Sophie worked to find her breath as her doctor asked, “Now, do you two have any questions for me?”
God, yes. Sophie had zillions of questions she needed answers to. Most of which started with, How could this have happened to me when other people have one-night stands all the time? But for now, she just shook her head and said, “I’ll probably have some once I read through these.”
Books had always made her feel better. She’d always thought that knowledge could cure practically any ill. This time, however, she wasn’t at all sure books could work that kind of magic.
“What about you, Jake?”
“Does she need to be extra careful? You know, should she be careful not to over-exert?”
Marnie shook her head. “Sophie should be able to live pretty much as she is now. Good food, lots of rest, and exercise.”
“What about sex?”
His question shook Sophie from her panicked state. Now she was mortified, instead.
“I’m glad you asked that, Jake,” Marnie said. “It’s something that pretty much every newly pregnant couple wonders about. I promise you, intercourse isn’t going to hurt a thing. In fact, a lot of patients say it’s even better during pregnancy.” She smiled at both of them. “Feel free to email the office with any questions. And I’ll see you again in four weeks.”
The door closed behind the doctor, leaving Jake and Sophie alone.
She didn’t have the first clue about where to go from here. She’d thought she was past the point where the rug could be pulled out from under her. But hearing that she was pregnant with twins was a whole new level of rug-yanking.
She knew she should get off the table and put her clothes back on, but she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her up.
“Can you believe it?” Her question was more of a whisper than anything, as if she was afraid to say the word aloud. But she had to. “Twins.”
Jake hadn’t moved from behind her and she wanted to lean into him and never let go. Thank God he was here. If she’d had to do this by herself she’d—
“That decides it. We’re definitely getting married now.”
“What?” Sophie jumped off the table, not caring that her cloth gown was gaping open completely in the back. “No!”
Jake’s face was completely shut down. “Yes.”
“But you promised me seven days.”
“You’re having twins, Sophie. You can’t do this alone. Not with two.”
She shook her head. “That’s beside the point.”
He looked frustrated. And just as shell-shocked as she felt. “Then what is the point? It’s just seven goddamned days. We both already know you’re going to marry me.”
How could she say, The point is that if you drag me to Vegas today and make me say “I do” because I’m carrying your children, then you never even have to try to fall in love with me.
But didn’t she already know better? Why was she still hoping for the impossible?
She could taste defeat, that horrible bitterness on her tongue that she’d become so familiar with in the two and a half months after Jake had made love to her in Napa.
“If you don’t know why those seven days matter,” she said in a shaky voice, “then you’re the world’s biggest idiot.”
She was about to grab her clothes and head to the bathroom when she saw Jake’s expression. He looked utterly furious. But there was more than anger there, she realized as she looked closer. He looked ashamed, too.
And wounded. Horribly wounded by her insult.
She rewound through all the names she’d called him in the past day. None of them had made him react like the word idiot. If anything, he’d laughed the rest of them away.
“Jake, I—”
Jake’s voice cut through her like a knife. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
He was gone before she could call him back, before she could apologize for calling him an idiot.
The bathroom mirror mocked her as she caught a glance at her wild eyes, her flushed skin, the reflection always there to highlight just how badly she was screwing everything up. She of all people knew how powerful words were. It made her sick to think she’d just hurt Jake with one.
All she wanted was to love and be loved...and she’d never been further from it.
* * *
Jake didn’t say another word to her until he pulled up in front of the library and she fumbled at the buckle to throw herself out of his car.
“Sit still, princess.” Each word was a bullet aimed straight at her. “You’re going to let me get the goddamned door for you this time and every time after.”
For all the times she’d pushed him before now, something told her not to keep pushing. Not right at this moment.
She cringed at what she’d called him. Idiot. It was a word she’d never spoken to anyone else, not even in her angriest moments. He had to know she hadn’t meant it, that she’d spat it out in the heat of the moment, didn’t he?
A few seconds later, he yanked open the passenger door and leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to hold herself rigid as his muscles brushed over her skin, as his scent filled her senses. He held out his hand to help her out of the car and she had no choice but to take it.
“Jake,” she said softly, “I’m sorry for what I called you earlier. I was angry. I didn’t mean it.”
He didn’t acknowledge her apology. “Eight o’clock tonight. Be waiting for me with your bags packed.”