Page 141 of Nineteen Letters

He turns me in his arms so I’m facing him and pulls a small black box from his pocket. “I was going to give this to you tonight, but I want you to have it now. Happy nineteenth anniversary, sweetheart.”

My hands tremble slightly as I take hold of the box. That’s when I remember that today we have been married for nineteen days, and a huge smile breaks out on my face.

Tears of happiness pool in my eyes as I open the lid. Inside, I find a white-gold necklace that’s holding a diamond-encrusted number-nineteen pendant.

“Oh, Braxton, it’s beautiful. I love it,” I say as my gaze moves from the necklace back to him. “I love you.”

He smiles as he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Jem.”

“Same.”

A lump forms in my throat and I feel like I’m choking back tears, so I use my hand to fan my eyes; I don’t have time to redo my make-up.

Taking the box out of my hand, he removes the necklace. “Turn around and hold up your hair.” I do as he asks, gathering my long brown hair on top of my head so he can fasten the necklace. “Perfect,” he says, planting a soft kiss on my skin at the base of my neck.

My fingertips glide over the pendant as I admire it in the mirror. “Thank you … I’ll treasure it.”

Sliding his arms around my waist again, he rests his chin on my shoulder, and his eyes meet mine in the mirror. “You know, I’ve been thinking …”

“That could be dangerous.”

I laugh when he pokes my side. “I want you to stop taking the pill.”

I feel my heartbeat speed up as I swing around to face him. “You do?”

“Yes. It’s time we gave it another try, Jem. I want to see our baby growing inside you.”

Opening my eyes, I bolt upright.I remember. Well, I think I do. There is only one way to know for sure.

Flicking back the covers, I jump out of bed and scamper around in the dark, looking for my phone. My head is spinning.I need to call Braxton. I need to know if that’s really what happened that morning, or if it was just a dream.

When I finally find my phone, I turn it on and the brightness of the screen hurts my eyes. I see it’s almost midnight. I feel breathless as I find his number. I probably shouldn’t ring him at this hour, but I’m desperate for answers. There’s no way I can go back to sleep until I know.

“Hi, this is Braxton, I can’t take your call at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible …”My heart sinks.

I switch on the light and pace back and forth in my room and then decide, screw it, I’m going over there. I can’t wait until morning.

I don’t even bother to take off my pyjamas, I just slide into a pair of jeans and pull a jacket out of the wardrobe. I’m already dialling the taxi as I rush down the stairs and slip outside into the darkness. Twenty-five minutes later, the driver turns onto Braxton’s street.

“It’s number nineteen,” I tell him, a smile creeping onto my face.

I pat down my pockets when we come to a stop outside his house. “Shit! I’ve left my money at home. Can you just give me a second? My husband will fix up the bill.”My husband, those words are not lost on me.

His house is in darkness when I reach the front door, and suddenly I’m second-guessing myself. It’s the middle of the night. Nevertheless, I raise my hand and knock. I hear Bella-Rose bark from inside, and a few minutes later, the porch light comes on.

The first thing I see is the surprise on Braxton’s face when he opens the door. “Jemma.” My eyes move down his body. He’s shirtless and has a grey pair of sweats hanging low on his hips.He looks just as beautiful as he did in my dream. “Jemma … is everything okay?”

My eyes snap back up to his face. “I need money to pay the taxi driver.” I point over my shoulder. “I can pay you back. I forgot to bring my purse.”

“Sure, give me a second. I’ll grab my wallet.” He steps back and opens the door further. “Come in, it’s cold out there.” A minute later, he comes bounding back down the stairs, now wearing a T-shirt. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Braxton closes the front door behind him when he returns and comes to a stop in front of me, shoving his hands in his pockets.

It’s so good to see him.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he replies, smiling.