Catch (14 page)

Chapter 23

“You’re completely crazy, you know that?” she eventually whispered, as a tiny tear welled in the corner of her eye.

“Only ever for you,” I answered truthfully, making my way toward her and taking her in my arms.

“Ryan…”

“Don’t, Evangeline,” I began, caressing her chin with my thumb. “Let me speak.”

It was hard being that close to her and not being able to make a move, but I didn’t want to scare her or make her mad. I had come all this way to prove I was good enough for her and my unborn child. “I drove myself crazy wondering why you didn’t call,” I continued. “But I’d promised you space and I was trying hard to uphold that. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I wasn’t focusing, and in effect, my gameplay suffered. We lost a number of games, which only took me deeper down that dark path. The same dark path I swore off when I was younger. All I ever wanted was the chance for you to believe me, Evangeline. I did nothing wrong. It was all Jessica, and you found it easier to blame me. Do you know how much that hurt? I forced myself to think you weren’t coming back, that you’d moved on and you’d found someone better deserving, like Hawke Hudson. The very thought of you being with him killed me, but I had to think that way just to make it through the day. I even tried telling myself that you and I were just two very different people, and I had to stop wasting my time on you. It managed to work for a little while, but it didn’t last long, because the thing is I was lying to myself. I may be a lot of things, but I am
definitely
not a liar.”

I took a moment to just look at her before deciding to continue. “We’re not two different people, and meeting you wasn’t simply luck; it was fate. You think it was luck we both happened to have horrific pasts we wanted to forget? No. I was meant to find you and help you to heal, just as you have done for me. We complete each other, Evie. Can’t you see that? Because when I see you, I see everything. I see my greatest challenge, my one and only love, the mother of my children and the beginning of the rest of my life.”
There, I said it.
I told her
exactly
how I felt and once it was out, I felt the weight leave my body.

Staring into her eyes, I was both relieved and concerned that tears had filled hers. I’d never wanted to make her cry and even though there was a smile on her face, it was hard to smile back. Instead, using my thumb, I gently wiped the tears away that had fallen.

“Ryan, Hawke and I are just friends.”

My face lit up with amusement. “I just gave you that incredible, heartfelt speech that I thought of all by myself, and the only thing you come up with is ‘Hawke and I are just friends’?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. Watching realization dawn on her made me laugh. “I’m just kidding,
bella
. I believe you.”

I filled her in on Hawke’s visit, the
small
bruise I gave him, and eventually I questioned her about the baby. We talked for ages, and I felt my heart slowly begin to mend. My world was finally coming back together again. I had my girl back, she still loved me, and we were going to be a family. We still had much to work on, but that could be left for another day. At that moment, I just needed to hold her, meet my baby, and plan the rest of my future with the love of my life.

The End

About The Author

Michelle Congdon resides in Sydney, Australia. She has a Dalmatian named Jett, who to this day continues to hold an 8 year grudge against her after she had to leave him with her parents when she moved to the big city—this only proves animals are much like their owners. Michelle enjoys reading books of all sorts of genres, watching way too many movies and TV shows (and Disney cartoons), singing out aloud to her favorite hits, and going on adventures involving food and travel. Michelle is loud, talks a lot and shares an ever-growing list of fictional husbands with a friend. From when she was a small girl, she has always had an overactive imagination and has tried to put it to good use by sharing her stories with anyone willing to listen.

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