Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(145)

He raises a brow. “Unfulfilled?”

Frustrated, I stand up. “I guess I was expecting something a little more…eternal.”

His jaw sets and I can’t tell if he’s upset with me for acting like a brat or trying not to laugh at my expense. “Eternal?”

My exasperation reaches a peak and I huff out, “Dammit, Oakley. I thought you were going to propose.”

Grinning, he shifts on the sand. “Then it’s a good thing I have this, huh?”

My insides swoop when I see the ring in his hand.

“Oh, my God.”

He slides the white gold Claddagh ring with a giant black gemstone onto my finger. “Will you—”

“Yes,” I scream before he even gets the words out.

I clutch my chest as I look at my ring. It’s absolutely stunning.

“I can’t believe we’re engaged.” Excitement races over my skin. “This was so unexpected.”

Laughing, Oakley pulls me in for a kiss. “The stone is called the star of India.” He tips my chin. “But I can get you a diamond if you want something more traditional.”

I shake my head. “Don’t you dare.”

I love my ring. It’s perfect.

He nuzzles my lower lip with his top one. “I love you—”

“Hold that thought,” I say, reaching for my phone.

“What are you doing?”

I type Wayne’s name into the keyboard. “Texting your dad.”

I warned the man that I was going to be his daughter-in-law one day.





Extended Epilogue





“I can’t do it,” I scream as another contraction plows through me. “I’m exhausted.”

I thought I’d be in labor for eight hours at most…not twenty-freaking-four.

Oakley goes to wipe the sweat dotting my forehead, but I swat his hand away.

I’m not trying to be a bitch, but squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

At this point I just want the doctor to light a fire in there and smoke the baby out.

Oakley kisses my temple. “What can I do?”

I glare at him. “Gee, I don’t know. How about get a time machine and stick your goddamn dick back in your pants?”

The doctor’s eyebrows shoot up and he chuckles before leaning over and whispering something into the nurse’s ear.

A smug grin creeps along Oakley’s lips. “If memory serves, you were the one begging me to take it out of my pants that night, baby girl.”

He’s right.

I’d come home from school tired and grumpy…but horny as hell.

Oakley lifted me onto the kitchen counter and started going down on me with that serpent tongue of his.

One thing led to another, and well…

Here we fucking are.

Given I still have another year of college left, getting knocked-up wasn’t part of the plan.

However, the second I found out I was pregnant…everything felt right.

Until now.

Because right now it hurts so much, it’s taking everything in me not to punch my doctor in his stupid fucking face because the epidural he said would help hasn’t one bit.

“Breathe,” Oakley urges as another contraction rips through me.

“I’m breathing,” I grit through my teeth.

“Just a little longer,” the doctor says. “We’re almost there.”

“We’ve been almost there for the past twenty-four hours and sixteen minutes, you damn liar.”

Just when I’m positive I can’t take another second of this, the door to my hospital room opens.

Cole holds up a giant bag of what looks like fast-food in front of his face as he strides over. “How’s everything going in here, fam?” He plops down in the empty chair next to Oakley and smiles. “I brought us some munchies while we wait for my nephew to greet us.”

Irritation crawls up my spine as I turn to Oakley. “I will chop your friend’s body up into little itty-bitty pieces and bury them in various parts of the world—places where they'll never ever find him—if you don’t get him and his fucking food the hell out of here now.”

Nodding, Oakley slaps Cole’s back. “Cole, you gotta go, man. You’re making my wife homicidal.”

Cole snorts. “As opposed to any other ti—”

I fling my cup of ice chips at him. “Get out—”

I curse when another agonizing contraction comes.

Eyes wide, Cole quickly scurries out of the room.

“Okay, Bianca,” the doctor says. “I’m really gonna need you to push now.”

I grip the side of the bed. “I’ve been pushing.”

If I push any harder, I’ll spontaneously combust.

“I know, but you’re gonna have to push more.”

Defeat flows through me and I sag against the pillow.

“Oakley, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. He’s just gonna have to stay inside me forever.”

Gripping my hand, he stands up. “Yes, you can.” He kisses my knuckles. “I know it hurts. But when it’s all over, you won’t remember the pain.”