The Commitment (22 page)

“I was,” I admit with a sigh. “But I was miserable. If we’re going to be in the truck all day, I don’t want to be uncomfortable the whole time. Have you seen my new shirt?”

It feels like time is flying by. One second, I was standing in the bathroom telling Chase I was pregnant, freaking out over changing tables. The next, his parents are already arriving for the birth and our wedding.

“What, that Nirvana one?”

“Yeah, the black one shouldered thing.”

“Yeah,” he says, squeezing in next to me and pushing the hangers around until he finds the shirt I want. “Here it is.”

“Oh good,” I smile. “Thank you. Now I need pants. Is it hot outside?”

“I don’t know, Baby,” he says, checking his watch. “You’ll probably be a little warm. Is JT ready?”

“He should be,” I tell him. “I got him dressed so I think he just needs his shoes on.”

“Okay, I’ll go see if he needs help,” he says, kissing my temple. “Please try to hurry.”

“I’m trying, Chase!” I tell him, irritation staining my voice.

“I’m sorry, Baby. I just don’t want my parents sitting at the airport for an hour while we fight traffic.”

“I know that,” I nod, quickly searching the dresser for shorts. “You gain forty pounds in your tits, ass and stomach and get ready in five minutes. Then you can talk to me about hurrying the hell up.”

“Definitely been more than five minutes,” he says, arching his eyebrow at me.

“Eat it, Mitchell,” I roll my eyes, flipping him off as I pull the shorts I’d been looking for out of a drawer.

“I would if you hadn’t made us late, but now you’ll have to wait,” he calls back over his shoulder with a smirk, halting my movement. With pregnancy hormones still raging through me and my fiancé looking the way he does, it doesn’t take much sometimes. “Stop thinking about it and get dressed!” he shouts from the living room with a chuckle, causing a blush to fill my cheeks.

Squeezing my thighs together uncomfortably, I curse him under my breath as I dress quickly. Slipping on my black sandals, I spritz on some perfume and refresh my lip gloss before throwing it back into my makeup bag.

“Okay, I’m ready,” I announce as I grab my bag from the bar and slip on my sunglasses.

“Awesome, you look gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” I smile, taking three steps and letting out a sigh.

“What?”

“I have to pee.”

Chase

Eventually, we make it to the airport to pick up my parents and sister. We only have room for four or five people comfortably in our trucks, so we both drive and talk over our hands free for the three hour trip to Houston. Since we’re short on time and JT’s booster is in my truck, he rides with me and she follows closely behind.

Fueling both my surprise and Sophie’s ego, we arrive right as they land. After parking and waiting at baggage claim for more nearly an hour before I see them, I can feel her grinning up at me in victory.

“Hmm,” she hums quietly, careful to not let JT hear her as she looks at the clock on her phone. “Well, would you look at that? I guess you did have time to eat it after all.”

“No one likes a smart ass, Baby,” I smirk as I glance down at her.

“I know, Lover,” she smiles, leaning her head against my shoulder with a sigh. “But being right is so much more fun than being liked.”

“You’re a shit,” I laugh.

“I know that, too,” she chuckles, leaning over to bite my bicep before slipping one hand into mine and the other around JT’s.

As we make our way to where my family is finally emerging, I can’t help the smile that crosses my face when I see my parents. The last time we’d seen them was a few months ago and my dad looks so much better. I can feel my heart beginning to clench in my chest with emotion as images of his frail body in the hospital come flashing back. You’d barely know he’d been sick by looking at him now. Although he still looks tired, it’s amazing to see him on the mend. My mom’s reaction as she takes in Sophie’s now extremely prominent stomach brings me back to reality.

“Oh my goodness, look at you!” she gushes, throwing her hands over her mouth as her eyes begin to tear up. “You’re just the most adorable thing ever! Benny! Look at her!”

“I see her, Ren,” he chuckles, pulling me in for a hug as my mom wraps her arms around Sophie. “Heya Kiddo.”

“Hey Pops,” I tell him, squeezing him and switching off with Sophie to hug my mom. “How was your flight?”

“Hi Baby Boy,” she smiles, hugging me tightly. “It was good. Your father snored the whole time, embarrassed the hell out of me and your sister.”

“Nice,” I laugh, pulling Emily to my chest. “Hey Squirt.”

“Hey Bubba,” she smiles, hugging me back.

“I know that handsome face!” my mom’s voice breaks through again as she looks down at JT while I give Brad a brotherly hug.

He’s so shy, Sophie had been Skyping with my parents all week to try and make him a little more comfortable. Judging from the way he hides behind Sophie, it hadn’t been quite as effective as we’d hoped.

“JT,” my girl starts in a soft, but firm voice. “Mind your manners and say hello to Miss Renee.”

“Hi,” he says very quietly.

“Thank you,” she says. “Now say hello to Pops and Emily, too, please.”

“Hi,” he repeats, still halfway hiding behind her.

“Why are you being so shy?” she smiles. “You’ve been talking to them all week, Funny Goose.”

“Well, that’s alright,” my mom says, giving him a smile before facing Sophie. “He’s so cute.”

“Thanks,” she smiles. “He’ll warm up to you he just needs a few minutes. Have you eaten?”

“No and poor Emmy missed supper last night,” she sighs. “All she’s had is those God awful pretzels they gave us on the flight over.”

“Well, come on. We’ll go grab some lunch before we head back to the house,” I tell them, taking Sophie’s hand and leading them to the parking lot.

Once mom and Emily are settled into Sophie’s truck with her, I walk with JT, Pops and Brad to mine. We stop for a late lunch and are about halfway back to Rockport when my hands free starts ringing, interrupting a story my dad’s telling me about their flight.

“Sorry, Pops. It’s Sophie,” I tell him as I answer. “Hey Baby.”

“Hey,” she says, her voice sounding off.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… Well, I think so. I’m having contractions, but…”

“What?” I shout, cutting her off. “Are you serious?”

“Well, that would be a horrible prank, Babe,” she says with a weak chuckle. “I think I’m okay. They’re super sporadic and they’re not lasting very long. The doctor said I might start getting false labor and your mom said she thinks that’s what it is. It feels the same as when I had them before so I think…”

“You’ve had contractions before?”

“Yes, Baby,” she says. “I told you that.”

“No, you didn’t,” I start, my mind reeling. “I would have remembered you going into labor!”

“I’m not in labor,” she reassures me and although I can’t see her, I know she’s rolling her eyes. “I’m telling you, I’m ninety percent sure it’s those Braxton-Hicks things, but just to be safe, I’m going to pull over and let Emily drive.”

“Okay,” I tell her, looking at the signs coming up. “Can you make it another mile to the next exit?”

“Yeah,” she says. “I’ll be okay, just stay on the phone with me.”

“I will, Baby.”

We pull over at the nearest gas station and immediately, I throw the truck in park and jog over to her.

“Are you okay? Are you sure you’re not in labor?”

“I’m pretty sure,” she nods. “I only had it happen one more time on the way over here and Em was timing them. They’re all over the place.”

“Honey, it’s completely normal,” my mom says, giving me a warm, encouraging smile. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Okay,” I say with a sigh. “We’ll be home in about an hour, but if you need to stop, there’s a hospital about twenty minutes from here.”

“I’m alright, Lovebug,” she says as we make it to the passenger side of her truck. “I’m going to get in the backseat and lie down.”

“Good girl. Give me some lovin’,” I say softly. Bending to kiss her gently, I help her into the backseat and reluctantly shut the door, facing my sister. “Be really fuckin’ careful, Em.”

“I will,” she says, rolling her eyes at me.

“Okay, I love y’all,” I call back before getting back in my truck and pulling out of the parking lot.

Shortly after I’m on the highway, I see a sign telling me we’re just over sixty miles from home. Stepping more firmly on the gas pedal, I watch my sister speed up behind me in Sophie’s truck and I can’t keep the nervousness from my chest.

Sophie

By the time we make it back to the house, I’m feeling completely fine. Chase, on the other hand, is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. After asking me approximately seventeen times if I’m sure I don’t need to go to the hospital, he sends me to bed.

“Baby, I want to show your parents and Emily the nursery.”

“Sophie,” he huffs. “Why are you being so difficult? If you’re so sure that you’re fine, then just go lie down while I call the doctor.”

“Chase, if I’m in labor this close to my due date, the baby’s coming regardless,” I argue.

“You’re right and if you’re in labor, you need to rest while you can,” he counters as he puts the phone to his ear. “Go lie down, I’m calling the doctor.”

“Sure, for
this
you’ll call,” I roll my eyes as he takes my hand and begins leading me into our bedroom, lying next to me on the bed.

“Baby, there’s a big difference between calling to see if you’re in labor and calling to see if it’s safe for me to fuck- Hello?”

“Oh my God,” I groan, meeting his wide eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you pick up,” he admits, smiling at my blush. “My fiancé is eight months along and she’s either having contractions or false labor. I need to know if I need to take her to the hospital.”

While I listen to him talk to the nurse, I let my eyes roam over his perfect features. Occasionally, he’ll ask me a question and then relay my answer to the nurse on the other end before listening intently. I already know that I’m not in labor. I’ve told him a dozen times myself, but if this makes him feel better, I can’t deny him of it.

His protective streak can be a lot to handle sometimes, but I couldn’t love it more. Since the day I made the commitment to belong to this man, I’ve never had to worry about facing anything alone. While this is far from the first time I’ve realized what a devoted man I’m marrying, I’m sad to say that in the day to day, it gets lost in the mix at times. Even though I guess that’s normal, I hate that his sweetness ever gets lost on me. Brushing the stray blonde hair away from his brow, I rest my hand on his jaw and press my lips to his arm, just an inch away from me.

“I love you,” I whisper, wanting to tell him but careful to not distract from his conversation.

“I love you, too, Baby,” he tells me in his regular voice, not concerned with anything but making sure I know it as he rests his hand on my stomach. “Okay, thank you,” he says into the phone before hanging up. “Looks like you were probably right,” he says with a smile. “She said we should keep an eye on them to make sure they stay sporadic. If you have more pain or it moves to your back, you need to go in. Otherwise, from what you said, it sounds like false labor and you need to rest.”

“Okay,” I say quietly, still gazing at him. “Thank you.”

“For what? For overreacting and ordering you to bed?” he smirks.

“For loving me enough to overreact and order me to bed in the name of the safety and well-being of me and our baby,” I smile. “I give you a lot of shit, but you’re pretty perfect.”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” he says, giving me a soft smile.

“You don’t have to,” I say, turning onto my side to fully face him. “I know you are and since I’m apparently always right, I guess that means I win.”

Bending to place a light kiss on my lips, he rests his head on the pillow and lies with me, holding my eyes and brushing the pad of his thumb over my forehead.

We stay like that for a moment, just staring in silence as we study each other. His hand stays resting on my belly as my eyes begin to grow heavy from lack of sleep and too many emotions. When I hear a quiet sniff coming from him, my eyes snap open and my favorite blues come back into focus.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“Nothing,” he says, turning to wipe his face clean.

“Liar,” I counter, my soft voice matching his as I rest my hand on his cheek. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I was just trying to figure something out,” he says, pulling a questioning look from me.

“What are you trying to figure out?”

“Well, I think it’s pretty well-known that I didn’t come to you with the best reputation,” he smirks.

“Okay,” I reply, not sure where he’s going with this.

“I was never a dick to anyone,” he continues. “I always tried to be respectful, honest about what I wanted…”

“Yeah?” I whisper, still waiting.

“Some men know exactly what they want and they spend their whole lives trying to get it. Then one day they look up and they’ve wasted so much time trying to get something that doesn’t exist. I never wanted to be that guy. I never thought I’d settle, not even when I almost did, but I never thought the idea of finding something that encompasses every single thing I wanted was realistic,” he admits. “I figured someone like me, someone who was just kind of floating along would find someone that was good enough, you know?”

Not knowing what to say to his sad words, I simply nod my understanding and wait for him to finish as I run my hand over his jaw.

“But I was wrong because here you are, about to make me a daddy. You’re every single thing I ever wanted and a million beautiful things I never could have imagined. That unattainable woman I always thought was a pipe dream? I guess I was just trying to figure out what I did to deserve belonging to her. What awesome thing did I do in my past life to be the only person in the world who gets to have it all?”

As I let his words wash over me, I feel contentment, a peace unlike anything I’ve ever known. His eyes are as blue as I’ve ever seen them as the light from the window behind me hits them just right. The light stubble tickles my fingertips as I trail along his jaw in awe of him, in awe that he could ever believe he’s the only one winning such an amazing prize.

When Jack and I were together, I loved him fiercely, with a passion I thought could never be surpassed.

After being with the man I’m gazing at through watery eyes, though, I know that my time with Jack was a dress rehearsal and Chase is the main event of my life. This perfect man in front of me is it. He’s the other half of my soul, my very being and I’m totally blown away by his love for me. I’m so completely overcome by his words, words that seem to have come straight from my very heart that it takes me a long minute to even respond with my own.

“You aren’t the only one,” I manage.

As he gently presses his full lips to mine, I fall asleep knowing I could cease to exist right now, right this second, and in this life, I was loved completely.