by Mj Fields
Maddox���s eyes were on fire. He stood up abruptly and walked to the door and walked out.
Harper followed him, ���Maddox!���
He turned and picked her up, ���You are done fucking talking, do you understand?!���
She didn���t have time to reply. His mouth crashed over hers. He pulled her legs around him and she held onto his neck as he walked towards his apartment. He opened the door and walked to the couch and sat her down, ���Stay.���
Harper watched him disappear down the hallway. Scared that she may have just pushed him too hard. Afraid she had just made him doubt his feelings. Terrified that her words had pushed him back to a place he had lived for years.
He walked out and rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. ���My turn now, alright?���
She shook her head up and down quickly. He sat on the floor in front of her and held her hands and kissed them.
���I���m choosing not to go back through that hell. You know what happened to me. But Harper it is what happened to me okay? It���s not at all who I am,��� Maddox looked sternly into her eyes.
Harper���s lip quivered uncontrollably and she cried harder, ���Maddox, I���m so sorry��� that���s not what I was������ She stopped talking and sat on his lap with her arms wrapped around him, ���I love you. I love you so much.���
���I know Harper,��� he held her, ���I love you just the same.���
���You don���t have to������
���Yeah I do. I knew way back then it was wrong. I���m sure it was learned through my reading. I���m sure that���s why Elizabeth taught me to read. I don���t hate her; I feel she did what she did trying to keep me safe. I believe in some twisted way that���s all she could do and get this Harper: I love her for that.��� Harper sat up and smiled sadly and kissed him on the cheek saying nothing, allowing him to talk. ���Growing up I knew good from bad, and I could even decipher the in-between which I have been told is pretty fucking amazing, all things considered. I didn���t get attached to my captures, they disgusted me. I didn���t get too attached to the children that were brought in and taken out of the home. I couldn���t��� self-preservation I assume. I did fight for them and realize now that I was still fighting for Jane. That���s where I have always felt comfortable, fighting for people who needed my help regardless the cost to me. Harper, I know myself better than most people know themselves. For all intents and purposes— I was my parent, my own family, an Island in a sea of shit. I knew how to not get too deeply attached to anything. I knew how to go without eating for days without it wearing me down; making myself vulnerable to the rabid dogs I was surrounded by. I knew how to keep sane as I was locked in a closet for a week at a time. My family, Brody, Emma, London, and Lexington are more than I could ever had dreamed of. Un-fucking-believable still, that they���re my family.���
���You deserve that, Maddox,��� Harper sobbed into his chest.
���Thank you Harper,��� he wiped away her tears and lifted her head. ���When we met, I was all over the place. Scared as hell, elated, devastated, and ecstatic all at the same time. My guard was up; I was waiting for the bomb to drop. My family, and yours, were like the light that people describe before they die. Like them, I was brought back from death. When I���m with you, Harper, it���s hard to believe that I truly exist on this planet. I wonder if I walked into the light and it���s you standing at the end of that tunnel accepting me, every fucking time, just like you have from the first time we met. When I try to stop it, the feeling —knowing I need you to have everything you deserve. A need that���s so intense, I would give the air I breathe to make sure you had it, doubting I could give it to you, I burned. It���s my hell, worse than the first fifteen years of my life. You Harper Abraham, are my own personal heaven. I know no other way to describe it. You are what I fought against needing, and you are what I will fight against losing until the day I die. I���ll never push you away, and I���ll never let go again. I fucking exist for you.��� Maddox closed his eyes tightly. ���Our first date or dates. The Prom, the Garden, I���ve never felt more connected to another human being, ever. When I came here, I had huge plans that would have blown them completely out of the water. So none of this is about the life we created that is growing inside of you. You are done thinking that. You���re done feeling guilty that I didn���t know. I love you even more now than when I came here, you would suffer doing this alone for me, Harper? You have no idea what that does to me.���
Harper could tell he was fighting tears and that every word that fell from his lips was sincere. He didn���t hate her for the choices she had made, as he said he loved her even more.
���Look at me, sweetness. Before I knew about this blessing,��� he rubbed her belly, ���I���d planned to sing you the song I wrote for you in front of those thousands of people. Jumping off that stage and you running into my arms. I planned to take you to dinner and then stay with you here until I had the answer I needed.���
Maddox stood and sat her on the couch.
���All of this before knowing of our child, Harper. I���ve loved you since I knew what love was. I���ve wanted you since I knew my desire was not something to be ashamed of. I need you more than the air I breathe because without you, I just don���t give a fuck, Harper. You are mine and I am yours always. We are each other���s forever. Harper Ann Abraham,��� Maddox knelt and pulled a box out of his pants pocket and opened it, ���Marry me?���
CHAPTER FOUR
Exposed
Maddox sat outside the World Health Organization���s headquarters as he had every day waiting for Harper to get out of work. He���d bought a new SUV on the phone with an Audi salesperson while she slept the night she accepted his proposal. She slept like an angel after they made love the rest of the day. He picked her up from work in it as a surprise. This is yours and the babies, look in the back. She looked back and saw an infant seat and laughed. He loved how excited she got every time he did something for her. He especially liked the gift she gave him in return all the way home as he drove gripping the wheel so tightly his hands hurt. The future Mrs. Hines was born of privilege, yet so completely grateful for everything he did. He smiled thinking about the past three weeks and what his life had become. He loved that girl more and more each day and he loved that she seemed to feel exactly the same.
Harper had moved into his place. It was of course a little disagreement but he had won. If our family comes to visit Harper, we need this place. She agreed and her first day back at work he packed and moved everything she owned back into what was his and now is their apartment.
They had argued over opening the envelope and decided that they would do so at Christmas when they both told London. Harper���s idea and it made Maddox smile still thinking of how perfect their lives would be.
Maddox also asked if she would mind allowing him to ask her father���s permission to marry her before they announced it. She told him that it didn���t matter to her, and he explained to her that it did matter to him; now more than ever. She didn���t wear the ring to work, both feared Blake would tell Collin before they could.
Maddox got out of the SUV when Harper walked out in the bright winter sun. She pulled her sunglasses down and looked around until she spotted him. He had been parking away from the building so that her co-workers didn���t see him. Another disagreement between them���that she won.
It was Friday and she would be out of work for two weeks. When she came back she would be wearing his ring and the whole world could know.
���You parked in a different place today,��� she smiled nervously.
He picked her up and kisse
d her, ���Yeah, I hope that doesn���t upset you, but I want everyone to know, Harper.���
She smiled, ���We���ve got to go get our stuff packed for our trip.���
She noticed his smile was not the bright sunshine she had grown accustom to when he got in the car, ���Maddox, I���m not upset. I want everyone to know, too. By the way,��� Harper cleared her throat and held out her left hand.
He smiled as he reached in the console and grabbed the ring box. It had been the same every day she got out of work, ���Harper Abraham, will you marry me?���
Harper laughed, ���Yes, of course.���
Maddox slid the ring on her finger and smiled. He leaned over and kissed her. ���I love you,��� he groaned into her mouth. ���It���s a good thing you���ll be able to sleep on the plane because I���m going to have you all night.���
���Perfect,��� Harper���s hand slid from his knee up his leg.
���Easy sweetness, Thumper may just jump out of his cage and ������
There was a knock on the window and Harper jumped.
Her office mate Serena was standing outside the SUV with her mouth gapping.
Harper rolled down the window and smiled, ���Hello.���
���Is that?��� Serena was a beautiful girl, petite with dark hair and brown eyes.
Harper laughed, ���Maddox, this is Serena. Serena this is Maddox.���
���Hines?��� Serena���s voice squeaked.
���Very nice to meet you, Serena,��� Maddox gave an award winning smile and stuck out his hand to shake hers.
���Oh. My. God,��� Serena shook his hand, ���Harper, are you the same girl from the video in������
���Yes she was, my one and only,��� Maddox grabbed Harper���s hand, ���Love.���
���Unbelievable. I can���t believe you���ve never told me about him. You let me go on and on about our boss and ���I���m so embarrassed now. Of course you don���t see how incredibly sexy Blake is, when you have Maddox fucking Hines!��� Serena laughed.
���She has me, alright,��� Maddox forced a smile.
���Oh my���okay it���s a secret then, Harper, I promise I can keep a secret, I am so������
���Serena, do you have a car?��� Maddox asked.
���No I walk. It���s not very������
���Get in we���ll give you a ride,��� Maddox smiled.
���Really?��� Serena asked.
���It���s freezing out Serena, we would be glad to give you a ride,��� Harper smiled.
Serena jumped in and looked at the car seat, ���I didn���t just see that.���
Maddox laughed and Harper sat back in the seat and covered her eyes, ���Or that, wow Harper!���
Harper gave Maddox a confused look, ���The ring, Sweetness.��� He took her hand and kissed it.
���Oh boy,��� Harper groaned.
���I won���t tell anyone,��� Serena clapped, ���My office mate is engaged to and knocked up by Maddox fucking Hines.���
���Serena, that���s twice,��� Maddox tried to keep a straight face. She looked confused, ���I���m pretty sure my middle name is not fucking.���
Serena covered her mouth and Harper held back as long as she could and then burst out laughing and so did Maddox.
���Wow this is unreal, your father is������
���Brody fucking Hines,��� Maddox laughed.
���If you only knew the ���I���m going to stop while I���m ahead. Harper ���wow--- just WOW!���
���Pretty amazing, isn���t he?��� Harper smiled back at her.
���He���s pretty damn lucky,��� Maddox pulled her hand to his chest, ���So fucking lucky.���
Maddox kissed her again, ���Where to, Miss Serena?���
Serena laughed, ���I���m good here.���
Maddox chuckled and glanced at Harper.
���Take the next right, then the fourth left,��� Serena laughed.
���We���ll chat when I get back from the holiday, top secret got it?���
���Of course Harper, you have a great holiday Maddox fucking Hines,��� Serena hopped out of the SUV.
���Funny, right?��� Maddox laughed.
���Did you do that on purpose?���
���What on purpose, Harper?���
���Offer her a ride, so she would see the car seat?���
Maddox looked at Harper briefly and then away.
���You did!���
���Are we going to argue, Sweetness?���
���Are you going to answer? I mean you parked almost in front of the door and then you offer her a ride.���
���Yes.���
���Yes what?���
���Yes it was on purpose, Harper.���
���Why?���
���I���m sick of hiding. I want to pick you up from work and not hide behind a fucking tree. I want to send you flowers. I want to bring you lunch. I want people to know you���re mine.���
Harper didn���t say anything as they silently drove towards the apartment. He got out and opened the door for her.
���Thank you,��� Harper said as he held his hand out for her to hold as she got out onto the icy parking lot.
They rode up in the elevator quietly holding hands. Maddox let out a slow deep breath as they exited.
He unlocked the door to the apartment and held it open. She walked in and smiled as she looked around the room. ���You did this?���
���I did,��� he dropped the keys into the bowl sitting on the entry table, kissed her head and walked past her to lite candles on the coffee table as she took in the room.
He had flowers everywhere and music playing, a picnic blanket on the ground and an ice bucket chilling a bottle of sparkling cider.
���Why?��� she asked following him into the kitchen.
���Why what Harper?��� Maddox asked as he took the chicken parmesan out of the oven.
���What made you do this?���
Maddox heard nervousness in her voice and turned around, ���I made us dinner, Harper. I���ve done that a lot lately. The other stuff, well it���s our last night alone for a while and, I was trying to be romantic��� I guess.���
He scratched his head and leaned back against the counter. Harper scowled at him and looked away.
���Look, I���m sorry about your friend. I���m not sorry, I want the entire fucking universe to know about us. We���re not kids, we���re in love. The whole birds chirping, head spinning, heart beating faster, flowers, and indoor picnic kind of love. So, it may have been juvenile but������
���You���re coming back with me right?��� Harper���s voice cracked and he stood up straight and walked towards her.
���What?��� He was shocked. ���Harper, don���t cry. Please���why are you asking if I���m coming back with you? Of course I���m coming back with you. This is where we live at least until March; when you finish here. Then we have a month until the baby is born and a lot of stuff to figure out, but yes — I am coming back with you.���
���I can���t lose you again,��� Harper shook.
���Harper, I���ve asked you to marry me every day since I proposed. I don���t understand������
���All this, is a lot like that first night and you so easily walked away and������
���Hold up,��� he smiled bending and wiping her tears away as he looked in her eyes, ���We have to do better than this, Sweetness. I know you���re emotional now, but������
���When you get like that, like what you pulled today������
���What I pulled today Harper, is going to continue happening. As soon as your parents know about this, we are getting married I���m going to put it up in lights.���
���Maddox, it was like you were marking me. Like you were trying to prove a point, like it didn���t matter that we���d discussed and agreed upon, waiting until our families knew.���
���I think you���re hungry, go sit I���ll bring������
���I think you���re avoiding, Maddox.���
He put the food on the plate without saying a word and carried it over to the picnic blanket and set it down. Are you coming?���
���Are you going to talk to me?���
���Sure, after you sit,��� Maddox looked at her with no emotion on his face.
���You���re mad,��� Harper whispered as she sat down.
���I am a little. Look I���m probably going to act like an ass sometimes, Harper. I���m going to hold your hand in public, I���m going to kiss you, I���m going to wear a stupid ass grin on my face, and if anyone looks at you wrong it is possible, that I may lose it. You make me stupid happy, and stupid possessive, and stupid������
���Stop, just stop,��� Harper climbed on his lap and hugged him, ���I was just remembering what happened at the Cape, and in New York, and how you were so damn positive and then the next day������