Forever Yours (Book 4 of 4) (Justin Bieber Love Story) ✔️

Chapter 20: No Matter What

~ 18 Weeks Pregnant ~

SERRINA

I adjusted the damp cloth that was placed over my forehead and let out a long sigh before opening my eyes and looking over to Connor. He had his arm under a pillow and was lying on his side facing me. I took the cloth off my forehead and rolled to face him, pressing my damp, hot forehead to his dry cool one and sighed.

His eyes opened and exposed the beautiful and comforting green, "You're hot." He scooted closer to me and sighed.

I smiled and pressed my nose to his, "Excuses you, Sir. I'm married."

He laughed and nodded, sitting up and crossing his legs. For the first time in what felt like weeks, none of the kids were home so I could relax. As always, the second I begin to relax, morning sickness takes over and ruins my mood. Luckily, I was already halfway into my seconds trimester and it was settling down a lot; it came more in waves of subtle nausea and headaches than bouts of vomiting and cold sweats.

Connor reached forward and took my hand in his, rubbing the back with his thumb, something he used to do when he needed to talk. I sat up and stared at him, waiting for him to speak up and tell me what was on his mind.

He was thinking. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his mouth was in a faint pout. Eventually he sighed and reached for the chain around his neck, the one I had noticed over and over but always forgot to ask about. Using both hands, he reached around his neck and unclasped it, holding it out and placing it in my hand. I looked down and saw a thin gold band was loosely hung over the chain and on the inside of the ring two letters were engraved in a delicate, cursive font.

T.M.

"T.M." I read aloud, "What's that?"

He let out another sigh and then looked up at me, smiling like an idiot, "Trysten Mendes." His face turned a bright shade of pink as he mumbled, "My fiancé."

My jaw dropped and I shook my head, "I'm sorry, your what?" A smile grew on my face and I had to bite my cheeks to stop myself from screaming, "Why did t you tell me earlier, you ass!"

He laughed and shrugged, "I didn't want to make that big of a deal." A small smile stayed on his lips as he spoke, "we got engaged a few months ago and wanted to keep it quiet. His parents don't really support us so we haven't told many people."

"But I always support you." I replied and grabbed both of his hands, placing the ring and chain back into his palm, "I love you no matter what, you know that, right?"

"I know," he chuckled, "That's why I told you. I haven't told anybody."

"Your mom?"

He shook his head and bit his cheek, "I don't know how to tell her I'm not marrying you. She still compares everybody to you." He laughed a little, "Sometimes I swear she plots to murder your husband so I can ask you out again."

I laughed because, even though it was ridiculous, that's the way his mom was and it made me love her, "I miss your mom."

He smiled, "You could call her anytime and she'd be so happy." Then he sighed and rubbed his thumb over the ring, "The reason I'm telling you about my engagement is because he asked about kids." He stared at me and gently shook his head, "I hadn't even thought about it. In my head, I already had kids. Yours were practically mine." Not really, "And we're both guys so its not like one of us can get pregnant."

I smiled, "Adopt. There's lots of kids that need parents." His face fell a little bit and it made my heart ache for him, "If you want it to be yours that badly you can always get a surrogate too."

He didn't meet my eyes for a few seconds and then he lifted his head and our eyes connected. Something made me know not to break the gaze because it was so intense, "If I asked you to do it, would you? Would Ashley?"

I wasn't sure how to answer him. When we were kids we used to say we'd get married and have kids together, we'd buy a big house and grow old together, watching our kids get married off and have babies of their own. Now, I was living that life with somebody else and he was still trying to get married. I had never imagined this was the way we'd end up having kids together, but oddly, I wasn't against it.

"Of course." I told him and his eyes began to tear up, "You're my family, Connor. I'll do my absolute best to give you a family."

I didn't even have time to say anything else before he threw his arms around me and began to sob. I laced my arms up and around his shoulders and let him cry into my shoulder while I held him up, afraid that if I didn't comfort him now he might think I wasn't serious, and whether or not I was, I couldn't let him know that I had possible doubts.

******

We sat there and I comforted him while he cried for hours over the sudden possibility to become a father. His head had slid down my body and it was resting on my belly while he rubbed it gently with his thumb, and listened to the silence of the room while subtle kicks kept him aware and awake.

"Do the kids know?" He lifted his head up and our eyes met. My cheeks flushed and I didn't have to speak for him to know my answer, "You have to tell them."

"I don't know how." I let my hand trail over my stomach and stared down at it, "Braxton and Krystal know their dad and me are fighting so the news of a baby might make them hate us."

"They're your kids," he smiled and raised his eyebrow, "They are going to hate you at some point in their lives anyways."

I smiled and nodded, "How would I bring it up? Justin has always been here to help me."

"Serrina, do you hear yourself right now?" I looked over to Connor who was staring at me like I had called his mother a cow, "You're talking like you need that boy. You don't need him to hold your hand every step of the way. You are one of the strongest women I know so you need to grow some balls and prove that to everybody."

I nodded and sighed, he was right, as always. All this time I had thought I needed Justin. I had grown up with him right there, ready to catch me if I fell, but now he was gone and I needed to be strong. My kids needed me to be there for them and I couldn't do that if I was still moping around, waiting for Justin to come back.

"I need to move past this." I heard the words come out of my mouth before I had even realized I said them. Connor grinned and nodded, "I need to tell my kids no matter what."

He held out his pinky to me and I wrapped mine around it as he chuckled, "No matter what."