Chapter 2

"Say something, Lester!" Stephanie's hands were firmly planted on her hips as her tear filled eyes glared at me. I had no idea that this conversation was coming so it blindsided me and I was speechless. "Damn it, Les. Don't do this to me too. Please don't shut me out now. Did you hear what I just told you?" I swallowed the lump in my throat but no words formed in my throat. I couldn't speak. I was too stunned.

My silence only angered her more. "What the hell is it with you men? You can't open your damn mouths and form words. I don't have that problem. I can say things like, 'I love you' or 'wow, that's good news.' I don't just sit there like a giant turd after hearing life changing news." Stephanie started pacing back and forth still ranting. "I mean shit. I know you're related to Ranger, but I thought you had more brains than him. You saw what his silence did to me and now you're pulling the same shit. Why can't you just tell me how you feel about all this?"

How I felt? How could I tell her how I felt when I had no idea myself. Again, I was stunned speechless. Stephanie was quiet for several seconds and then sat down hard on the couch beside me. I heard the first sniffle and knew before I ever turned my head to look at her that she was crying. I hated when she cries. It kills me to see tears fall from her eyes but I honestly couldn't think of what to say to her.

"You want to know what I hear when you don't speak?" I looked into her eyes and nodded my head once. More tears filled her eyes, breaking my heart more. "I hear my worst fears coming true. I hear that you don't love me like I think you do and I hear that maybe I need to just walk away before you truly and honestly break my heart like your cousin did. You were so angry at him after everything happened, but here you are a year later doing the exact same thing. Maybe I need to go and preserve this little part of my heart that still remains in tact. Between Ranger and now you, I've almost got nothing left, Les."

Stephanie stood up and walked by me, but I grabbed her hand before she could walk past. I heard her sob and stood up to take her into my arms. I wasn't going to let her walk away from me so I knew I needed to suck it up and figure out what to say to her. The second my arms came around her, she melted into my embrace and the let the tears come harder.

I never thought a year ago that I would ever be holding Stephanie in my arms. Her and I devised the plan to get Ranger to either step up and admit that he loved her or to step aside so someone else could. I told him that I asked her out, when I really didn't and she used me to push him. Sadly, he chose the cowards way and almost destroyed her. Bobby and I were the only two people she'd talk to for months after her confrontation with Ranger. Her and I spent a lot of time together during that time and I truly and honestly fell in love with her. I loved her before, but kept myself distant because I knew she loved my stupid cousin. Spending all the time with her, it was impossible for me not to fall for her.

Six months after Ranger broke her spirit and ran away to Miami, Stephanie told me she was ready to start dating and I was the first in line to ask her out. She was shocked at first, but quickly agreed. Our first date, I knew I was going to spend my life with her but there was no way I was going to tell her that so soon. She would have probably ran screaming if I had.

We started our relationship slow. I took her on dates and to meet my family. I joined her for family dinners as well and her dad and I really hit it off. Her grandma scared me, but even her mom accepted me after a few months. The past six months have been amazing and now I'm afraid that everything's changed.

As painful as it was for me, Stephanie and I dated four whole months before we became intimate. We've only been 'together' for the past seven or so weeks and they've been the best of my life but I wondered what's going to happen now. Now that...

"Please let me go, Les. I'll figure something out. I won't ask anything from you." Stephanie's voice and struggle broke me out of my reverie. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew I had to say something or I was going to lose her. That was not an option for me, either. When she didn't stop fighting against me, I stepped back and took her face between my hands. My thumbs slowly wiped the tears off her cute cheeks. The moment of truth arrived and I opened my mouth and spoke.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. You caught me off guard and I was shocked." She visibly relaxed when my words finally registered in her brain. "Are you sure about, well, everything?"

More tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "I'm so sorry, Les. I know we're kind of a new thing and this has potential to end us, but I had to tell you. You have the right to know."

Swallowing another lump, I nodded my head. I did have a right to know so I was thankful that she told me the truth. Her next question knocked the wind out of me. "Do you want this to end us?"

My heart screamed my answer and my brain agreed fully with what it said. "NO, Beautiful. I don't want this to end us. This is going to bring us closer together. You know that I love you right?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yes, I know you love me. I love you too and I wouldn't give up what we have for anything." She looked up into my eyes and searched for something. "Tell me what you're feeling. I need to know what's going on in that head of yours."

I let out a breath and guided her back to the couch. Sitting down with her on my lap, I positioned her comfortably in my arms and rested my hand over her flat stomach. "I'm shocked, Beautiful. I'm not going to lie. I'm shocked, but behind that shock is something else."

"What's there?" She snuggled down into my arms and rested her head over my heart.

"Happiness. Awe. Wonder. Love. Excitement." I spoke the truth and felt her relax more. "I don't know which one of those is more prevalent, but they're all there. What are you feeling?"

"I freaked out at first. I mean...can you picture me as a mom?" I chuckled and kissed her hair.

"Actually, I can. I've seen you holding my babies in my dreams before. I never thought those dreams would come true though." I began to massage her belly lightly. She picked up her head and looked deep into my eyes.

"Really?" I nodded, never taking my eyes off hers. "We've never talked about kids or anything, so I didn't know."

"That's okay. Now, I guess we need to talk about it. I love you, Stephanie. I have for a long time. I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." I rubbed her belly again. "...and our child. I'm not going anywhere."

Stephanie gave me a full, gorgeous smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. I love you more than I ever though possible, Les. I wouldn't survive without you."

"Hopefully you'll never have to, Steph." She leaned back and cupped my face in her hands before kissing me tenderly.

"You know what." Some of her spunk was back and her tone of voice made me smile. "A year ago I thought a happily ever after was impossible. I thought I'd lost everything, but as it turns out...I gained everything instead. I got a great boyfriend and now we have a baby on the way. I'd say that's a pretty happy ending, don't you?"

I chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'd say that's a good ending, but there was a problem with what you said." Stephanie tried to raise her eyebrow but only managed to look silly. "We need to talk about the boyfriend part. I was thinking of changing that to husband." Her eyes got wide, making me laugh again. "What do you say? Will you marry me? Then we can have the true happily ever after."

She thought for a moment and then turned her blue eyes back to me. Her smile could have lit up all of New York in a black out. When she was quiet for a few more beats, I smirked and said, "Say something, Steph."

After an eye roll, she said the one word that made my whole life complete, "Yes!"

A/N - So I couldn't leave it so terribly sad and after debating for days about who gets the HEA, I finally put both guys names in a hat and drew one. Les won and this is his ending. Since Ranger is pouting now, I'm starting a chapter story that will be a Babe. Hopefully I can get my thoughts that are running through my head down on paper well enough to post it soon. Thank you all for reading and don't forget to leave me a few words. I love hearing what you thought about my writing!