Page 119 of Rebellious Hearts

I tried not to be too terrified of what the response would be.

All I was going to do was to tell her the truth, to tell her how I felt, and let the cards fall where they may.

It was so much easier said than done, and by the time I stopped in front of her apartment building, my stomach was a knot of nerves, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

Was this what it had felt like for Sofia to tell me that she was pregnant?

I’d been such a selfish, narrow-minded fool. I’d only seenmyside of things.

But that was going to change here and now.

Even if she turned me down, which I was almost fucking sure she was going to do.

When I knocked on the door, my stomach twisted and turned again. My face burned hot. I breathed hard with the adrenaline of speeding through the city and standing here ready to bare it all.

She took forever to answer the door. I knocked a second time, almost sure that she wasn’t in.

My heart sank a little. But I could wait here for her until—

The door opened, and Sofia stood in front of me. Her hair was disheveled as if she’d been sleeping, and her skin was pale. Her gray eyes, always so striking, were confused.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep on the couch,” she said. She touched her hand to her hair. “I probably look like crap.”

“You look beautiful,” I blurted out. “You’llalwayslook beautiful, no matter what you do.”

Her eyes widened a little. “Ben…”

“Can I come in?” My heart fluttered in my chest and it was getting harder to breathe. Damn it, I’d done so many scary things in my life and I hadn’t batted an eyelid, but talking to the girl I was in love with scared the living shit out of me.

She nodded and opened her door a little wider so I could step in.

The curtains were drawn, and a blanket was rumpled on the couch. There were cups on the coffee table.

“I didn’t get a chance to clean,” she said and looked embarrassed.

“It’s fine,” I said. “Really. How are you? Are you okay?”

She shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. I’m fine. I guess. Sick a lot, and so tired, but apparently that will pass in a couple of weeks.” She glanced at me.

“Have you been to the doctor?” I asked, suddenly concerned.

She shook her head. “I wasn’t… ready.”

I nodded slowly. “We should get you an appointment as quickly as possible.”

Her eyebrows knitted together. “We?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Sofia, I’m not going anywhere. I want to be here for this. And not just the baby, either. All of it.”

“But you said—”

“I was a total dickhead. I was caught up in my own nightmares and feeling sorry for myself. I let my past dictate my future andI nearly let the best thing that ever happened to me slip through my fingers because of it.”

She just looked at me with those eyes that could melt my heart—and freeze it at the same time.

“Did you see the press release?”

“I did,” she said. “It’s so great that you’re going to do the project even if Richie isn’t involved. I really think the people need it.”