A Little Secret (The Little Things #4)

Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

GRIFFIN

T wo minutes. She’s giving me two fucking minutes. What I deserve is a round of applause for this.

I lock the bedroom door and press my back to it. The girl’s cagey. Flighty. Anxious. Her eyes bounce around the walls, and she wrings her hands in front of her as she sucks her lips between her teeth.

“What the hell was that, Griff?” she finally demands.

“That was me saving your ass.”

She scoffs. “No, it was you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Ignoring the sharpness in her words, I murmur, “You don’t need to feel stupid.”

Her jaw drops. “I don’t?—”

“You do. It’s why you’re acting like a brat.”

Hurt hits her eyes, but she only lifts her chin in defiance. “Maybe acting like a brat comes naturally to me.”

“No, you’re using it as a defense mechanism,” I argue. “And even though I usually find it cute as hell, I’m gonna need you to breathe. ”

Glaring at me, she snaps, “Don’t tell me what to do!”

“Your brother’s out of line, Fin.”

“Duh.” She folds her arms, avoiding my gaze and looking…small. Uncomfortable. Hurt.

“And he had no right to call you irresponsible,” I add, “especially when we both know he’s hooked up with a shit-ton more people than you ever have.”

“Yet it’s always the girl's fault for winding up pregnant, right?” She scoffs again and stares out the bedroom window. “Talk about a double standard.”

“You’re right. And I’ll talk to him about it?—”

“I don’t need you to stand up to my older brother for me. I’m more than capable of putting him in his place.”

With a smirk, I step closer. “No one’s doubting you.”

“Yet here you are, telling people you’re the father?” She laughs and covers her face with her hands. “Seriously, Griff? Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate your…chivalry or whatever, but no one’s going to believe?—”

“Why not?”

She drops her hands to her lap and looks up at me. “Well, like I already pointed out, the math doesn’t exactly add up. I mean, we could probably get away with it for now until the baby comes two months early, you know? Wow, that’s a pretty big preemie, guys,” she mocks.

“Already covered that,” I argue. “We lie and say we slept together before you officially broke things off with Drew.”

“So, I cheated.”

“You and Drew took a break, which is when you fell for my charm. Then, Drew came groveling back, and because you have a heart of gold, you decided to give him another chance. But, when he found out about our little…rendezvous, he asked you to keep your distance from me.” Stepping closer, I nudge her chin up with my knuckle and give her a lopsided smirk. “It works out that your ex was a co ntrolling dick who didn’t want us to be friends anymore.”

“And I’m not a cheater.”

“Exactly.”

Her lips purse. “Okay, let’s say they do believe it. It still makes zero sense for you to make up something like this. I know you care about me, and I care about you more than you’ll ever know, but…”

“But what, Fin?” I push.

Grabbing my wrist, she lowers my hand from her chin and wets her lips. “What if it doesn’t work out?”

“It’s gonna?—”

“You don’t know that,” she argues. “Yes, things feel pretty freaking perfect right now, but why in the world would you sign up to be my...beard or whatever? And to what end? Ope.” She snaps her fingers and drops her voice a couple octaves. “Looks like you and I aren’t as great of a fit as we’d thought, and I fell in love with someone else and found my future wife. Peace out, fake baby mama.” The girl gives me two thumbs up. “Yeah, that sounds like a brilliant idea with zero chances of blowing up in our faces.”

“Who says this won’t work?” I demand. “And who says I’m gonna fall in love with someone else? Look, you told me you’re scared to do this alone?—”

“I am scared of doing this alone, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of it.”

“You’re plenty capable, Fin.” I grab her face, forcing her to look at me again. “You are. But just because you can do something by yourself doesn’t mean you should have to. I care about you.”

“For how long?”

“Well, if we take our history into account, I’m gonna go with a long fuckin’ time, especially when I’m already in the process of figuring out how to stay here. With you. Like you asked me to just this morning,” I remind her.

“I know I did,” she whispers. Reaching up, she touches the back of my hand as I cradle her face. She doesn’t remove it this time. Instead, she leans into my touch, sandwiching my hand between her palm and cheek as she peers up at me with the most vulnerable gaze I’ve ever witnessed. “And I do want you to stay, Griff. I want it more than you know, and you know I’m all for secrets, but this one could affect the rest of your life. I don’t know if I can…I don’t know if I can do that to you. This is new and terrifying and…”

It hurts more than I expect. Her lack of faith in me. In us. I’d give up anything for Fin, and the fact that she can’t see it? That she refuses to see it? It isn’t fair. Not to me, or to her.

“How long have we known each other, Fin?” I demand.

She shakes her head. “That isn’t the point.”

“Answer the question,” I push. “How long have we known each other, Fin?”

Her lips part, the mint of her breath hitting my face. “Forever.”

“And have I ever, in your entire life, let you down or broken a promise?”

My heart wars in my chest, and irritation heats my limbs as a smokescreen falls over her eyes.

“That’s the thing, Griff,” she whispers, pulling away from me again. “I know you wouldn’t let me down, and I know you’re pretty much incapable of breaking promises. It isn’t in your blood, and it’s one of the things I love most about you, but this is your entire future.” She lifts her shoulder in defeat. “If we let people believe this baby is yours, and it doesn’t work out, I won’t be able to live with myself. You’re unselfish, Griff. But me?” She pats my chest. “I’m looking out for number one here.”

My mouth lifts as I stare at her. Taking in every curve of her face. The slight dip of her brows. The pout of her bottom lip.

“I’d be lucky to be your baby’s father, Fin.”

“And this baby would be lucky to have you as their father, but I’m not going to let you take the blame for knocking me up,” she counters.

So. Damn. Stubborn.

“Yeah, well, maybe I need you to, to save my ass,” I argue. “Ever think of that?”

With a frown, she leans back on her hands. “Since when does your ass need saving?”

I squeeze the back of my neck, hating the precariousness of the situation and how I feel like I’m about to walk the plank despite my best intentions.

“Griffin, tell me,” she pushes.

“You know the whole…Uncle Henry thing?”

“Yes?”

“I, uh, I may have told him about the baby.”

She blanches. “Griff?—”

“I know.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because after the doctor’s appointment, I couldn’t imagine being away from you, so I told him the truth.”

“That I’m pregnant,” she finishes for me.

I give her a sharp nod. “Yeah.”

“Anything else?”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose, hating myself more and more with every passing second. “I let him assume I’m the father.”

She gasps, her eyes popping even more as she registers my confession and everything it means. “You didn’t. ”

“I did.”

“Griff—”

“I know, okay?” Dropping my hand to my lap, I look down at her. “I know I fucked up, but the idea of leaving you…it’s not an option for me, Fin. Not after everything we’ve been through. Not when the future is…what it is.”

“So, you lied.”

I hesitate. “I omitted.”

“Griffin,” she pushes.

“Okay. Yeah. I lied. And if we tell Everett or anyone else I’m not the biological father, there’s no way Uncle Henry will trade for me, and then I’ll lose you, and I can’t lose you, Fin.”

Eyes softening, she peers up at me. “I can’t lose you either, Griff.”

Like a balm, her words ease my fear, and I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together. “Then, will you do this for me?” I ask. “Let me step up? Let me be the guy you deserve?”

Her mouth bunches on one side, but she stays quiet, studying me. Not giving in, but not telling me to fuck off, either. I don’t blame her for being caught off guard. This is a big risk. A big potential fuck up. And it doesn’t only involve me and her anymore. It involves our friends. Our family. Her baby.

Our baby.

The thought makes my heart pound against my sternum, but not in the way I expect. Hell, it isn’t dread pushing me. It's excitement.

We could do this.

We could make this work.

Me. Her. The baby.

And I want to. I want to make this work. I want a life with Finley. Forever, if she’ll have me .

“You’re not gonna say anything?” I ask.

“I’m debating,” she muses.

With a low laugh, I shake my head. “So stubborn.”

“I’d blame the pregnancy hormones, but I think we both know me better than that.”

I laugh again and kiss her softly. “So is that a yes?”

“You’re sure you won’t regret this?” she pushes.

“Not possible.” I kiss her forehead. “We’re gonna get through this.”

Closing her eyes, she leans into my touch again as if letting me carry some of the weight she’s been shouldering on her own for way too long, but damn if I’m not ready to take it.

“And you’re gonna tell your parents,” I add.

Her forehead scrunches beneath my lips. “So bossy.”

Smiling against her, I squeeze her tighter. “Never claimed I wasn’t, Fin.”

“Yeah, but you’re supposed to be the nice guy, remember?”

“I’m not nice?” I challenge.

With a mock glare, she pulls away and looks up at me. “You’re bossy.”

“I can be bossy and nice,” I offer. “But only after we smooth things over with everyone.”

“Fiiiine,” she groans but raises her chin for another kiss.

Bending down, I give it to her.