Read Stepbrother Soldier's Baby: The Hero (The Complete Series) for Free Online

“I’m not surprised he’s the cause of this. He’s caused plenty of trouble while you were away.” 
    Nate didn’t say anything.
    “Sweetie, I know the two of you were best friends, but two guys, one girl… it’s the oldest story in the world.”
    “I know,” Nate said quietly.
    “It’s time to move on. As for Mia, well, I have faith in you to figure it out. I’ve never known to you make a bad choice. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. I know you’ll do the right thing. I’m proud of you Nathan.”
    Nathan cringed as my mother praised him. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
    Guilt washed over his face. Did he regret sleeping with me?
    “I’ll leave you two to talk privately,” my mother said. “But don’t stay out here too long. Bad weather’s coming.”
    “Okay,” I said wishing she’d leave.
    I was grateful when my mother closed the front door. I looked into the window of the house and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief. When I turned back to Nate, the relief I felt vanished. He was staring off at the storm clouds on the horizon. A far off look gave his eyes a glassy appearance.
    “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” I asked.
    He didn’t respond, but I could see the truth on his face.
    “For how long?”
    “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
    “That’s not good enough.”
    His head snapped around to consider me. I’ve always been the quiet one in the family, the one who goes along with what everyone else wants. I had to say goodbye to that girl. I was going to be a mother and whether or not Nate realized it, he was going to be a father.
    Becoming a happy family was probably too much to hope for, but we still had a responsibility. I had to tell him I was pregnant.
    “Nathan,” I said seriously.
    He smiled as if on the verge of laughing.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Nothing. I’m just not used to you being so…”
    “Bitchy?”
    Every time I tried to assert myself, my stepdad told me not to be, ‘bitchy.’ It drove me crazy.
    “Confident and strong. I don’t mean any offence. It’s just that you’re normally so shy.”
    “Sorry,” I replied, though I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing.
    “Don’t say you’re sorry. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. I like this side of your personality. You should stand up for yourself more.”
    I hated how much his words inspired confidence in me. I wished I felt this way all the time. Would he be proud of me for standing up to Mia at the hospital? How would Nate react if he knew she tried to force me to have an abortion in exchange for having the charges dropped against him?
    I sighed. Why was Nate so defensive of Mia? It made it harder to come clean about everything. I didn’t want to scare him off.
    The back door opened and closed. My mother appeared around the side of the house.
    “I’m off to my book club. You two better get inside before the storm hits. There’s food in the fridge,” she called.
    As if on cue, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky in the distance. I jumped. Nate didn’t move a muscle. I found it strangely unnerving. At the party he seemed jumpy. Now, he was abnormally calm.
    We sat together in silence as my mother drove away.
    “Do you want something to eat?” I asked.
    We had a lot to talk about, but I’d lost my nerve. Maybe food would settle my stomach.
    “Olivia, we don’t have much time. They’ll be coming for me soon.”
    I didn’t like the way that sounded, like he was being forced to leave against his will.
    “Where will you go?”
    “Overseas. We don’t have time to waste on the details.”
    This was it. I had to tell him. I took a deep breath. “Nate-”
    My words were cut off by his lips firmly pressed against mine. My head felt light; my thoughts became muddy. The longer he kissed me the more I became convinced that our serious talk could wait.
    No, it had to be now. I broke free.
    “Nate I have to talk to-”
    Again his lips found mine,