Chapter 28

Chapte r 28

Amber

"Amber," my mom calls out through my door.

"You can come in," I call out wearily. I'm suddenly exhausted and too tired to get off my bed.

"What happened?"

It's such a mom thing. It's not the question; it's the way she asks it...like she already knows something went down and isn't going to go away until she knows what it was. I shake my head. "Just people being stupid."

"Rico?" she asks, and my head snaps up.

"No. Rico's..." I falter, unsure what to say about the man.

My mom comes all the way into the room and sits on the bed next to me. "Rico's what?" she asks quietly.

I sigh. "A really good guy."

"And that's a problem?"

"Yes. No. I don't know."

She doesn't say anything for a few minutes. "What happened tonight?"

I take a deep breath. "I ran into Gina and Becca at the restaurant." My mom doesn't say anything. "You remember them?"

"Yes, I remember them."

"Yeah, well I haven't really seen either of them this semester. Our freshman and sophomore years, the three of us were inseparable. Anyway, I ran into them in the bathroom." My mom still doesn't say anything. "They'd heard that I was pregnant and figured the baby was Adams, so they wanted to know what I was doing with Rico." I shake my head and stare at the floor.

"What is it, Baby?"

"They were so like...proud of me, making a big deal about the fact I'd been with not one hockey player but two. " I shake my head and wipe my eyes. "Stupid hormones." I swallow hard. "It's just...Rico's such a nice guy. It's not like that with him."

"Of course it's not, Sweetie."

"But what if everybody thinks that? What if everybody thinks I'm just playing fast and loose with any hockey player I can get?"

"Is that true?"

I turn to my mom. "No, of course not."

"Then why does it matter?" I don't answer right away.

"Because it does," I protest.

"Does it matter to Rico?" she asks, getting right to the heart of the matter.

"I don't know, but I don't want to hurt him or his reputation," I add softly. It's quiet for a little bit. "Maybe I shouldn't be with him, or maybe after the baby but not right now."

"Don't you think that's a choice that he should be able to make?" Mom asks softly.

"Probably, but he's too nice."

"Amber."

"Mom, you don't get it. He's a really good guy. Becca and Gina made him sound like...an object." I shake my head in disgust. "Was I like that when I was with them?" Her silence is telling. I lay back on the bed. "I was such a terrible person."

"No, you weren't, my precious girl. But you've grown up a lot over the last few month's; you've had to. And Amber, I'm proud of the woman you're becoming."

I open my eyes. "Really?" I ask softly.

"Really." She helps me sit up, and I wrap my arms around her.

"Thanks, Mom. I'm going to do better, I promise."

"You already are, Dear." We sit in the quiet for a few minutes before she pats my leg and stands up. "Now, why don't you call that sweet young man?"

I cringe. "I don't know."

"That wasn't a suggestion, Daughter of mine. Just call him and put him out of his misery."

"Misery? What misery?"

"Honey, when you wouldn't talk to him, he looked so upset. Just call him."

I'm already grabbing my phone. "Thanks, Mom." I pause. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She leaves my room just as Rico answers the phone. "Rico." My voice is breathless.

"Amber? Are you okay?"

My eyes close. His first thoughts are to my well-being, not the fact that I ignored him earlier. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you; I just didn't know what to say. You're such a nice guy, and you don't deserve someone like me. Talking to the girls in the bathroom reminded me of that, and I... I don't know. I just panicked. I don't want you stuck with me and then regret it someday because you see how I really am. But then my mom told me how I can't make that decision for you, that I need to let you make it. But it's sort of hard for me; I'm a little controlling. Okay, a lot controlling, but I'm working on that. I think—"

"Take a breath, Sweetheart," he says interrupting me, and I draw in a ragged breath. "Why don't you start from the beginning. What happened tonight after you left me to go to the bathroom?" His voice is so calm and settling. I take a breath and get comfortable on my bed.

"Okay. So, I ran into my two friends in the bathroom. We became friends our freshman year and did everything together our freshman and sophomore years. This year, not so much." I realize once again how much Adam made me isolate from others. "They made a big deal about me being pregnant." I take a breath; this is the part that's hard. "They knew I was with Adam, and that it was his baby. But they'd also seen I was with you, so they wanted to know all the details. I just," I pause, unsure how to continue.

"What is it?" he asks softly.

I swallow my pride. "They made a big deal how I was with not one hockey player but two and wanted to know how I'd managed all that. It made me so mad."

"Why?" His voice is still quiet.

"Because they made you out to be a prize to be won, Rico. But you're not like that. You're a good person, a really good person. And you deserve so much better than somebody like me. I—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," he cuts me off. "Don't belittle yourself like that."

"But Rico, I'm such a mess."

"No, you're not."

"You didn't know me...before. I was immature. I partied too much, didn't own up to my mistakes, was unorganized and undisciplined. I've made a mess of my life, and it's not fair to you to bring you into my mess. Running into Becca and Gina tonight just reminded me of that. You deserve so much better than me. I don't know when you're going to see it, but sooner or later, you're going to see it and understand it. And I don't want you to be stuck with me when you realize that." I pause. "Rico?" I look down at my phone. He hung up on me. My phone dings with a text.

Rico- come answer your front door

I stare at my phone for a moment before I start moving. I walk out to the front door and open it. "Rico, what—" He steps into me and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his body. And then his lips find mine. I'm so shocked, it takes my body a second to catch up. But then...it catches up. Rico's kissing me. His kiss is not soft and gentle like I thought it would be. No, he kisses me like he's starving for me, like he's consuming me and can't get enough of me. We go from zero to a hundred in three seconds flat. My heart is racing, and my skin turns hot. He makes a sound low in his chest, and I reach up to run my fingers through his hair. This time, he practically growls as he tightens his hold on me and deepens the kiss. When my lungs are screaming for oxygen, he finally pulls back but only the slightest bit. "Did that help you get it?" His voice is low and husky, and I am so very turned on in this moment.

"I have no idea what I was supposed to get, except that was the hottest kiss of my life," I tell him honestly.

His grin is smug and full of male confidence. "Of course it was." He leans impossibly closer, and his body touches mine everywhere. "You were meant for me, Amber. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say because I don't like to repeat myself. Unlike you, I've always been organized and disciplined." I frown, and he smirks. "Let me finish. I've always known what I wanted and gone after it with everything I've got. So, when I decided I wanted you, Amber, you didn't stand a chance."

"You're a little full of it, aren't you?" I can't stay quiet.

"Absolutely. Now hush; it's my turn to talk. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I've wanted you. I asked Bri the first night I had a run-in with you if you were single."

My eyes widen. "You did not."

"Ask her," he challenges. I open my mouth, but he uses a finger to push my jaw up and closed. "My turn, remember? I know what I want and go after it. That's you Amber. I'm not going to change my mind today, tomorrow, a year or ten years from now. I know how to look into the future to see what I really want, and I see you in my future, Amber. I'm not going to change my mind about that."

"But what about who I am? You just said how disciplined you are. I'm not. My room is messy right now, Rico."

He laughs, and it's so rich and deep. "Baby, if you think having a messy room is going to make me not want you, you have so much to learn. Get this through your beautiful head. I want you, Amber. I don't want anything you can offer me or give me. I just want you. I love spending time with you. I love your laugh; I do anything in my power to make you laugh. I love your fierceness and your determination." He smiles. "I know one thing; I want you on my team always."

I frown. "Is that in reference to the game night? Because Sebastian was cheating. I had to point it out and call him on it."

He smiles. "I know. I love that about you." He tucks a hair behind my ear. "You will learn to trust me and trust my word. I know I can't just make you trust me; I'll have to earn your trust. Eventually, you will see that you are the only woman for me." He puts his hand on my belly, startling me. It's the first time he's ever done that. I suck in a breath. "I want you and your little one, Amber." I stare at him and then the most amazing thing happens. She kicks right where his hand is. His head rears back, and his eyes meet mine.

"I-I felt her."

I nod. "Yeah." My voice is barely there. "Me too."

He reaches a hand up and cradles my jaw. "Give me a chance. That's all I'm asking."

I stare into his gorgeous eyes. "Okay."

He takes a deep breath. "And I want us both to commit to this." I study his face curiously. "I want us both to agree to staying in this relationship, not bouncing in and out of it. If we're committing to this, we're committing to seeing it through. If we choose to part ways, we won't get back together again down the road. I can't do that. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy."

I nod. "Okay."

He searches my eyes by the light of the overhead light on the porch. "Okay?"

I smile. "Okay. Yes. Agreed. Whatever you want me to say."

A slow smile spreads across his face, and he lowers his head. "Is it too early to tell you that I'm making a baby room at my house?"

"What?" That's all I get out before his lips meet mine, and I forget everything else.