Death of a Waterfall (The Hayden Falls Saga) (20 page)

"I'm sorry, babe. I'm so sorry. I was a real dick. I swear I'll never do anything to hurt you ever again."

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as more tears washed over her cheeks. "What're we gonna do, Donnie?" Teghan asked, her voice raising an octave as panic set in. When she was alone with her thoughts, she could fantasize about what to do, about getting married and raising the baby as a real family. But now that she sat here, in front of Donnie, she had no idea. And she was scared.

Donnie trailed his finger down the side of her face, landing on her chin. He tilted her head, leaned close, and gave her a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. "It was my stupid male pride. But it's no excuse. I should have called. These last few months have been horrible without you," he whispered. Donnie locked his gaze on her. "I love you, Teghan. And I think we should have this baby."

"You do?"

"Yes." He clutched both of her hands. "I know it won't be easy, but we can make it work. I'll transfer to HFU and we can get an apartment or something. I've got a little bit of money saved and I can get a job."

"I don't know. My father is going to kill us," she said, pulling her hands from his and sitting back against the couch. Her head hurt.

"What does your father have to do with this?"

"He doesn't want me seeing you, so I'm pretty sure having your baby is out of the question."

"What? He's only met me a couple of times."

"I know. He did a background check on you and he found out you have a juvie record," Teghan said.

Donnie's jaw tightened and his face turned red. "Those records are sealed. How in the hell did he get his hands on them?"

"My father has his ways," she grumbled, anger burning through her. She should be enjoying her reunion with Donnie, not worrying about her father.

"And why the fuck did he do a background check? What kind of father does that?"

Teghan grimaced. Wow! Donnie was pissed. She wondered why? What was in Donnie's background that he didn't want her father knowing? It frightened her the way he became so angry so fast. "Please calm down," she said. "My father is a control freak. He always has been."

"Your father sounds fucking psychotic."

She took Donnie's clenched fists into her hands and caressed them before bringing them to her lips. "Maybe he is. I don't know," Teghan said. "But does it really matter? It's done, Donnie and there's nothing we can do to change it."

"I don't want to talk about your father. We'll deal with him later." He edged closer to her. "This is
our
baby and we need to do what's right for
us
."

Teghan smiled as a tear slipped down her cheek. Good grief, her emotions were all over the place, she couldn't keep up with herself. Damn hormones.

"Why're you crying?"

"I don't know," she said, half laughing and half crying. "I really thought you were going to tell me that you didn't want anything to do with me or the baby."

"God, no." Donnie pulled her to him, his lips worked softly against hers, making her feel cherished. "Teghan," he breathed against her mouth, "I love you. And I love this baby." He put his hand on her belly. "We can do this."

His optimism was infectious and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Okay." She nodded.

"Really?" Donnie's eyes widened.

"Yes."
Bad idea. There's no way you're ready to be a mother.
Teghan's stomach rolled. "I love you, Donnie." The past few months were the worst of her life, and she'd do anything not to feel that way again. She wanted Donnie in her life. She needed him.

"I've waited so long to hear you say that."

"I loved you that night you showed up at my dorm, but I was just so damn angry with you. All I wanted to do was hurt you."

"I know," he said. "And I deserved it."

"I don't want to think about it anymore." Teghan kissed him frantically, using their embrace to push against him until he was flat on his back on the couch. She lay on top of him, her tongue exploring his mouth, memorizing the taste of him and the feel of his hard body pressed beneath hers. Her hands clawed at his shirt, her fingers tearing at the buttons until they popped. She pushed his shirt open, taking a moment to admire the layers of muscles that rippled beneath her touch before she sat up, straddling his knees. Teghan curled her fingers around his belt and yanked on it. She'd never felt a want so strong, a desire so deep it threatened to burn her alive. He loved her. He wanted her. He wanted the baby they'd made and that was enough to fuel the fire inside of her.

Donnie pushed her dress up her legs until it was bunched around her waist; his thumbs stroked the apex of her thighs, slid beneath the elastic of her panties and into her silky folds. Sensations rocketed through Teghan's body and she moaned, her hips circled and bore down on his hand. Frantic to feel him, to become one with him, she freed him from the confines of his jeans. The sight of him, hard and waiting, stole her breath. She didn't waste any time removing her panties, but instead pulled them to the side and slid down onto the length of Donnie. "Ah, God," she said. It had been so long and he felt so good.

Donnie gripped her hips as she moved on him. "I've missed you so much." He palmed the back of her head and brought her to him for a slow, hungry kiss.

His hips surged forward while hers pushed down meeting a delicious hard resistance. She felt her orgasm building in her toes.
No, not yet. It's too soon.
But her body had taken on a mind of its own and she was no longer in control. Her fingers curled on his chest, her nails dug into his skin like a cat kneading a blanket as she felt herself lose it around him.

"That's right," Donnie said. He held her hips, stilling her so he could thrust into her hard and fast.

Teghan cried his name and collapsed onto him, her face buried in his neck. Donnie wrapped one arm around her back, the other grasped her ass and he came deep inside of her. His breathing was ragged against her ear and she smiled. Oh, how she'd missed him. "I love you," she whispered.

Donnie hugged her tight. "Shit!"

Teghan sat up and looked down at him. "What?"

"I forgot a condom."

She cocked her head to the side and rolled her eyes. "Really?" Teghan rolled off him and snuggled between him and the back of the couch.

He laughed. "Right. Sorry. It's gonna take some getting used to."

"I understand." She'd known for a few weeks now and she still wasn't used to the idea.

He cradled Teghan in his arms and kissed her forehead. "Do you know how happy you've made me?"

She shook her head no. Great! Here come the waterworks again. Fucking hormones.

"I know you're scared," he said, wiping away her tears. "But I promise you, I'm going to be right here the entire time. I love you, Teghan and we're in this together. Understand?"

His voice was so full of emotion it made her heart swell. "Yes," she muttered.

"Good." He smiled and she noticed how his dimple deepened. It was sexy and she felt that familiar spark between her legs.

"Can we keep this a secret from everyone for a little while longer?" she asked.

"Last time we tried to keep a secret it didn't work out so well remember?" He laughed softly.

She smiled half-heartedly. That was something she'd much rather forget about. "I know, but I want to tell my parents first."

"Okay." Donnie nodded. "When should we tell them?"

"That's the other thing." Teghan chewed on her lip. "I want to tell them by myself."

"Absolutely not," Donnie said gently, sliding out from underneath her. He pulled up his pants as he stood.

"You don't understand, Donnie. My father is going to be livid, but I'm his daughter. He'll go easy on me. I don't know what he'll do to you." Teghan stood and put her arms around his neck. She had to make him understand. He didn't know her father, and she didn't want to put Donnie and her father in the same room when the truth came out. It would be a nightmare for everyone involved.

"That's all the more reason for me to be there when you tell him. He needs to see that I'm not going to run out on you or the baby."

"No," Teghan said shaking her head and crying again. "I can tell him that. I
will
tell him. Please. You don't know how my father is. I need to do this alone."

Donnie sighed. "Okay, fine, but you have to promise me that as soon as you tell him, you'll call me."

"I promise," she said. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "It's better this way, trust me." Teghan kissed him on the cheek. "Please stop worrying." If she could get away without telling her father, she would, but that was unrealistic. That was something she'd deal with later. Right now she simply wanted to enjoy Donnie.

"You're not even going to tell Annabelle?" Donnie asked.

"She'll probably be harder on me than my father." Teghan chuckled. She always told Annabelle everything and the thought of not telling her the biggest news of Teghan's life was upsetting. Maybe, now that she felt secure with Donnie, she could tell Annabelle the truth.

"I guess we should rejoin the party." Donnie took her hand and led her toward the stairs.

Teghan stopped. "How'd you know I was going to be here?"

"I called Trevor," Donnie said.

"So you called Trevor, but you couldn't call me?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"If I hadn't left you that message, would you have called?"

Donnie sighed. "Teghan, I don't want to fight with you."

"I'm not fighting," she said. "It was a simple question." Why wouldn't he just answer her? It was so frustrating talking to him sometimes. He was good at avoiding her questions, that was for sure.

"I don't know," he said.

"Oh, I see," Teghan said. "The only reason you came back was because I told you I was pregnant. If I hadn't, I probably never would've seen you again, would I?"

Donnie framed her face with his hands and positioned himself nose to nose with her. "Stop it. Right now," he said through clenched teeth. "You're scared, but I will
not
let you push me away again. Stop making more out of this than what it is. If you want me to apologize every day for the rest of my life for not calling, then I'll do it."

Teghan shook her head. That's exactly what she was doing. She was scared and instead of facing her fears, she was pushing him away again. And that's not what she wanted. She wanted Donnie and she wanted his baby. "I'm terrified."

"I know, babe. I know." He cradled her head against his chest.

Chapter Seventeen

The New Year's Eve party ended and only a few guests remained who converged in the basement to watch movies and chill out. Donnie sat, knees bent, with his back against the couch and Teghan sitting between his legs. Trevor and Annabelle were stretched out on the couch behind them while Alex and Harmonie shared the recliner. Although the movie they'd started was half over, he didn't have a clue what was going on. They'd all been too busy talking and laughing. "Trevor, before I forget," Donnie said. "I want to thank you for leaving me such a nice message. Didn't realize you felt that way about me."

Trevor flung his head back and laughed. "I was a little fucked up drunk when I left that."

"What message?" Teghan asked. Donnie grabbed his cell phone, dialed his voicemail, put the phone on speaker and played Trevor's message.

"You saved the message?" Trevor asked. "Dude, that's so gay."

Teghan turned her body to look at Trevor. "Serious bitch mode?"

"It was a joke, Teegy," Trevor said.

Teghan picked up the pillow next to her and heaved it at Trevor's face. "You suck at trying to be a bad ass."

Alex laughed. "She's so right, dude. That was lame."

"Hey," Trevor said, "I was just doing my job."

"Your job?" Teghan asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. As your big brother it's my job to protect you."

Teghan laughed. "Consider yourself fired."

Donnie was having the best time--and not just because Teghan was in his arms, but because he'd never felt like he belonged anywhere as much as he belonged here. He pulled Teghan closer to him and kissed her check. From the corner of his eye, he saw Alex and Harmonie kissing. His first instinct was to nudge Teghan and show her, but he worried that it would upset her so he simply hugged her tight to him. Secretly, he was thrilled that Alex was showing affection toward another woman. In his mind, it only served to solidify Donnie's position in Teghan's life. Although, the fact that she was having his baby trumped all of that. He suddenly felt dizzy. Teghan was pregnant. And he was the father. The weight of the situation hit him like a runaway freight train.

"Donnie?" Teghan said.

"Huh? What?" She smiled at him with a sparkle in her eyes he hadn't seen before. If it was possible for a man's heart to triple in size just to accommodate a growing love, then Donnie was in some serious trouble. Yesterday, he had nothing. Today, he had Teghan, his baby, and a newfound family of friends.