When 20-year-old Kara Bennett moves to Boston to escape her post-high school drama with her daughter, she didn't expect to fall straight into it in the form of Austin Mayer.
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All Kara Bennett...
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I STAYED OVER AT KARA'S HOUSE THAT NIGHT.
After Ace went to sleep, we sat down at the kitchen table, candle-lit, with two mugs of filter coffee, in pajamas — which I borrowed from Ace — and it was oddly romantic. Her brown eyes were a burning shade of honey against the candlelight as Kara watched me silently.
Kara Bennett said yes. This should have lit fireworks within me, but in its place, there was bittersweet happiness tainted with guilt and worry. I pushed Kara to trust me and believe that Mila wasn't extreme. However, the whole truth stood before me all along, giving me signs to see that my own sister was obsessed and vowed to ruin my relationship with her.
I didn't want to return home since Mila would be there. If you don't break up with her by this time tomorrow, Lucas learns about his little girl. Her threat rang in my mind. Instead of breaking up with Kara, I proposed to her. Mila had no right to shape my future with her threats, and I wasn't keen to let Kara live with the fear of her and Lucas finding out about Sophie.
If we got married, things wouldn't go easier, but at least, if we showed that Sophie already had a regular family life with a stable income, Lucas wouldn't take her custody.
I looked up at Kara when her hand gingerly enveloped mine. "What are you thinking?" She asked softly. Gone were her fierce, daring eyes — she looked defeated.
I squeezed her hand. "What a lucky bastard I am."
That made her chuckle for a fleeting moment, then it vanished into a worried gaze. "Austin, if you proposed to me to help me—"
"Kara," I hissed slowly. "I proposed to you because I'm in love with you." That stopped her, but the relief didn't reach her eyes. "You're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to be with you and Sophie."
"Would you still propose to me now if we weren't in this situation?"
"Probably not." She treated her hand. "But it was a matter of time. You asked me if I was serious with you then. I wouldn't propose to you now because I wouldn't be sure if you would accept my proposal. I am a rejection averse — it's natural, right?" I took her hand again. "I am never sure about anything around you, and it drives me crazy, but that's also what made me fall for you in the first place."
Kara looked at me in incredulity.
"Don't you see that I don't want to lose you?"
"I just don't want you to find yourself in a difficult place because of me."
I huffed a laugh. "The woman who threatens us is my sister."
"You know, she can threaten you because of my weakness. She's got nothing on you. You have a brilliant future ahead. Nick once mentioned that you want to be a researcher in Europe, and you applied for some universities." That was true, but Kara was more important than that. I could remain in Boston. "Marriage is heavy baggage, Austin. You may ask me how I know. I didn't get married before, but I raise a child alone and take care of my house."
