Chapter 36
For a moment, Colette was utterly stunned. She glanced around, her eyes searching for some semblance of normalcy, but found none. The guests, dressed in their finest, surrounded her, offering congratulations and well-wishes, their faces a blur of smiles and excitement.
Her eyes darted back to Matt, who was watching her with a mixture of affection and mischief. He looked as though he was reveling in her astonishment, his own expression one of deep satisfaction. The sincerity in his eyes was palpable, but so was the mischief in his smile. She felt a surge of immesuarable disbelief as the surreal nature of the scene pressed in on her.
Matt, sensing her disorientation, stepped closer, his hand finding hers and squeezing it gently. His smile widened, and he looked at her with a mixture of joy and tenderness. “SURPRISE!” he said.
As Colette tried to grasp the full implications of the celebration, she was acutely aware of the multitude of eyes on them, scrutinizing every reaction. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and amidst the cheering crowd and the bright banner, the enormity of the moment was just beginning to sink in.
As the whirlwind of celebration and surprise enveloped Colette, she stood rooted to the spot, her mind racing to make sense of the scene unfolding before her. The room buzzed with excitement and congratulatory shouts, but all Colette could focus on was Matt’s face, alight with an intensity that seemed almost otherworldly. His eyes, glowing with a profound love, were locked onto hers with such fervor that it made her take a step back, overwhelmed by the sheer depth of his emotion.
Matt’s smile was a blend of mischief and adoration, a devilish grin that softened his otherwise serious demeanor. He looked down at her, his expression a mix of triumph and tenderness. “But how did you…?” Colette stammered, her voice faltering as she glanced around the room in a daze, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car.
Matt’s laughter was gentle, but there was an unmistakable gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “Find out?” he repeated her unfinished question, his tone teasing but warm. “The red-haired witch you went to live with told me. Yesterday, when you threw up.”
“Zoe?” Colette’s disbelief was palpable. Zoe, who had made no secret of her disdain for Matt, seemed an unlikely source of such information. The revelation left her reeling. Matt, noticing her incredulity, continued with a nonchalant shrug.
“Well, it was completely accidental,” he said, his voice carrying an edge of amusement. “I called her when you didn’t pick up my calls, just to make sure you were home. And, you know how much that woman hates me. Amidst all the nasty things we were hurling at each other, she mentioned—quite out of the blue—that my swimmers weren’t as slow as my brain and something about my pea-sized… ahem…”
He cleared his throat, a mischievous smile barely contained as he suppressed a laugh. “But that’s not important. What caught my attention was the bit about my swimmers being fast. And then she suddenly went silent and hung up on me. Not typical of the spitfire, confrontational Zoe.”
Colette shook her head, struggling to reconcile this bizarre twist of events with her own mounting concerns. “I started to piece things together, especially after realizing that I hadn’t used any protection when we were at Roxy’s. So, I called her again,” Matt continued, his voice tinged with barely suppressed mirth. “This time, she told me I was a sorry excuse for an asshat and should stuff my dick into my own backside. Personally, I’m not even sure how that would be possible humanly, but that’s beside the point.”
Matt’s attempt to stifle his laughter only made his eyes sparkle more with amusement. His casual tone and the absurdity of the situation were almost too much for Colette to process.
“And then, the third time was the charm,” Matt said, his expression turning more serious but still filled with a sense of triumph. “She finally blurted out everything I needed to know. You were pregnant according to the four pregnancy tests you took and were going to see the doctor this morning.”
As the crowd around them continued to offer their congratulations, Colette found herself nodding awkwardly, her mind still struggling to keep pace with the whirlwind of revelations. “And you’re not mad about it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her uncertainty evident.
Matt’s gaze softened, his eyes filled with a profound tenderness that almost made her heart ache. “Oh, Itty,” he said, his voice gentle and full of affection. “Don’t you see what this pregnancy means? You’re back to me! My wife, back in my arms after all the chances I had blown to hell! I was sure I’d lost you after the way I treated you in that hospital. But when I learned about this baby, it gave me hope. I was overjoyed to think that our love had borne fruit, that you were going to swell up with my baby. My seed! I can’t even explain how I felt.”
As Matt spoke, Colette could see the depth of his feelings reflected in his eyes. They were filled with a wonder and excitement so palpable that it almost seemed to shine through him. Her own heart fluttered, caught between fear and a reluctant joy. She could see it now—beyond the playful teasing and the chaos of the party—there was something deeply genuine. Love. Yes, real, tangible love.
Matt’s hands gently spread across her stomach, his touch both tender and reverent. His eyes, wide with a mixture of awe and affection, followed the curve of her body as if trying to memorize every detail. “Plus, it gave me hope,” he continued, his voice soft and laden with emotion, “that I could stop this trainwreck I’ve made of our marriage. A wreck I caused with my own hands, sadly.”
The weight of his words and the sincerity behind them made Colette’s heart ache. She felt a swell of emotion, a mixture of relief and trepidation. The love in Matt’s eyes was undeniable, and though she was afraid to fully acknowledge it, it was there, shining brightly.
Just then, someone from the party approached them, a well-meaning guest likely intent on offering their congratulations. Colette felt a sudden surge of desire for solitude with Matt, to process this unexpected turn of events away from prying eyes. But the party was in full swing, and their moment of privacy seemed impossibly distant.
Matt, however, seemed to sense her need for intimacy amidst the crowd. His gaze remained locked on hers, filled with an intensity that was almost overwhelming. His eyes were like molten lava, burning with a fervor that made her feel both exposed and cherished. The desire in his expression was palpable, and as he leaned in, Colette felt a shiver of anticipation.
Before the approaching guest could utter another word, Matt didn’t wait. He captured Colette’s attention with a smoldering look before dipping his head and pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was urgent and deep, filled with a fervor that spoke of everything left unsaid. It was as if he were savoring the moment, tasting the sweetness of her lips as if they were the most delectable fruit he had ever encountered.
The kiss was prolonged, a lingering connection that drew the eyes of the entire party. For those moments, the world outside their embrace ceased to exist. The room’s noise dimmed into a distant hum, and all that mattered was the powerful connection between them. When Matt finally pulled away, his eyes sparkled with mischief and triumph.
“There,” he said, his voice a low, satisfied rumble. “They’re going to stay away from us now.”
His laugh was infectious.