A Perfect Love Read Free

when I was there, but that wasn’t straight after I took my tablets or anything. Or it may have just been one of those not-one-hundred-percent moments. Who knows?” I crammed the rest of the cookie in my mouth. My stomach had decided it wasn’t going to turn me into a version of that freaky chick from The Exorcist , so I was safe to devour as many cookies as I could handle.
    “What did Liam say? How’d he take it?”
    I snorted, spraying a few crumbs on her bed. She raised a brow at me. “Well, he passed out, and I think he may have even knocked himself out, as well, after that by banging his head.”
    She laughed, holding on to her ribs as she did so. “Holy shit. Really? I wish I could have seen that. What did you do? Is he okay?”
    “I threw frozen veggies at him.”
    Ella laughed again. “Awww, your maternal instincts are kicking in.”
    Reaching for another cookie, I looked at her and guffawed. “That’s what I thought. It has to count for something.” Continuing to look at me, Ella remained quiet. I knew she was waiting for me to continue. “He was as freaked out as me. Now he keeps having this weird smile on his face and looking at my stomach and me. Last night, I woke up needing a pee to find him beneath the blankets…” I laughed at her raised eyebrows.
    “Do I want to hear this story?”
    “I would have been bloody ecstatic if he was going down on me, but the weirdo had his ear to my stomach and was lying perfectly still. After I realised I wasn’t going to get lucky, I asked him what the hell he was doing. You know what the dork told me?” Ella pursed her lips, a slight smile playing at the corners. “He was listening. What the hell did he think he was going to hear, for Christ’s sake?” There may have been a part of me that was just slightly touched by his dorkiness. It was ridiculously sweet, and yes, weird as hell as I was only barely pregnant, but the knowledge that he was actually beginning to get excited about being a dad made me feel a bit gooey inside.
    “Did your ovaries just spasm?”
    “What?”
    “I swear my ovaries just went into a spasm or something. That has to be the sweetest thing I’ve ever bloody heard, and from Liam , hard-arse extraordinaire. Damn, I may just need to call up Preston and see if he can pop by for half an hour.”
    I squinted at her, to which she proceeded to snort in laughter at. “I’ve just vomited. Don’t make me bring up my chocolaty cookie goodness, too.” My lips quirked into a small smile. “Okay, so it may have been sweet, but it’s just strange. Everything is already changing.” I knew at any moment she’d roll her eyes at me, so I attempted to pre-empt her. “Yes, I know things will change, but I can’t help sounding like a spoilt brat and complaining a bit—” She gave a light cough. “Or a lot,” I admitted. “I just didn’t expect this right now, is all.”
    Reaching out her hand, she held on to mine and gave a tight squeeze. “I get it. I do. Now, move the crap on already and let’s get excited. It’s amazing news.”
    My heart swelled. It really was. I didn’t even try to hold back the smile. “Yeah, it is.” I knew Ella was desperate to be able to jump up and down and squeeze the living crap out of me. Small mercies for injuries.
    For a moment, a flicker of unease danced deep in my chest, but I forced it down with a gulp. I refused to allow the past to screw this up for me, for us. Liam and I would be the best parents we could be. Rehashing history wouldn’t do me or Liam any good, and it was certainly something I didn’t want to talk to Ella about again. Seven years ago, I’d forced her to make a promise to me, a promise I knew I could see flickering in her eyes over the last hour. Yet, true to form, Ella had stayed steadfast.
    “So, have you told your parents yet?” She broke my focus. I dreaded to think what my face looked like as I allowed myself to think about a time I managed to forget most days.
    I shook