It Started with a Snap by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ethan

It had been over a week since I last saw Ember. I missed her like crazy, but she put me off every time I texted or called, telling me business was booming at the boutique, thanks to the website and ads I’d set up. She was wiped by the end of the day, and was falling into bed, exhausted, every night. And since I’d finished all the renovations in her apartment, I had no excuse to just show up.

I was trying to give her space. To show her I wasn’t a clinger and could carry on with my life without being near her all the time. But I was fucking miserable.

My brothers and I had opened the business back up, picking up a few small jobs here and there. But they didn’t keep me busy enough. I had way too much time to think about Ember and how much I missed her.

My house was too big. Too empty. My bed, too cold. My arms, useless without her to hold.

In this short absence, I realized how much I needed her. How much I loved her.

“Fuck,” I muttered, pushing myself up from the couch.

I stalked toward my bedroom, stripping out of my athletic pants and pulling on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. The days were getting cooler, and I needed to go check on the boutique’s furnace. I’d tested it when I overhauled the air conditioning, but it wouldn’t hurt to double check it before the weather turned colder, right?

“Bullshit,” I grumbled, pausing to breathe for a moment.

If I wanted to see Ember, I didn’t need an excuse, did I? She was my girlfriend, and I missed her. That was excuse enough.

As I looked around the room, a crazy thought slithered through my brain. What if I asked Ember to move in here with me? I tried to discount the idea, but it persisted.

If she lived here, I’d wake up next to her every morning. We’d have coffee and breakfast while chatting about our plans for the day. Then, after work, we’d have dinner and wind down with a glass of wine. We’d talk, we’d laugh, we’d watch movies, and make love whenever we felt like it.

I rationalized the idea with the fact that no matter what, she’d have her apartment above the boutique. If things didn’t work out, she’d have somewhere to go. I knew that would be a selling point for her, but I knew it would never come to that.

I loved her too much, and I would do everything within my power to make her happy beyond her wildest dreams.

I hopped into my truck before I could change my mind and talk myself out of it. When I got to the boutique, I turned off the engine and sat there for a minute, just breathing. I was nervous, afraid she’d shut down the idea before I had a chance to convince her.

“You won’t know unless you try,” I whispered, bolstering myself before popping open the door and hopping down.

When I walked inside, the smile I’d plastered on my face dimmed at the sight of Ember behind the counter. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes exaggerated by the pale hue of her skin. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and when she looked up to find me walking toward her, she frowned.

My steps faltered, seeing that expression on her face, but I powered through and pushed my second-guessing thoughts aside.

“Hey,” I said as I approached the counter.

“Ethan. What are you doing here?”

She sounded as tired as she looked. She’d told me last week she had some kind of stomach bug, but she should’ve been over it by now.

“Are you still sick?” I asked instead of answering her question.

“What?” she asked as if she had no idea what I was talking about. Recognition dawned on her face, and she added, “Oh, yeah. No. I’m not sick.”

“Can we talk?” I asked, letting the subject of her health drop for the moment.

I needed to ask her to move in with me before I lost my nerve.

“Sure,” she sighed, the word sounding like it was the last thing she actually wanted to do, and led the way up the stairs after asking an associate I didn’t recognize to watch the register.

“Who’s the new guy?” I asked as we climbed.

“New hire,” she said without looking back at me. “I needed some more help, and he started three days ago.”

“That’s good,” I said as she led me into her apartment and closed the door behind us.

“What do you want to talk about, Ethan?”

My head reared back at the impatience in her voice. Not because it was impatient, but because I could tell she was trying to make it sound that way to cover some other emotion. Something that looked and sounded a lot like fear.

“What is going on?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked, smoothing the shorter hairs that had escaped from her bun along her temples.

“Ember,” I said, shaking my head. “We haven’t seen each other in over a week. I’ve done nothing but miss you, and you’re acting like me showing up here is a huge inconvenience.”

Her eyes glassed over, tears splashing on her cheeks as she shook her head and said, “I’ve missed you, too.”

I tangled my fingers through hers and pulled her in close, hugging her against my chest. She melted against me, sniffling as my hand rubbed up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

“I want to talk about you…moving in with me,” I said, holding my breath as I waited for her response.

It didn’t take long.

She jerked out of my arms, her expression stricken before morphing into something much worse—rage. Her features twisted as she frowned. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she took a few harsh breaths.

“You know.”

Those two simple words were laced with accusation and disgust, making me stumble back a step. I pressed a hand against my chest as my heart started to pound.

“Know what?” I asked.

“Fucking Belle,” she rambled as she started to pace back and forth in front of me. “I should’ve known better. I knew she’d tell Ryder. Fuck. How long have you known?”

I shook my head. “Ember, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course, you don’t,” she spat, barking out an ugly laugh. “You just decided to ask me to move in. Now, of all times. Yeah. That’s believable.”

I was so fucking confused, and her smart-assed tone quickly turned that confusion into anger. Throwing my arms into the air, I shouted her name. She stopped pacing, shooting me a dirty look that nearly shattered my damn heart.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I gritted out, trying like hell to keep my voice even.

“Like you don’t know,” she said, shaking her head.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking,” I countered.

“Fine. You want to hear me say it? Fucking. Fine,” she said, her voice growing in volume with each word. “I’m pregnant!”

I stumbled back as if her words hit me with a physical force. My back slammed into the door behind me, and I felt all the blood drain from my face.

Ember paled as I watched her with wide eyes, her fist flying up to cover her mouth. She stepped forward with one foot, then pulled it back. Her eyes filled with fresh tears as she held my gaze.

“You really didn’t know.”

It was a statement, not a question, but I shook my head anyway. I was pretty sure I was in shock. I couldn’t feel my extremities, and I was having a hard time breathing.

“You’re pregnant?” I asked when I finally found my voice.

She nodded quickly, sniffing loudly before saying, “I found out a week ago. I…I didn’t know how to tell you. It’s all my fault, Ethan. I messed up and forgot to take my birth control pills like I was supposed to.”

I heard the words, but my brain barely registered them as my heart pounded out a heavy rhythm. As the blood rushed through my ears, my mind was filled with one thought.

A baby. A baby. A baby.

When I didn’t speak, Ember filled the silence with rapid words.

“I’ve been thinking about this all week, and…I want to keep it, Ethan. I don’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for. I’m not asking for anything from you. I’m fully prepared to do this on my own, if I have to.”

“Stop,” I said, holding up my hands, and she fell silent.

A baby. My baby. Our baby.

A blast of pure joy exploded in my chest, and I clutched a fist against it. I felt like I might burst, unable to contain it all as I stared at her face, beautiful even with her pinched, fearful expression. Moving forward, I approached her slowly like she was a wild animal threatening to bolt. When she remained still, I reached out and pressed my palm to her still-flat abdomen.

Her breath hitched, and I placed my free hand along her neck, using my thumb to push her chin up so she could meet my eyes.

“We’re having a baby,” I whispered, my voice filled with awe as my eyes filled with tears.

“Yes,” she whimpered, her own tears still flowing freely.

“We’re having a baby,” I repeated, but this time, the words came out as a joyful shout.

Ember yelped as I scooped her up against my chest and spun her around. Setting her on her feet, I cupped her cheeks and kissed her, pouring all of my happiness into it. Her fingers tangled in the material of my shirt, fisting it tightly as she kissed me back with wild abandon.

“Ember,” I said, breaking off the kiss. “I didn’t know. I swear, if I did, I would’ve been here days ago.”

“I believe you,” she said, smiling through her tears.

“And I asked you to move in with me because I miss you when you’re not around. I need you, always.” I paused and swallowed thickly. “Ember, I love you.”