A Love To Last by Katie (have you read this book txt) 📖

When Josh looked up at her and smiled, she was maybe a few inches away from him. Nervous now all of a sudden, she wouldn’t let her eyes leave his.

‘Now, my love, look, look at this amazing beautiful thing we made together.’ He tickled the words across her mind and her heart sank to her stomach. Elizabeth let her eyes drift down with his and her eyes widened in complete shock. It was a baby. A baby with a full head of thick auburn hair and fair skin and Josh’s beautiful emerald eyes. He was just watching her, this tiny baby, with his eyes so much like Josh’s. She looked back up at Josh, unsure of what to do, when he passed the baby over into her arms. ’Yes, it’s your baby my love, our baby. He looks so much like you, so handsome isn’t he?’ More words that she almost dismissed, but looking down at this baby in her arms, she couldn’t dismiss it at all. She found herself smiling down at their baby in her arms and felt a warmth spread all threw her.

When Josh took her hand and watched her watch the baby, he tickled more words into her mind, but these ones made no sense to Elizabeth at all. ’wake up Lizzie, please, please wake up. I need you, here with me, please don’t leave me, not like this.’ She looked up at Dream Josh and let her brow furrow in confusion. His face was filled with such pain, she didn’t understand, just seconds ago he looked like a proud, happy new father. But now, now that was all gone, pain filling his face and a slight hint of anger in his eyes. Why was he angry? She didn’t want to wake up though, not from this dream, not while she held their baby in her arms, their beautiful baby boy with his eyes so much like his father’s.

Even as the doctor told Josh to leave, he wouldn’t budge, nobody tried to move him, her parents didn’t even acknowledge him. They knew. Her parents knew that Elizabeth had given to him what Scott should have gotten. They only knew because the doctor confirmed it. And the doctor not only told Elizabeth’s parents she was no longer a virgin, but that she was carrying a child. Her parents knew it wasn’t Scott’s, not only because Scott denied getting even barely one kiss from her, but because Elizabeth was only barely four weeks along and all of Scott’s and Elizabeth’s outings were chaperoned. Josh knew that Elizabeth’s parents knew he was the father the minute he came rushing into her room insisting to see her. He also knew the resented him, he could not only hear it, but who wouldn’t be able to tell by the way they were staring at him. Almost as if they thought they could shot daggers into him with their eyes alone.

Nothing else mattered to Josh though as he listened to Elizabeth dream. She was dreaming of their baby. He wasn’t sure if he should cry or be happy. He was going to be a father. The father of Elizabeth’s baby. He let go of her mind and listened hard to her steady heartbeat and strained his hearing to catch the fast flutter of the child inside Elizabeth. It made him catch his breath the minute he heard it and before he knew it he was crying. He held tight on to her hand and cried. Josh wasn’t sure how long he stayed just like that, he might have even fallen asleep, but the minute he felt Elizabeth stroking his hair he jolted straight up. He gathered her inside his arms and cried even harder.

“I thought I lost you, my love, I thought you would never come back to me.” Elizabeth smiled as she let Josh hold her. This she knew was real. She had fainted, she wasn’t sure why, but she did, and that was when she had that marvelous dream and now here was Josh, waiting for her to wake up, he really did love her. This realization brought tears to her eyes. When Josh heard her crying as well he pulled away from her and rubbed hard at his eyes.

“No, you didn’t lose me Josh, I’m right here. I had the most wonderful dream though.” Josh noted the twinkle in her eyes as she talked of the dream, explaining it in full detail to Josh before he decided to tell her the news. When she was finished finally he took both her ands in his and he kissed her hands and kept them there near his face. He wasn’t sure how to say it, but he knew from the look still in her eyes, she would be happy no matter what way he told her.

“Lizzie, I have something to tell you,” He seemed nervous to Elizabeth and that automatically made her nervous. “The doctor had examined you after you had that fainting spell to try and find what was wrong with you, and well, my love, you’re pregnant.” It took half a second before the smile lit her whole face and she cried out in pure joy. Relief flooded him that she accepted it well, he didn’t want her to not want the baby, he wasn’t sure what he would do if that was the case.

“Oh, Josh, it’s so wonderful isn’t it? Absolutely magnificent.” As her eyes were shinning and the smile only got brighter, her parents walked in. When they saw Elizabeth was awake they rushed over and tried to push Josh away from her, which made Elizabeth pull him even closer. She wasn’t going to let her parents take her away from the father of her child, especially when she loved him and he loved her. Her father looked more sad then angry, maybe it was because of the amount of anger that was held in her mother’s eyes. The accusations and guilt made her blush automatically and lower her head as she turned and buried her face into Josh’s chest.

“Now, Elizabeth, you gave your hand to Scott, why tell us just why you felt the need to be with this man?,” Elizabeth shrugged her shoulder’s toward her father and his question. She wasn’t strong enough for this. She just couldn’t bare to look at them again. It hurt too bad and she wanted to be happy, this was meant to be happy news, she was pregnant.

‘You have to be strong enough, Lizzie, I promise you it will be ok, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.’ Josh whispered the words across her mind while holding her tighter for a moment before releasing her. Josh was right, she had to do this, for herself, for him and for their unborn child. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she has to face her parents now or never.

Chapter Nine

“Mother, Father, I am so so sorry, but I love Josh, I am in love with Josh. I have been since the very first day we met. He is such an amazing man, and such a gentleman. The things that led to this,” Elizabeth gestured to her stomach, then rested her hand over her still flat stomach and Josh put his over hers. They locked eyes for a brief moment and even a blind man could see the affection, adoration and complete love exchanged in such a short, easy moment. “well it was just as much my choices as they were his. I can’t exactly explain it, but I never should have told Scott I would marry him, but I only did because it pleased you. It didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t what would make me happy in the end as long as I made you both happy. But can’t you see? This, being with Josh, having his child, that was what makes me happy. Of course I didn’t plan on a pregnancy, but it will only add to the happiness Josh and I have together.” Winded and out of breath Elizabeth stopped letting everything she had just said settle into their minds. She used this quick break as an opportunity to speak to Josh.

‘You don’t know how happy I am right now Josh, to be carrying your child.’ glancing at him and seeing the smile on his face I knew he was listening. I loved knowing that we could have a private conversation right in a room of people. It would defiantly come in handy in the future. Thinking of Josh’s abilities made her wonder about what kinds of things their child may be able to do. ’Josh, will our baby, will he be a ’born’ vampire? Or will he be human?’ I looked over at his face and saw him thinking hard about the question I asked him.

The truth was, Josh had no idea. There was no way to know. There wasn’t ever any ’born’ vampires breeding with a human, we generally bred with another ’born’ vampire to keep the bloodline going. And ’made’ vampire’s couldn’t bred at all.

’well, love, I can’t be sure, there has never been a ’born’ vampire breeding with a human before, I suppose our baby could always be either or. Which would you like him to be?’ It was a rude and selfish question he knew, but he had to ask, if she preferred a human child, then he really thought she should have stuck to Scott Haring. Their child was going to be extraordinary he could feel it in his bones.

‘well I don’t know, Josh. I mean I always thought I would have a normal human baby, but I will still love him the same even if he isn’t human I mean, it would just mean he was more like you, and I am in love with you.’ He saw the meaning and truth behind her thoughts. It did more than just flatter him to know she would accept whatever their child would be in the end. Josh also noted she kept saying he, and him when she spoke of their child. He shook his head and let that go, maybe she just wanted a son, there was no way she would be able to know if it was a boy or girl, it was too soon.

“I don’t understand Elizabeth, I really don’t understand, Scott, he wants to give you the world and so much more, why, why this boy? And don’t think I don’t recognize this stranger. He was the one that was here that night, I don’t approve Elizabeth, you will marry Scott, if he will still have you, but you will not be with this boy, this boy who probably can’t give you half of what Scott can.” Her mother’s voice was loud and booming and full of hatred as she pointed at Josh and her. Elizabeth felt the tears well up in her eyes, as Josh pulled her closer to him until she was practically in his lap. Elizabeth could feel the anger and tension running threw Josh, as he watched her mother, she just prayed that he wouldn’t say or do anything stupid.

“No, ma’am, I don’t mean you any disrespect, but Elizabeth is carrying my child, not Scott’s. I will do her right and marry her, and you’d be pleased to know that she would never want for anything, I have more money than Scott will ever dream of, so if that’s why you don’t want her with me, then rest assured there. And Scott will never be able to make her happy or love her as I can. I am in love with your daughter, you may not like that now or ever, but I am. And I want