Damaged and the Cobra (Damaged #3)

I kissed her hand. “We can name our baby whatever you want.”


“You’ll make sure I do a good job, right? You won’t let me kill our baby like I killed…”

“You didn’t.”

Lark pulled her hand and stood up. “I’m going to pee on the stick and find out then you’re going to give me a pep talk and make it all seem okay.”

“It really will be okay.”

Looking like she didn’t believe a word, Lark took the bag and walked to the bathroom. She shut the door and turned on the water.

Attempting to keep busy, I did the two dishes in the sink. Next, I fed the dogs even though they had food. Then, I checked my mail. Finally, I stood near the bathroom door and waited.

Lark emerged with tears in her eyes. I knew it was my job to give her a pep talk, but I didn’t know why she was crying. Positive and negative, happiness and sadness, I had no idea what I was seeing on her face.

“When I was little,” Lark whispered, her voice catching, “I wanted to be a mom and my favorite toy was a baby doll. I pretended she was my real baby and took good care of her. When Phoenix died, I realized I should never be a mom. I couldn’t be trusted not to kill my baby.”

Stepping closer, I wiped away a tear from her cheek. “You’ll make a great mom.”

“I guess we’re going to find out,” she said, melting into my arms. “I was on the pill. I can’t even do that part right.”

Taking a deep breath and accepting this direction in my life, I said softly, “Don’t listen to the crap in your head. Listen to my heart. It’s known you from the beginning.”

Lark tightened her grip on me. “You’re not mad.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“We just started dating.”

“Oh, I had our whole lives planned out before you walked into my shop to fix your worm.”

Lark smiled up at me. “Do you feel like I tried to trap you?”

“Shit, you really have no idea how I see you. None at all. In fact, I’m happy on two levels. As the guy who wants to spend his life with you, I’m excited to think of our baby growing inside you. Plus, the caveman part of me is just excited that I beat Cooper.”

Laughing, Lark nuzzled my chest. “And you knocked me up when I was on the pill. You have the mighty Thor of sperm.”

We both laughed and I felt Lark lighten in my arms.

“Can we go to bed?” she whispered.

“You look tired.”

“No. I need you inside me. I need your hot skin to warm me. I need you to help me feel like the Lark you see and not the Lark who let me down all my life.”





Chapter Thirty Three - Lark


Waking up next to Aaron, I could nearly convince myself the night before was only a dream. I climbed out his warm bed and walked the bathroom where another test waited in an unopened package. Thinking I might have been wrong, I decided to use the second test. For the next few minutes waiting, I wasn’t sure what result I was hoping to see.

Positive.

I was going to be a mom. This part scared the living shit out of me. Yet, Aaron was the baby’s dad and this part I could celebrate. I might have floundered in college and gotten myself knocked up, but I had beaten the women in my family in one way. I picked a good man.

Checking in on Aaron, I found him asleep on his stomach, arms spread out over the bed. I’d kept him up late the night before. His touch soothed my fear and I think he needed to be close too. Despite Aaron’s insistence at joy at the news, I could imagine he was scared. His life was tidy up until a few weeks ago. Now, I’d wrecked up the place.

Aaron loved me and I remembered this whenever I felt the panic growing. I had the love of a good man. Something the women in my family never enjoyed.

Restless, I dug my cell out of my backpack and dialed Raven’s number. I knew she was asleep. Between the time difference and Raven’s love of late nights, she wouldn’t answer. This fact relieved me.

After her message to leave a message, I waited for the beep then blurted out everything.

“Hey, it’s me. I just wanted to tell you that I’m not living with Larry anymore. I moved in with the guy I liked. Aaron. He’s amazing and we’re in love and I found out I’m pregnant. I was careful, but I got pregnant and he still wants me. I have someone good and I feel loved and safe. I haven’t felt that way since you ditched me to run off with Dexter. I don’t know if you were always looking for a way out or if I did something to make you want to leave me right then, but you ditched me and I felt lost for a long time without you. Now, I’m not lost and I’m happy and I wanted you to know I’m happy. I don’t know if you care, but I wanted you to know.”

Hanging up, I glanced at Pollack who glanced at Professor as if annoyed.