Page 137 of Rebellious Hearts

This was what happiness felt like. This was what it meant to be one half of a whole, to have the person who completed you by your side.

Being able to do it alone was a feat. Not needing someone had always been the goal.

But the truth was that being with Ben was better than that. Besides, I didn’t need him.

I wanted him.

And that changed everything.

EPILOGUE - SOFIA

7 Months Later

“This was a great idea,” I said when we climbed out of the car that had taken us to the villa.

“I told you,” Ben said with a grin and lifted my hand to his mouth, planting kisses on my knuckles. “You need to be able to breathe before the big day.”

I ran my hand over my belly. I was nine months pregnant, and I felt as big as a whale. My ankles were swollen, I had constant heartburn, and I’d gone on maternity leave a month ago already.

Ben had insisted that we come out to the Maldives for a babymoon. I’d been against it, wanting to just stay home and watch TV, but he’d insisted.

And I was glad he had.

The villa we’d stayed in for the past couple of days was incredible. It was a luxurious retreat on Hulhulé Island. Palm trees swayed all around us in a warm breeze, and the villa looked out over the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean.

We slept in a king-sized bed, stood together in a rainfall shower, and laid out on the private terrace for hours, soaking up the sun.

But that wasn’t all we did. I might have been very pregnant, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to do anything. We walked along the beaches, had couples’ massages at the on-site spa, and went on boat rides around the island to explore.

This morning, we’d gone snorkeling.

At first, I’d been worried about the water, struggling with the snorkel, feeling like I was going to choke or lose my breath or… something.

But Ben showed me how to do it, and we explored the corals. They were so worth it. I’d learned a lot the past few months with Ben. I’d learned how to throw caution to the wind—mostly—the way he did, and live more impulsively without planning everything meticulously.

And he’d learned to plan a little more. We were rubbing off on each other and learning how to build a life together. But life with Ben, although it had only been seven months, had been incredible. He took care of me, doted on me, but still allowed me to be my headstrong self.

And he was just as stubborn. It made for passionate fights.

And even more passionate makeup sex afterward.

He was incredible.

The Maldives really was a wonderful place to come to, and I lay back on the sun lounger. Ben was inside, getting us something to drink and I looked over the infinity pool and to the incredibly blue waters beyond. The sun was warm but a gentle breeze cooled me down again, and the scent of saltwater and tropical flowers filled the air.

I ran my hand over my belly. Soon, the little one would be here.

Ben and I still didn’t know what the gender was, and I was excited to find out. We’d decorated a baby room back home, going with greens, browns, and grays so that it could work forboth genders. Neither of us minded what gender the baby was—we just wanted it to be healthy.

And I wanted it over with already. I wanted my body back.

A sharp twinge in my stomach made me cry out.

A rush of warmth spread through my body.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked, just stepping out with our drinks. “What’s wrong?”

Another twinge followed, and I gasped.