“Hey,” he said as he stepped near me.

  I swallowed hard.

  “Hi.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I was afraid you weren’t going to come.”

  He was so quiet. I was so scared. What if I’d let myself fall like he was saying, and it wasn’t it? This was a unique situation, and I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do. Why was I making so many mistakes?

  “Are you going to talk to me?” Benjamin asked, and I shook my head.

  “I should go.”

  “Brenna,” he said, clearly exasperated.

  “What?” I barked, my emotions going out of control.

  The others were looking at us now, and I knew they probably wanted to say something, but I didn’t have the time nor the inclination to deal with it. All I did was screw things up. I was pregnant, having a fucking baby, and I couldn’t have a fucking conversation because I was too afraid of what he was going to say. I didn’t deserve any happiness that was going to come from him because I was the one that kept screwing things up. I was going to hurt him. I knew it.

  I didn’t know how to fix it.

  “Brenna, we need to talk.”

  “I should go.”

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, his tone changing on a dime. He wasn’t angry with me. No, he was worried. Worried because he loved me? Or he thought he had to?

  Why couldn’t I think clearly?

  “I should go. I’m just making things worse.”

  I moved forward, and he followed me, muttering over his shoulder to Archer about something. I knew Archer would tell the others that I needed space or something, and I didn’t care.

  I couldn’t think, not at a bar surrounded by people that I loved, and certainly not with a man that I didn’t want to love.

  Was that it? Did I not want to love him?

  That couldn’t be it. Was I falling in love with Benjamin Montgomery?

  Of course I was. How could I not? What if he figured out that he didn’t love me?

  I wiped away a tear, pissed off at myself, as I picked up my phone.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, coming to my side.

  “Archer drove me, so I’m getting a ride share so I can get home.”

  “You’re not getting a fucking ride share. Not now, and certainly not in the rain. I’ll take you home.”

  “I’m fine. You don’t need to drop everything and do everything for me. I can do this.”

  “I’m sure you can. You’ve always been able to do everything on your own, but you don’t have to do this on your own.”

  “What? Have a baby?”

  “That’s not what I fucking meant. And you know you’re not doing it on your own. You and me.”

  “I should just go and breathe, I need to breathe,” I said, after a minute.

  “Everything okay out here?” Beckett asked, and I wanted to scream. This is the exact wrong time for this. I was still so angry with Beckett for the way that he had gotten in Benjamin’s face before. Beckett had no right to try to stand up for me the way he had. Every time that things got complicated between us, between Benjamin and me, Beckett was there, trying to be my best friend and Benjamin’s twin at the same time. It just made everything so weird and challenging.

  “I can handle this, Beckett. You should go inside,” Benjamin growled, his gaze on mine.

  “Brenna?” Beckett asked.

  I cursed. “Go inside. Benjamin and I are having a discussion. You don’t need to be part of this.”

  I knew I was being a bitch, but things were touchy just then, and I didn’t know what to do. This was my fault, and I needed to fix it.

  Only there wasn’t going to be any fixing this if we didn’t talk.

  Beckett looked between us before giving us a nod and walking back inside. Eliza stood in the doorway and cringed as she tugged Beckett in, a little forcefully if I thought about it.

  Benjamin was so silent I was afraid everything was going to blow up in my face right then. “Come on. I’ll get you home.”

  “I’m sorry for ruining the night,” I whispered.

  He cursed again. “You didn’t. We’re finally having the conversations that we didn’t have before, and things just kept getting fucked up because we’re not talking to one another.”

  “I know. I think it’s just hitting me right now that we’re having a baby and everything that we said last night, and I need a minute to think. I really shouldn’t have come out tonight.”

  He sighed as we got in the truck. “I shouldn’t have come out either, but I didn’t want you to be alone.”

  There it was. Both of us not wanting each other to be alone.

  I was in love with him.

  I wasn’t sure how to tell him. Because if I said it wrong, then would he think it was the truth? Or just me trying to make things easier?

  “I hate that we even brought Beckett up last night.” Benjamin gripped the steering wheel, his jaw tight.

  “Why would you think that?”

  He looked over at me before pulling his gaze back to the road. The roads weren’t easy, and the rain was coming down hard. My pulse raced, and I was terrified we were going to say something we would regret.

  “What is Beckett going to say?” I asked, knowing it was probably the wrong thing, but Benjamin had brought him up, and now we’d have to deal with it.

  He growled. “Seriously? That’s what you’re going to ask? What the hell does Beckett have to do with this?”

  “He has everything to do with things. You can’t just pretend that’s not a problem.”

  “Well, maybe if he wasn’t at the center of everything, we could have a fucking conversation,” he snapped.

  I looked at him then, but lights hit the windshield. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see what was going on. We were in our lane, but lights were coming at us fast. I screamed, and then the glass shattered, and metal screeched. I reached for Benjamin.

  I caught only air.

  Then there was nothing.

  Chapter 19

  Brenna

  * * *

  I woke up to the sound of my screams, only they were of an echo, not truly what I was doing at that exact moment.

  “You’re safe, you’re safe,” a deep voice said next to me. I knew that voice. I loved that voice, but it wasn’t the voice I needed to hear.

  “Beckett?” I muttered.

  “I’m here, Brenna.”

  “Go get the nurse, Archer.”

  “I’m on it,” Archer whispered as there was a scuffle of shoes against tile. I tried to think, tried to do anything, but I couldn’t.

  I opened my eyes, then closed them again, the light hitting me too brightly.

  “The baby?” I asked, the first thought to my mind.

  “We’re not family, so they’re not telling us anything. I’m only allowed in here because I’m your emergency contact.”

  “My phone,” I muttered, remembering that I had put him in as my emergency contact in my phone a while ago just in case I had been in an accident. Like this.

  “Benjamin,” I said quickly, trying to get up from the bed.

  The lights nearly blinded me, and everything ached, but Beckett reached out and gripped my hand. “He’s in the room next door. He should be fine.”

  “Should?” I asked, not crying because I couldn’t, couldn’t do anything. The shock was too real. But everything ached.

  “The rest of the family’s with him. Mom and Dad too. Archer and I were in here with you.”

  “What happened?”

  “We’re not sure, but it looks like a car jumped the median and hit you guys nearly head-on. You weren’t going that fast, and even in the rain, you guys were driving safely. It hit you, and the truck’s totaled.”

  “I’m so scared. And they won’t tell you about the baby?” My hands went to my stomach, and I held back a sob. I needed to be strong, but all I wanted to do was break.

  Beckett shook his head. “No, I don’t know anything about what’s going on, only that I’m here with you. No matter what.”

  “I need to see Benjamin,” I whispered.

  I needed to tell him that I was sorry for overreacting, for being so scared that I had almost lost everything.

  “We’ll make that happen. You should rest. We can talk later.”

  “I need to talk to him now. I need him to know.”

  I needed to tell him that I loved him. I didn’t want to tell Beckett that. Beckett didn’t need to be the first person to hear those words.

  “We’ll get him in here, I promise. Just breathe. You need to take care of yourself.”

  “The doctor’s on his way,” Archer said, out of breath. “I’m just glad that you’re okay. Well, you know.”

  We didn’t know, and that was the problem.

  Archer looked between Beckett and me, and nodded tightly, then headed back out, though I wasn’t sure exactly why.

  “I’m so sorry,” Beckett whispered.

  I frowned, looking up at him, my head aching.

  “If I hadn’t been such a guilty asshole for treating you the way that I did the past few months, I wouldn’t feel like I’m one of the reasons that you and Benjamin keep fighting.”

  “That’s not it. I promise you. Benjamin and I have our own issues, but in reality, they have nothing to do with you. I promise.”

  “I just want you to know that I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you too,” I sighed. “Just not like that.”

  Beckett reached for my hand, squeezed it slightly, then looked up and froze. I followed his gaze and blinked.

  Benjamin stood in the doorway, in a hospital gown, a bloody bandage on his forehead, and an IV sticking out of his arm as he leaned against the IV pole.

  “What the fuck are you doing out of bed?” Beckett growled.

  “I needed to see. I needed to make sure she was okay.”

  “Fuck, come sit down.”

  “I don’t think I can move right now. They kind of pumped me up with a lot of drugs.”

  I tried to get up, and both twins gave me identical glares, so I sat there, nerves racking me at the thought of what could be wrong with Benjamin, the baby, everything.

  Before I could say anything, two harried nurses came in and started trying to move Benjamin around, growling at him.

  “I need to make sure that the baby’s okay. That Brenna’s okay. I know I’m not supposed to be out of bed, but for fuck’s sake, just let me see her.”

  “There’s no need for that kind of language, young man,” an older nurse said as she walked in, a glare on her face. “If you don’t sit down, we’ll make you.”

  “Benjamin, stop being an idiot,” Beckett growled, and they shoved Benjamin into the wheelchair behind him.

  “I just need to know,” he whispered. “I needed to see you.” Benjamin turned to me, and my heart broke. He was here, bloody and in pain, but he was alive. And I needed to know about the baby.

  The room I was in had two beds, with a curtain separating them. The other bed was empty, and with a few pointed questions, and nurses that I would forever be grateful towards, they put Benjamin in the bed next to me.

  Another doctor came in and began talking about ultrasounds and checks, but I couldn’t keep up. “We’re going to check for a heartbeat, and together we’re going to get through this. Now Benjamin, sit still and let the nurses take care of you, or they’re not going to let this happen. Do you understand me?”

  Her voice was fierce, and we both nodded before Beckett quietly left the room, leaving us with the staff and each other.

  The beds were close enough that Benjamin and I could reach out and grip each other’s hands, and I squeezed hard, wanting him closer but knowing we couldn’t be yet.

  The nurses worked on him and me, and then the most beautiful sound in the world reached our ears.

  “There it is, the heartbeat. Everything looks good here. I’m going to run a few more tests, but the baby looks good here.”

  I looked over at Benjamin, and I wept.

  Chapter 20

  Benjamin

  * * *

  It took over an hour of poking and prodding before they finally left us alone long enough that I could crawl out of bed.

  Brenna narrowed her eyes but moved over so I could sit next to her. I no longer had an IV and didn’t need any pain meds. I had a slight concussion, was still attached to all the monitors, but only needed a few stitches on my forehead. Brenna needed stitches on her shoulder, as well as right on her cheekbone, and it might scar depending on how it healed, but we would both be fine.

  The baby was fine.

  I could barely breathe with the relief shooting through me.

  “Hey,” I whispered as I crawled into her bed and held her close. “Everything’s okay.”

  “The staff is going to get angry at us again,” she said.

  “Maybe, I don’t give a fuck right now. With as much money as the Montgomery’s pour into this hospital with how many times we’re here? We can hold each other for a minute.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she blurted.

  I frowned. “Why are you sorry?”

  “If I hadn’t gotten scared and pushed you away, we wouldn’t have been in the car, and this wouldn’t have happened.”

  I leaned down and kissed her brow, the sounds of her screams still echoing in my head. “Stop it. There was an oil slick on the road, and the other guy was going too fast, especially in the rain. He hit us; it wasn’t your fault.”

  “Is he okay?”

  That was my Brenna, worried about the other guy while she had stitches on her face. “He has a broken leg, but he’s fine. At least that’s what Beckett growled at me.”

  “If I hadn’t wanted to leave, we wouldn’t have been in the car. We could have lost the baby.”

  “We didn’t. And I wanted to leave, too. I was only there because I wanted to be with you. I always want to be with you, Brenna. Maybe we didn’t go about this the right way, but it’s our way.” I pause. “I love you, Brenna. You’re mine. You and the baby. I love you both. And I know that this isn’t going to be easy. Nothing is, but we can find a path that works for us. I don’t want to lose you, Brenna.”

  She reached up, her fingers touching the edge of the bandage. “I almost lost you tonight. I don’t want to lose you either.”

  “I know it might be too soon for you to say anything, for you to get through all of your emotions because I know you keep thinking too hard, but I need to be here. No matter what.”

  My heart ached, and I wanted her to say the words back, but I knew that she might not be able to. It would be too quick for her, and I understood that.

  It didn’t ease the wanting, though.

  She put her fingers to my lips then and smiled. “I love you too, Benjamin Montgomery. This isn’t exactly how I pictured saying it, but maybe it’s how it needed to be. I think I started falling in love with you on that road trip when I got to spend time with just you without the others around us. You faced my family, faced my own tumbled thoughts. And you haven’t shied away. You haven’t run away. I was the one who tried to do the running, and I failed. I love you, Benjamin. And we’re making a family.”

  “We already are a family. We’re just growing it. And I can’t wait to see what else we do.” I leaned down and kissed her and ignored the throat-clearing of a nurse that walked in. Yes, we were going to be in trouble. Yes, if we weren’t careful, we’d somehow get kicked out of the hospital, even if I wasn’t sure that actually could happen. It didn’t matter. I was holding the woman that I loved, the future mother of my child, and nothing else mattered.

  Chapter 21

  Benjamin

  * * *

  This Montgomery Ink family dinner hit a little different. Probably because there weren’t going to be any new announcements from Brenna and me. The family already knew that we were engaged, that we had a child on the way, and we were working on moving her into my house. I had the extra space, and my place was closer to both of our works. It only made sense. We were still trying to figure out if we would sell her place or do what Annabelle and Jacob had done and rent out the house to somebody. Those are decisions that would come soon, but were not the major ones that we had already announced to the family. Today, however, was just about food and wedding planning. Just not ours. No, first up was Beckett and Eliza, Archer and Marc, and then us. I didn’t think we were going to go to something too big, not like the others. No, we had talked about just a small backyard wedding, one possibly a little sooner rather than later, since Brenna wasn’t sure she wanted to go full Grecian gown over a large baby bump.

  I didn’t care. As long as Brenna was by my side, that was all that mattered.

  I hadn’t been expecting her, but I wasn’t sure you could expect her. She was full of surprises. With every new breath I took, I felt like I was falling harder for this woman, finding unique aspects about her that I wasn’t prepared for.

  Part of me thought that perhaps we’d always one day be at this spot, maybe not in this exact way, but we would be together. It might have taken getting my ex-girlfriend pregnant so she could have a baby with her wife to get me here, but that was not the strangest way a family member of mine had fallen in love.

  “Why are you smiling like that?” Brenna asked from my side as she wrapped her arm around my waist.

  It had been a couple of weeks since the accident, and we were both healed, though the cuts on our faces were going to need a little bit longer before they entirely faded away. One of our cousin’s friends was a plastic surgeon and had come in to help with the stitches in the end.

  I wasn’t sure what it said about the Montgomerys that we had a plastic surgeon on hand for accidents, but I’d do whatever it took to make sure Brenna never had to think about almost losing each other again.