20. Stella

20

STELLA

I count out the money from my fanny pack one more time. There's enough to pay rent for one more month, but I don't know what I'll do after that.

I swipe at tears.

I'll have to go back to Cleo's. Will doesn't want me, and I don't blame him. I don't want to be a burden to Cleo, but maybe I can work at the club.

I'll find a way. I always do.

The roar of a bike has me wiping my eyes and running to the window. My heart jumps in my throat when I see Will.

But he's probably here for the baby. He won't let his child be brought up by a criminal. He'll probably want to take her when she's born.

I hold my belly protectively. I'm not giving up my baby, even if she'll have a better life with him.

Will knocks, and I open the door. "You're not taking her. "

He looks confused. "What?"

"If you've come to tell me you're taking the baby when she's born, I'm telling you I won't give her up."

He shakes his head. "Can I come in?"

I pull open the door, and he steps inside. He seems too big for my tiny entryway that opens right into the kitchen.

"I can't be without you, Stella."

His hands clasp mine, and I hold my breath. "If this is some kind of trick…"

He squeezes my hands. "No. I love you. I don't care about your past. That doesn't define who you are. We've all made bad choices, and everyone deserves a second chance."

My eyes fill with tears. "But your sister?"

He winces, the pain evident in his face. "She made bad choices too. I did too. I should have come back to be with her, and I didn't."

"That's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

"We've all got things we regret in life, Stella. But one thing I don't regret is meeting you. I don't care what you were before. You're kind and beautiful, and my feelings about you haven't changed."

He pulls the ring out of his pocket. "This is still yours, if you want it."

I stare at the ring. It's too much to hope for. "Are you sure?"

He smiles, and my heart relaxes. It's the first warm look he's given me since I confessed. "I've never been surer in my life. "

I hold out my finger, and he slides the ring back on.

"Just promise me you'll stop running away. We're a unit now, a family, and we'll deal with anything that comes our way together."

He pulls me into his arms, and I lean against his solid chest.

A long breath escapes me, and for the first time since I can remember I feel truly relaxed. There are no more secrets, no more uncertainty, and no more loneliness.

For the first time, I'm a part of something and I truly belong.