“Motherfucking whore bag!” she yelled, dropping her hand as a black streak appeared on her cheek.

“Just draw another one on the other side, you’ll be hot,” he suggested and she glared.

“No,” she said, her movements jerky as she washed it off, her anger-filled eyes locked on him. “I can’t believe you told my family.”

“Um, I didn’t really tell them. I’ve been greeting you as my hot momma all week.”

She reached down, picking up her Snickers before taking a huge bite, and said, “Whatever. They know, it’s whatever,” she said, but even she was eating with more force than needed.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, but she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. I just don’t want to let anyone down, and now that my mom knows, she’s gonna baby me. And if I lose this one, she’s gonna feel bad because she said that shit about miscarriage. Ugh! It will be such a mess.”

Coming off where he’d been sitting on the toilet lid, he went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “It won’t happen.”

She shook her head though. “You don’t know that.”

“No, but I can hope so,” he suggested, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “And so can you.”

Letting out a long breath, she closed her eyes, leaning into him. “I’m trying.”

“I know,” he said softly, kissing her jaw. “It’s all going to be fine.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, it will. I have to believe that.”

“Yes, you do,” he practically begged as he slowly kissed her cheek. “We’ve lived so long without each other. Now we have each other, and things are going to go in our favor. I haven’t completely changed who I was for nothing. It was for you and for the children you’re going to give me.”

She smiled, leaning her cheek into his lips. “You are a good man, Jordie Thomas.”

Holding her gaze, he said, “Because of the woman who loves me and stands beside me.”

“Always,” she whispered, her eyes heavy with emotion. Her hands then came up to his, holding them as her eyes searched his. “Are you okay?” she asked after a few seconds and he nodded. He knew everyone meant well, but it was getting annoying being asked the same thing over and over again.

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“We don’t have to go,” she suggested and he nodded.

“I know, but I want to.”

Her eyes opened. “You want to?”

Looking back at her intently, he nodded. “I want to be honest. I want her to know what she is losing.”

Her brow quirked. “So you aren’t giving her the chance to be in your life?”

He shook his head. “I can’t. She doesn’t deserve it.”

“You got that right,” she agreed and she patted his hands. He let her go, allowing her to get ready as he took his seat back on the toilet.

“Good thing is, we get a free meal,” he said and her lips curved.

“’Cause you’re hurting for money.”

He smiled. “Hey, we are having a baby, gotta start saving. We play the most expensive sport, which means the baby will, plus college. And then if it’s a girl, a wedding... Ugh, yeah, I need to start playing really good so I can get a raise.”

“You’re insane,” she said, rolling her eyes, but then she looked over at him in the mirror as she removed the black streak. “It may help, y’know? Tell her that you don’t want her in your life any longer and not to call, nicely of course. Unlike me who wants to kick her in the vag and cuss her out.” He laughed as she continued, “And maybe it will soothe some of your pain because you’ll never have to see or talk to her again.”

He shook his head. “It won’t be that easy.”

“Sure it will,” she decided. “Because she can’t manipulate both of us.”

He smiled. “This is true.”

“So, no worries,” she said happily. “But if shit gets shady, I’m gonna Spartan kick her.”

Jordie shook his head, his chest bubbling with laughter as she shrugged in an innocent way, but Kacey was far from innocent. She was a whole lot of things, but innocent was not one of them. She was insanely protective though, and he believed every word that left her sweet lips. The great thing though—even though he sort of felt like he was drowning in the abyss of the unknown—was that Kacey was his.

And she’d stand by him no matter what.

He was going to need her when he faced down his mother.

He just hoped he came back in one piece.

The second Kacey locked eyes with Stacey Thomas, she hated her.

It wasn’t as if she had liked her before, because she didn’t. But still, pure hatred burned deep in her soul as she watched Jordie’s mother wave her hands up in the air before hugging him tightly, kissing his cheek as if she was a good mother instead of the poor excuse for a human being she actually was. Jordie went through the motions but they were stiff, and she could tell from a mile away that he didn’t want her touching him. That it almost pained him because they both knew she didn’t want to hug or kiss him. She didn’t even love him, or maybe she did, somewhere deep in that black heart of hers. But if she did, she had a poor way of showing it.

And that made Kacey hate her even more. If that were possible.

Her dumb-ass fiancé stood behind her, his mouth gaping, his eyes big as he took in the wide girth of Jordie. That was one thing about him that made Kacey’s heart skip a beat; wherever Jordie stood, he took up the whole room. He was such a big presence, and it left her dumbfounded that his mother didn’t care more for him. He was such a beautiful person, a good man, but it was fine. Her loss, and Kacey’s gain.