re having a motherfucking baby!” he cheers.

Even though the guys all still look torn about me keeping secrets and lying, one by one, each of them starts to smile.

“Holy shit.” Colton runs a hand through his hair. “We’re going to be dads.”

“Who’s the pappy?” Donny asks with a big grin. “I’m the fucking pappy!”

Deep down, I’m thrilled about all of this. About still being pregnant. That I didn’t lose my sweet baby, and the fact that each of my men are excited. But I knew that. I always knew they would be. I just let my own fucked up mind control me.

Even so, I feel numb. Like there’s so much information for my mind to process, that it’s shutting down again.

Still clinging to Lennox, I hold a hand out toward Trevor, my lower lip quivering. If he doesn’t take it, I won't blame him. He should turn around and run. He deserves so much better than what I’ve given him.

But because he’s so damn amazing, like always, he takes my hand and sits on the other side of my bed. “I’m sorry.” I feel myself getting ready to cry again.

“I’msorry,” he says.

“Why?” I frown.

“Because this whole time you thought you lost the baby, and here I was, bringing it up all the time?—”

“Stop.” I shake my head. “Nope, we’re not going there.”

“But—”

“No.”

“Rylee.”

“No. You can speak all you want, if it’s telling me where to go and how to fucking get there, but you will not blame yourself. Not one bit.”

He licks his lips and nods. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I say again. “I never should have asked you to keep something so big a secret. I put you in a bad spot. I had no right.”

“It was a complicated situation. No matter how we look at it, it is what it is. What matters now is that everyone knows and we have to figure out how to move forward.”

I look around the room, and all of my guys’ eyes are on me. There’s still so much left unsaid, and there’s plenty of conversations that we need to have.

“I know I keep saying this, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less true. I’m sorry for not telling you. I was wrong. And no matter what I say, it won’t change that. If you don’t want anything to do with me, I’ll understand. I just want you to be in this baby's life.”

“Cherry.” Donny snorts, shaking his head. “Don’t you think for a moment, in that pretty little head of yours, that any of us are going anywhere. If we can forgive this fucker for what we thought he did, what you did is nothing.”

“Speak for yourself,” Mateo growls. “Don’t think you're going to get off that easily.” My stomach sinks. He steps forward and leans down, getting in my face. “You’ve been really fucking naughty, Rylee. Understand me?”

“Yes.” I nod eagerly, though I'm not entirely sure what is going on right now. His expression isn’t exactly anger anymore, but more… lust?

Okay, I really need some sleep. I’m fucking delusional right now.

“This isn’t going to be something we push under the rug. What you did, it’s big,” Colton says, and I get that sinking feeling in my stomach again. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t forgive you. It’s just going to take time. We love you. So fucking much. We just want you to love us enough to trust us with stuff like this, okay? I understand you thought you were protecting us, but we’re a family, Rylee. It’s the same thing we said to Lennox. Family sticks by one another's side. We’re there for the good and the bad. You just need to let us have that chance to show you. We can’t do that if you're not honest.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. We all do.”