Hunter: The Reckoning

Chapter 9

"You know, I really saw this going differently." Cain breaks the silence that had existed for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Telling him I was pregnant had been hard, and I'd avoided it for as long as I could. There was no avoiding the man on one knee, looking up at me with nothing other than the purest, rawest, truest love pouring off him. There was no avoiding him as he closed the ring box, the jewelry hidden inside once again while my brain managed to not even register it in my memory. There was no avoiding him as he stood in front of me, so close I could feel his breath on my forehead as he sighed.

"No." I shook my head, grabbing onto his shirt.

"A lot differently." He mumbled, stepping back and away.

"No, I mean yes, but no." I blurted, suddenly panicking as I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry, laugh, or throw myself out the window. "Do it again."

"Do what again?"

"The knee thing." I pushed down on his shoulders, attempting to rewind the last minute of my life I didn't want back. "You surprised me, and I needed to process. It's been like a big year, and I wasn't expecting it, why are you not moving?"

"The moment's kind of gone. It's meant to be a surprise and you were going to get all emotional and tell me how wonderful I am, grab the ring?" He held up the box. "Not stand there like, I don't even know what that was."

"Fuck. No, no. That was a happy shock. Like, I can't believe it's happening and when I blink next it'll turn out to be a dream or something, but it's not and please forget this part. I want it. I want you. I want you to give me the damn ring!" I made a reach for it but he held it out of the way. "Cain!"

He laughed.

The jerk actually laughed and a new kind of rage took over. "You know what, fine. Keep it. I'm sure it'll look great on you or you know, your next girlfriend who won't ruin your perfect little proposal moment. I have other things to worry about, like saving the world and growing your child."

Not as if he could find another girlfriend. I'd have her running in the other direction within ten seconds of there even being a chance of another girlfriend. I hate her, I hate him and before I can throw even more hate on the imaginary third person, who is little more than a home-wrecker and his worst idea ever, as I start towards the bedroom, Cain stops me.

"That escalated quickly." He says softly, yet still sounding annoyingly amused as his presence surrounds me like a blanket and somehow that stupid, him, smell only grows. "Elle, babe, there is no next girlfriend."

I've got my nose pressed against the curve of his neck; the regrowth of his beard prickly against my forehead as I hold onto him as tightly as he's holding onto me,

"There better not be." I threaten, yet I'm now safely distracted from the second of insanity that just occurred at the prospect of one.

The thoughts disappear completely as he kisses just above my eyebrow, my cheek and finally my lips.

"Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes." I sigh as at least one little corner of the puzzle of my life starts to take shape. Real shape, like that easy part where it's just all blue sky and you feel confident you can actually do it after all despite none of the other pieces making sense yet.

"Good. Do you want this?" He held up the box again.

"Yes."

I don't breathe as he takes out the flash of diamonds and silver, the metal is cool as he slides it onto my finger yet I only watch him. The fear is hidden well behind the mask of concentration; his jaw clenched before he swallows slowly and his dark eyes meet mine. He smiles.