Silent Love Part Four_Forbidden Series

by Kenadee Bryant

  “Yeah.” I held the stick up with toilet paper covering it. I moved past her to the living room. I needed space to pace to for a minute.

  “The box said it will anywhere from five to ten minutes to get a result,” Mace said as I placed it on the counter. Immediately I started to pace.

  “Oh god, Macey, what if it is positive?” She sat on the edge of the couch as I paced in front of her. “What if Gage isn’t happy about it? What if he leaves me because he doesn’t want kids?” My hands made their way into my hair and tugged hard on it.

  “God, Macey, Gage is leaving me and I am pregnant. I am going to be a single mother. What am I going to do?” I was starting to freak out now.

  “Carter.” A strong pair of hands grabbed my arms and pulled me to a stop. I looked over at Macey, my eyes starting to tear up.

  “You don’t know if you are pregnant yet, and Gage isn’t going to leave you. The two of us know that boy will do anything for you and won’t leave your side. Remember when we went to that club and all those guys kept looking at you? Gage almost fought them and kept his arms around you the entire time. And, Carter, we were there for four hours.”

  “I know, Mace, but what if he really doesn’t want kids?” That was my worst fear.

  “Haven’t you guys talked about this?”

  “We have, but we never really said when we would start to think about having kids. And how do I know if he was serious? I know he didn’t have the best childhood, and he doesn’t want anything like that to happen to his own kids, so what if he doesn’t want any at all? What if he changed his mind?” I chewed on my bottom lip.

  “Trust me, Carter, Gage wants kids, especially kids from you. Everyone sees the way he looks at you, even after all this time. He would be an idiot not to want any.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. We are going to look at the test and see what it says. From there we will work through it.” She squeezed my hands and I nodded. I took a deep breath to relax. I couldn’t go freaking out. If I was pregnant, we would just have to work with it. If not, then maybe Gage and I needed to have a talk about our future.

  We waited for five minutes before we decided to check the stick. I clenched Macey’s hand tightly as I reached for the stick. Closing my eyes, I stilled myself before I opened them and read what it said.

  I was rooted to the ground as I read the result. I could tell Macey was wondering what it said. I moved it so she could see, before turning to look at her. Both of our eyes were wider than saucers.

  “You…you are pregnant.”

  ***

  Waiting for Gage to get home was the worst. I couldn’t tell you how many times I paced the living room or how many times I ran a washcloth over the kitchen. Macey left not too long ago, and right now I was wishing she would have stayed. I had no clue how to tell Gage he was going to be a father. Do I just spit it out the moment he walks in? Do I wait and after dinner tell him? Or do I wait until I become so big he finally notices and asks?

  I finally decided to stop pacing and start dinner; at least that would take my mind off of it for a bit. I was about halfway done with dinner when Gage walked through the door. The kitchen was wide open, so you could see the living room and front door. I looked up to see him setting his briefcase down and loosening his tie.

  I watched him, hoping and praying he wouldn’t freak out on me when I told him. When he turned to face me, I plastered on a smile, so he wouldn’t know anything was up.

  “Hey babe.” He came into the kitchen and planted a kiss on my lips. I smiled for real this time as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

  “What are you making?” he asked, looking over my shoulder into the pan.

  “Balsamic chicken, with some vegetables and some yellow rice.” Over the years I had gotten even better at cooking. I didn’t want to eat out every meal with Gage, so I learned more recipes and I had to say I was pretty darn good. Plus, it was nice to have something made for when Gage came home from a long day at work. And it was surprisingly soothing.

  “Mmm, sounds good. Let me go change and I will come back and help you.” With a kiss to the top of my head, he unwrapped his arms from around me and left to go change. I smiled after him. I really did luck out with that one.

  About five minutes later Gage came out, now dressed in a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt. I could see his abs through his shirt, which made my knees weak. The man gets better with age, I tell you. He sent me a sly smirk, knowing exactly what I was thinking, and came around to the kitchen.

  “What can I help with?” He rubbed his hands together. Over the years Gage had gotten better at cooking as well. He could now make French toast on his own, of course after a lot of fails on his part.

  “You can stir the rice. It is almost done,” I instructed. When I took him to stir the rice, he took his job seriously. He focused hard on the task, making me laugh as I moved to set the table.

  With Gage’s help, I made plates and we sat down to eat. My stomach had settled thankfully, so the smell of the food didn’t bug me. My stomach was in knots as I thought of how to tell Gage this big news. We made small talk as we ate, telling each other how the other’s day went.

  “Are you okay? You aren’t eating?” Gage asked, making me look up from my plate. It was true; I was pushing my food around my plate, having only taken a few bites.

  “I’m okay.” I smiled softly at him.

  “Are you sure? Do I need to take you to the doctor?” Here comes his over protectiveness. Now was the best time to tell him. I just had to do it. Like taking off a Band-Aid, quick and painless.

  “I have something I need to tell you,” I said, putting my fork down. I fiddled with my napkin in my lap, mentally trying to get all the words I wanted to say in order.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Gage dropped his own fork and reached out toward me. I was scared he wouldn’t want anything to do with the baby. That he didn’t want to be a father right now. I don’t know what I will do if he isn’t ready. My hands shook and my eyes started to burn from tears.

  “I-I’m pregnant,” I finally said. I kept my eyes down. When Gage made no sound or movement, I dared a glance up. He was staring at me with his eyes wide open and his lips parted.

  “Y-you are pregnant,” he managed to say after a full minute of silence. He was definitely in shock.

  “Yes.” My voice was soft. I kept my eyes on him, wanting to see if he freaked out.

  “Okay. Wow.” He leaned back in his seat. I let him have a moment to process everything. When he didn’t say anything for a few minutes, I started to worry. My mind went from one thing to another.

  “Gage, you have to say something. Please.”

  “I’m the father.” He said it almost like a question. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

  “Yes, you dimwit, you are the father.” Like I would cheat on him. It seemed those words woke him up. I watched with bated breath as his face slowly started to light up. A bright smile over took his face and he jumped up out of his chair.

  “I am going to be a father!” he yelled. I stared up at him as if he had gone crazy. “We are going to be parents.”

  Seeing me still sitting there, he dropped down into a squat in front of me. He grabbed my hands and looked right into my eyes.

  “This is the greatest news I have ever gotten.” He beamed at me.

  “You aren’t freaked out?” I asked. I was still scared he would change his mind.

  “No. I have always wanted to have kids with you. It may seem like it is too soon, but it feels right.” Upon hearing that, I let myself relax and smile.

  “We are going to have a baby.”

  “Hell yes we are. We are going to be the best parents ever.” Our excitement filled the room. Gage pulled me out of my chair and wrapped his arms around me, twirling me around. I hugged him tightly and felt myself starting to cry. He set me down so my toes touched the ground, and held me tightly to him.

  To think I was
scared. I should have known Gage would be happy about this. He was happier than I thought he would be, and I was glad. I couldn’t do this without him. Now we were going to have someone that is the perfect mix of him and me. Something that will be ours forever.

  ***

  Five years later…

  “Gage, can you make sure Aiden isn’t eating the cake?” I yelled from the bedroom.

  “On it!” he yelled back. He went to make sure our oldest, Aiden, didn’t get into the birthday cake. Even at the age of five he was just like his father. Besides the fact that he had Gage’s dark brown hair, he acted just like him. While he did that, I focused on getting the other two dressed. Having twins would be fun, they said…yeah, right.

  Trying to get two three-year-olds dressed was a workout by itself. One was busy messing with the pillow on the bed and the other one was squirming in my hold, not letting me put their shirt on.

  Yes, twins were a handful, but Charlie and Julian were the light of my life. They were two peas in a pod. They always stayed by one another and if one was doing something, the other was bound to be doing the same.

  Little Charlie was my exact replica. She had lighter brown hair, and bright blue eyes that I fell in love with the moment she looked up at me in the hospital. She was gorgeous even though she was just three. Her dad definitely had a lot of fending off to do later on.

  Julian was definitely going to have girls chasing after him. With dark brown hair, which was almost black, and a pair of stunning green eyes, he was very handsome. Somehow, he ended up with green eyes, and Gage and I had no clue how that happened.

  Once the two of them were properly dressed, I let them go. Immediately they scattered and headed for their older brother. I sat on the edge of the bed, taking a moment.

  Having three kids was a lot of work. At times I wondered why I even had kids, but then I would look at them and know I had them for a reason. I’ll admit, and I think Gage will too, after having Aiden, I didn’t plan on having any more children, especially so soon after. But of course the universe had other plans. About a year and a half later I found out I was pregnant. And more of a shock to us two, I found out I was going to have twins. Definitely the shock of our lives. I could not see my life without the twins, though.

  “Mommy!” I heard Aiden yell downstairs. Sighing, I got up and headed out of the room; there is no rest with kids.

  Coming down the stairs, I noticed there were people coming through the front door. Seeing who it was, I smiled widely. I barely reached the bottom step before I was almost knocked down by my son, who was running toward his uncle.

  Luke leaned down and lifted Aiden up in the air. Next to him Macey let her three-year-old daughter, Adeline, down. Because she was the same age as my twins, of course she and Charlie were already best friends. They even had secret “talks” together. It was beyond cute to see.

  “Hey.” I stepped over the kids and pulled her into a hug. “How have you been?”

  “Pretty good. Hopefully I am not so sick this time around.” Macey rubbed her slightly big stomach. She was only about five months along and barely showing.

  “Do we know the gender yet?”

  “We decided to wait, but I am pretty sure it is a boy. He is a little kicker.”

  “Just like his father.” I grinned. She moved past me to pull Aiden into a hug. I turned to my brother.

  “Hey there, old man,” I greeted him and hugged him tightly.

  “I am two years older than you, Car. I’m not old.” Luke pouted, pulling away from me.

  “You better not be too old for when that baby comes,” I teased.

  “Don’t I know it. Adeline is enough to take care of.” Shaking my head at him, I stepped to the side so he could pass through. Everyone made their way to the kitchen and backyard.

  “Where is the birthday boy, anyway?” I asked, going over to the cake to make sure none of my boys took a swipe of it. I really shouldn’t trust Gage to not let Aiden touch anything.

  “He should be here soon I think,” Luke answered, popping a grape into his mouth. All along the counter I put out little snacks for everyone. Dinner wouldn’t be for a while, and I knew everyone would be hungry, kids included.

  The doorbell rang a second later. Leaving Luke, Macey, and Gage to talk and watch after the kids, I went to get it.

  “Hey, honey!” I was greeted with the moment I opened the door. My mom came barreling through the door and pulled me into a tight hug.

  “Glad you guys could make it,” I said, smiling at her as she pulled away.

  “Where are my grandchildren?” my mom demanded. My mom was almost kid hungry nowadays. I guess it didn’t help that she looked after the kids quite a bit. Especially lately with all the art galleries I had been invited too and all the work at the photography shop.

  “In the kitchen or out back.” I gestured behind me. I didn’t even finish my sentence before my mom was gone in a flash. Shaking my head, I turned to my dad who was carrying food in his hands.

  “Your mom made Ethan’s favorite cinnamon rolls,” he said before pulling me into a hug. Even at the age of thirty-two, I still loved my dad’s hugs. I got them a lot more since we lived only three blocks away from them.

  “You can go set that in the kitchen, Dad.”

  I went to go close the door when a hand stopped me. In walked no one other than Dylan Stiles, aka one of my best friends. And on his arm was someone I have come to be familiar with, his new girlfriend Maisie Grey.

  They had started dating about five months ago, and she was pretty great. She owned an amazing restaurant near the water’s edge. She was perfect for Dylan. She knew what she wanted in life and went for it. She could be just as hard-headed as him, and she kept him on his toes, something he dearly needed.

  “Hey you two.” I grinned at them.

  “Hey Care-bear. Where’s the food?” Dylan instantly asked. Nothing changed with him. Laughing, I directed him to the kitchen.

  Everyone was here now, besides the birthday boy. Of course Ethan would be late to his own thirty-fifth birthday party, but knowing him, he either did it on purpose or was staying later at work. Over the years he had become quite the workaholic. He didn’t seem to mind staying late to finish up work Gage didn’t have time for, but I worried about him.

  Fifteen minutes passed with all of us talking and watching the kids play. I watched my dad play with Julian, picking him up and swinging him through the air. Aiden was currently crawling up Gage’s back, trying to get a piggyback ride. It was chaotic, but I loved it.

  Right as the kids started to get fussy, I heard the front door open followed by a “hey.” Coming through the doorway to the kitchen was the man of the hour. Surprisingly, he wasn’t wearing a suit; instead he was wearing regular jeans and a t-shirt. He actually looked a little flushed and his hair looked messier than normal, but I didn’t comment. But something was up especially with the way his green eyes were sparkling, something they rarely did nowadays.

  “Ethwan.” Aiden screamed bloody murder. I cringed as he ran toward his other uncle and launched into his arms. Ethan being the best uncle ever, he didn’t let the scream bother him as he grabbed him and swung him in the air. I smiled at the sight. Sure, Ethan had become quite secluded and a workaholic, but he was a great uncle to my kids.

  He came around weekly to see them and play. He never once complained about getting climbed on like a horse or made to play Barbies. I actually thought the kids made him feel better.

  Once Aiden had his turn with Ethan, we all went around and hugged him, wishing him a happy birthday. Now that he was here, I started on finishing the meal. The kids were starving, and I knew the others were too.

  It wasn’t long before we were eating and getting ready for the cake. Even though Ethan told me no cake, that he just wanted a little dinner with everyone, I still made him a big cake and everything. When I brought the cake out with candles, he let the little ones gather around him and help him blow them out. It was the sweetest
thing ever, of course until Aiden almost put his entire face in the cake.

  After I served dessert, I sat there with my daughter in my lap, asleep. Gage was next to me with Julian asleep in his arms as well. I watched everyone talking and laughing. Luke was holding his own daughter in his arms, looking down at her frequently with a loving smile. Aiden sat between Ethan and Dylan as they told him inappropriate stories I bet. Everyone was having a good time.

  The past five years had been crazy, but they have been the best five years of my life. I had a wonderful family, great friends, a dream job—literally everything I could have asked for.

  It was right then I finally realized something. The princess doesn’t always have to end up with the prince to be happy. She doesn’t need the perfect life nor find the perfect guy. All she needs is someone to love her with everything they have, to give her the simplest of things.

  I didn’t need the perfect guy to make me happy. I just needed the guy who put me above himself, and put our kids above everything. Sometimes all you needed was to bump into someone in the middle of the night to open your eyes. To make you see that something you want can be right in front of you.

  You just need to look hard enough to see it.

  BEFORE YOU GO…

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  Acknowledgements

  This final book has come to an end and I’ve had some amazing help along the way.

  Thank you to everyone at Limitless for making this book/series happen. Thank you to my editor, Laura, who spent countless hours editing my horrible grammar and plot holes. You are amazing, and I adore working with you. Thank you to all my other editors, the cover designers who did an INCREDIBLE job with each cover and made it exactly how I wanted.