Fracture by Aliyah Burke

murder charge? Nothing.” Her grin
was anything but pleasant.
    “What good is it going to do you to kill the father
of your child? What type of message would that send our baby?”
    Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open. She
recovered but knew he’d already realized the truth. “What are you
talking about?”
    ☼
    The comprehension hit Chase like the broad side of a
barn. It couldn’t miss. He’d had to think about Mrs. Candace’s
comments for a while until her implication dawned on him. Now,
Vicki’s reaction solidified that.
    “No more lies. No more partial truths. Give it to me
straight.”
    She held up a hand and answered the ringing phone.
Her tone professional and kind. Even so, he wondered how he’d
missed it before. During their time together, he’d learned her body
until it was an extension of his own. There were subtle changes he
shouldn’t have missed.
    “I’m almost two months along.”
    He thought back. “The night at the falls.”
    “That’s what I figured.” She sighed. “Look, I’m not
after anything from you—”
    “I’ll move back here, and you’ll move in with me
until we find a bigger place.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Wait, what?”
    “You’re carrying my child, Vicki. I plan to be there
for every facet of this progression.”
    “Didn’t you just move to Atlanta for a job?”
    “I did. I’ll have them get me something in
Macon.”
    She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to be
something you had to do.”
    He captured her chin in his hand. “I’ve missed you,
Vicki. More than I wanted to admit to myself. I missed your body
against mine. Lying there, just being with one another. Watching
you dance like you think no one is looking.”
    “No.”
    “Let me finish.” He swiped his thumb over her lip.
“I can’t promise it’s love, not yet. But my feelings for you are
stronger than anything I’ve felt for anyone. I want to make you
happy. I want to wake with you in my arms and sleep the same way.
You know I had an obsession with you in school; this is so much
more than that.”
    “I can’t be part of something to get back at my
father and brothers, Chase. I just can’t. Especially with a
baby—”
    He covered her mouth. “Nothing about this is
revenge. You’re right. I have to let it go and stop fracturing
everything good that comes into my life.”
    “I don’t want you to wake up one day in the future
and regret this.”
    “A child is a precious being, nothing to ever be
regretted. My old man was an ass, and yours still is. We can be
better parents than we had.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes.” The word slid easily from his lips. For the
first time in his life, he had absolutely no doubts.
“Positive.”
    She kissed his palm and nodded. “Okay.” A swift
touch of her tongue to her lips. “I would have told you.”
    “I know.”
    “How did you know?”
    “You’re different. A bit fuller, and there’s a glow
about you I didn’t see before. This look in your eyes like you’re
protecting the most precious of secrets.”
    “There’s the Chase who makes my knees weak.”
    Her smile touched him. “I’m always in there, just
don’t tell. If knowledge like that were ever to get out, it would
ruin my bad boy image.” He leaned close and kissed her. Slipped his
tongue along the same path hers had just taken before delving it
into her mouth. She whimpered and pushed closer. “It will work out;
we’ll figure it out.”
    “Are you positive?”
    “Absolutely. When are you done with work?”
    “Not soon enough,” she said.
    He agreed.
     

Epilogue
    Vicki heard the chime of the doorbell. “Can you get
that, Chase?”
    “On it,” he called back.
    She bent her head to kiss the sole of the tiny foot
on the changing table before her. “He’s on it,” she said to their
daughter. Nitsa Ellery was three months old and an absolute doll. I suppose most parents think their children are perfect at this
age. “Like he’s still in the Army. I’m