Chapter 31
Maddox
Michelle and I are sitting on the couch. I couldn’t speak for the entire car ride home due to the heart attack I almost suffered in traffic. Not a literal one, albeit it still felt like one. Michelle is pregnant.
Pregnant.
There is a baby on the way. I stare into the wall while Michelle talks fast. “I-I know this must come as a shock to you, but… I-I want to keep the baby, and you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to! I’m not f-forcing you into anything. Though, I really think we can do this. You and I could become good parents, Maddox… Even if I realize it’s early.”
She whispers the last part, shutting her eyes to prevent tears from running down her face. I stare at her, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish, and Michelle laughs in misery. “Y-You don’t have to say anything now. I’m just… I’m just grateful you haven’t gotten angry at me. Shit… My heart won’t stop racing,” she nervously laughs. “You’re a beautiful person for not having yelled at me, Maddox… I expected a fight…”
My eyes travel to hers, and my heart squeezes.
When Michelle calls me beautiful, she doesn’t just mean my outer appearance. No. Her eyes are bottomless, seeming to see underneath my bones and into my soul.
She is different.
Plenty of girls have called me hot. My teammates have nicknamed me the pretty heartbreaker, and the random women who have texted me after our victory games usually call me sexy.
But calling me beautiful while looking at me? That’s a first.
It sounds deeper.
Jesus
What am I even on about?
Michelle has turned me into some sort of poet. I used to be an I-don’t-give-a-shit hard ass, but in the few weeks I’ve known Michelle, she has turned me into a softie.
The weird part is that I don’t mind. In fact, I want it.
the change in me. Things are moving
and I will become a dad out of nowhere, but I don’t fucking
There,
I said it.
I love her.
at home. On rare occasions, hé shows up during the
Michelle?
flames when her small, delicate body is next to mine. She lights me on fire with every touch of her hand, and I
a crush. It’s more. Michelle makes me wish for more. A person who just gets and understands me. Someone real. Someone who doesn’t let me down like my
breathlessly. Her eyes, frightened and a bit puffy from tears, meet mine. She looks like she
Seconds
a smile that looks heartbreakingly insecure, whispering.
arm stretch out, sliding over her shoulder and down her delicate arm until
would I be doing?” I murmur into her hair. Fuck she smells good. Like fruits and something else. “I’m
down her face. She can’t seem to grasp enough air and hugs me back. Her face is pressed to my chest, brown hair messy on the top of her
I’m breaking apart myself.
hold. My heart is violently pounding, and no matter what, I can’t hug Michelle enough to calm her down. I can’t
is that I’m holding Michelle, She is my
Michelle asks me.
a laugh. “Yours
move, and her palms flatten against my pecs, cheek leaning into
“It wouldn’t make sense if you
it’s her turn to laugh. “I can’t believe that… That you’re the calm one in
Calm?
be done! I have to set up a room for Michelle and
will hire people to care for what needs to be fixed, like
Shit!
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!