Chase's POV:

I was just finishing a grueling workout with Nandor when my phone started to ring though my air pods. Glancing down at the phone in my hand, I nearly stumbled backwards as I read the name on the screen. Even after two months and being ghosted, I couldn't help the way my heart raced when I saw her name on the screen. Did she deserve to know that I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her no matter how hard I tried? No. Did she deserve to know that I was in the best shape of my life because I had taken to working out with Nandor to starve off the sexual energy I had because I knew that no woman I had sex with was ever going to satisfy me the way she did? No. But that didn't mean that all of that that wasn't the case.

"I have to take this." I said, cutting Nandor off. It didn't matter what he was saying because I wasn't listening to begin with.

Leaving Nandor downstairs in my basement gym, I walked the stairs and grabbed a beer from the fridge before I swiped the screen and connected the call.

"Hello?" before lifting the bottle to my lips and taking a long pull. It didn't make a lot of since to people that I worked out like I did and then immediately had a beer but it worked for me so they could all kiss my ass.

"Hey Chase. It's Delilah." She said. Damn her voice went all over me in a delicious way. I had missed her voice just about as much as I had missed her. Again, just one more thing that she didn't deserve to know.

"Yeah, I know."

"Right. Sorry. So umm, we need to talk. Any chance you are in Nashville?"

"I am." I said. "But its been two months since you ghosted me. Why the sudden urge o talk?"

"It's something we need to discuss face to face."

"And you're willing to drive two hours to do it?"

"Like I said, it's something that deserves a face to face."

"Well, I wasn't planning on leaving the house so if you want to do this, your going to have to come out to my place. Last time I paid to meet you anywhere, it sort of blew up in my face." I said, unable to get in a jab at her. After all, she deserved it.

"I know. And I can't apologize for it enough. I just... I panicked and I didn't handle it the right way."

"No. You didn't."

"I know and like I said, I can't even begin to apologize enough."

"So, what time should I expect you?" I asked, hating that my cock twitched with interest. Down boy, there wont be any of that tonight.

"I'll need the address since I don't remember how to get there. How about I just shoot you a text when I'm getting close?"

"Sounds good. I'll send you a pin of my location."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"See you in a couple hours."

"Yep." I said. "And Dee, drive safe."

"I will."

After ending the call, typed out my address and gave Delilah the gate code before I gazed out of the picture window over the kitchen sink watching my bison roan around the pasture. Part of me wanted to make sure that this a prefect night. But the part of me that had been hurt -the part that had hardened that resolve to never let a woman into his heart again- had me not caring if the night was prefect or not. Maybe it was petty and childish of me, but after the weekend I'd planned for her and I at the cabin and how that had backfire in my face, I wasn't about to go out of my way to make sure that this conversation we had to have was all hearts and flowers and butterflies. As far as I was concerned, whatever we had to talk about could be done standing with a quickness and I could send her on her way before she found a way to work her way back into my bed -and my heart.

***

I was sitting on the front porch strumming a melody that had been teasing in my mind when my phone chimed signaling that I had a text message. Just like it had before, my heart started to pound when I saw her name on the screen. Taking a deep breath and telling the beating organ to pump its breaks, I opened the message.

Delilah: About ten minutes out 😊

Butterflies the size of pterodactyls blossomed in my stomach and made my heart race. Here I am, thirty-six years old, acting like a fucking teenage who was about to see his crush. What he actual fuck is wrong with me? I should be pissed at her for leaving me hanging when I told her that I wanted to give this a shot. I had every right to be. But in the moment, all I was feeling was nervous and excited to see her again.

And that fucking smiley at the end of the message wasn't helping any. Because looking at the emoji made me think of the sated smile she had wore a those few hours she had been at the cabin. But more than that, it made me think of the smirk that she hard worn when he had played with the hot fudge. Even after two months, I still couldn't eat a hot fudge sundae and not think of her. And hadn't mama got a kick out of that last time I was home since she knew that they were my favorite. I'd had to come up with a bullshit excuse as to why I was blushing like a virgin on her wedding night when she dragged out a jar that just happened to be the same brand as the one we had used that night. Pretty sure mama didn't by my excuse of someone sending me a picture that was scandalous, but at least she let me have the lie.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize the amount of time that had passed until the crunch of gravel under tires pulled me back to reality. My heart felt like it was about to dislodge from my chest with the force of its beating when I saw that familiar Bronco pulling up and coming to a stop behind my truck. I could see the red head that had haunted my dreams more than I would ever admit sitting in the drivers seat.

Just when was about ready to go drag her from the SUV, she opened the door and climbed out. As she rounded the front of the Bronco, she took my breath away. The pale pink sundress she wore stopped just above her knees. And what Tennessee born girl didn't wear cowgirl boots with everything? Her red hair flowed on the breeze and just like I had been the night I first laid eyes on her, I was entranced by her beauty. Was it possible that she was even more gorgeous than she had been two months ago?

Fighting the urge to go to her, I forced myself to stay seated. When she stepped up onto the porch, the fruity scent that I would always associate with her drifted on the breeze, making me want to pull her into my arms and tell her that all was forgiven. But that wasn't the message I wanted to send. I didn't want her to know that deep down I would take whatever she would given me. I needed to put on a brave face and make her think that there was no chance in hell that we could go back to what we were. So, the plan is to act like an asshole and hope she doesn't see through the act. Let's just hope my acting skills don't fail me now.

"Hey." She said softly as she settled into the rocking chair next to mine. A vision of us sitting there like that when were both old and gray popped into my mind and I shoved it down. I didn't know what she wanted to talk about and my dreams of having that with her damn sure didn't need to be dragged into whatever this is.

"Hey."

"So, how have you been?" she said.

"That how you want to play this? Make small talk?"

"Chase—"

"Dee, you left. Just fucking left. No calls, no text. Nothing. For two fucking months. I didn't know if you were still alive until you called me a little while ago." I said. Of course, it was a lie. I'd stalked her Instagram more times that I would ever willingly admit.

"I know. And like I said, I'm sorry." She said. I could hear her fighting back tears and I had to fight the urge to comfort her and tell her I was the one who should be apologizing for being an asshole. "But like I said on the phone, I have something I need to tell you and it's easier to tell you face to face. Okay, maybe not easier but you definitely deserve to hear it from me and be looking at me when I tell you."

"You're rambling." I said. But what I didn't say was how cute it was that she was.

"I know." She said with a sigh. "I guess there's nothing to do but just spit it out. I'm pregnant."

Delilah's POV:

Do you remember those cartoons where when someone was thinking you could see the gears turning in their heads? Well, I'm pretty sure I could see them turning in Chase's after my admission. And when the gears all clicked into place, I could swear that there was steam shooting out of his ears.

"You're fucking what?" he all but growled.

"I said I'm pregnant. Thirteen weeks to be exact." I said, judging his reaction. And from what I was getting, it wasn't a good one.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me. I thought you said you couldn't have kids? You did this bullshit on purpose didn't you? Being Ms. Big-shot-editor wasn't paying enough so you set your sights on getting child support from someone in the industry. I can't believe I fell for that that." Said Chase, his anger radiating off of him. Not going to lie, seeing his reaction was not at all what I'd expected. Sure, I'd imagined he be pissed, but never did I think that he would accuse me of trying to trap him because of his career."

"First off you son of bitch," I said, standing from the chair I'd been sitting in. "No one trapped you. And for you to even think that I would do something like that tells me that you don't think very much of me as a person.

"Secondly, I didn't lie when I said I couldn't have kids. If you must know, I was told from the time that I was fifteen that my chances of ever having kids were pretty much slim to none, leaning more towards the none option. So, excuse me if I led you to believe that I was some infertile bitch who had an orifice for you to fill. What the fuck did you think would happen when you have unprotected sex. Did you think that a magic fairy was going to suck all your baby making juice from my cooch or something?

"Thirdly, I think you and I both know that he babies that are in my stomach are equal parts you and me. Even before that night in Nashville, Cade and I hadn't slept together for months. Frankly, it pisses me the fuck off that you think I would put myself on a position to not know who the father of the babies that I never thought I would ever have would be.

"And lastly, I wanted to tell you this to your fucking face because you deserve that much. Even if you hated my guts for running like I did, you at least deserved to know that you had offspring roaming around out there."

"What the fuck else am I supposed to think. You sure fell into bed with me within an hour of even knowing who I was." Said Chase.

"Did you just nonchalantly call me a whore?" I said, fisting my hands on my hips or else I was going to knock his perfectly white teeth from his mouth. Fucker sure as hell deserved it.

"If the shoe fits." He said smugly.

"You know what you fucking asshole? I don't even know what I ever saw in your fucking ass. Your cocky, arrogant, and an all around douche bag, three things that I never thought I would say about you. And yet, here you are proving me wrong." I said, walking closer to him. I might not be able to get in his face like I wanted because of the height difference, but that didn't mean I was going to let him think that I wasn't just as pissed as he was. "You talked a good fucking game. Had me almost ready to throw caution to the wind and see where things could go with us. That -me wanting to sort out my thoughts and get my head straight- was the reason I left that night. I know I fucked up and I told myself that I would wait for you to make the first move because the ball was in your court. I was the one to leave so I was leaving it up to you to decide where we went from here.

"And then today, I puked my guts up at the smell of coffee and went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant. For all of a handful of hours, I naively thought that me being pregnant would force us to make something work out for their sake. That even if you didn't want to be with me, you would at least be civil with me for the sake of the pregnancy. But right now, I'd just as soon dig my eyeballs out with a dull butter knife than to have to think about the fact that I am going to have to deal with you for the next eighteen fucking years."

"You only have to deal with me if they are mine." He said, that smug smirk on his face.

Before I even realized what I was doing, my fist was colliding with his jaw. Pain radiating from my hand and up my wrist. And I saw red. I wanted to murder him in that moment. But the pain in my hand and wrist soon dulled in comparison to the pain I felt in my stomach. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I tried to fight though the pain but it was just to much. The scream that tore from me in that moment as I thought about what that pain could mean was like a wounded animal. And in some ways, I guess it was fitting because not only had Chase wounded me with his words, if I lost the twins, I was going to have a gaping wound for the rest of my life.

Another wave of pain washed over my mid-section making my knees go weak. I felt Chase's arms wrap around me but I was too scared of what was happening to care. Within a split second, I was lifted into his arms and I was moving, the whole while tears were streaming down my face.

"I got you. It's going to be okay." Said Chase, his voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears. But even in my pain hazed mind, I knew that was bullshit. The Chase that had just showed his true self only moments ago was heartless. And in order to cry, one had to have a heart.

"Where do you think I'm going with you?" I said, gritting my teeth through the pain.

"Hospital."

"I'm not—"

"Don't fucking argue with me Dee." He said as he glared at me. "Not now."

I let him settle me into the truck without argument even though every fiber of me wanted to be as far away from him as possible. But even I knew that I wasn't capable of driving to the hospital with as much pain as I was in.

"It's going to be okay." Said Chase. He kept repeating the words as if they were a mantra, as if saying them over and over would make them true. Secretly, I hope it worked...

***

By the time we made it to the hospital, I was in so much blinding pain that I could careless that Chase had told the triage nurse that I was his girlfriend. All I care about was the making sure that the babies were alright. They had to be alright. I couldn't lose the one thing I wanted more than anything. The angels said I was going to get it so that had to mean that it was going to be okay. Right? For sanity sake, that's what I was going with.

Maybe it was the fact that I was pregnant and having pains. Maybe it was the fact that I was listed as the girlfriend of Chase Rice. Whatever it was, I was immediately taken to an exam room and an ultrasound machine was wheeled in with in minutes. Introductions were made as they checked me over but they wasted no time.

When the thump, thump that I remembered from earlier in the doctors office filled the room. Everything went silent.

"Is that?" I asked, unable to say anything else.

"Yep. Looks like everything looks fine." Said the ultrasound tech. The amount of relief I felt in that moment was incomparable. The pain that had had a death grip on my stomach disappeared in an instant. Tears streamed down my face at the joy of knowing that both babies were fine.

"So, what happened?" asked Chase.

"Don't tell him shit." I practically seethed, my anger with him renewing itself. The machines I was hooked to began to beep loudly.

"Ma'am. You need to calm down." Said one of the nurses.

"I'll calm down when his sorry ass if out of this room. Now it's either leave him here and I go into cardiac arrest or kick his ass out. But I think you know which one isn't going to end up in a lawsuit." I demanded. I heard a nurse in the room telling Chase that he was going to have to leave, and I couldn't help but smile. Served the cocky bastard right.

Out in the hallway, I could hear things clattering to the floor, but I didn't care. After the way he'd acted, he didn't deserve a damn thing from me or the babies. Not. A. Damn. Thing. he was the one that was going to have to live with the fact that he had two kids out there in the world that i would do everything in my power to keep him form. I know that wasn't the right thing to do -that a child should always know their father- but when the father acted like Chase had today, he didn't deserve the to know them. I didn't want this cockiness and douche baggery to rub off on my kids. Let's just hope they aren't traits that are inherited. 

A few hours later, I was getting settled into the hospital room since they wanted to keep me over night just to observe and make sure that nothing changed with the babies. Chase hadn't been back to the hospital after pretty much being kicked out. And for that I was glad. I didn't want to deal with him, and lord knows I didn't need to deal with him either. I don't remember ever being as mad as I was with him. Not even with Cade, and I'd had every right to have been madder than hell with him.

Flexing the fingers on my right hand, I remembered the punch I'd landed on Chase's jaw and smiled. He would be feeling that one tomorrow and so would I, but it so damn worth it. With the memory of rocking his jaw, I settled into the hospital bed and got as comfortable as possible, letting myself drift off to sleep.