Free Broken (Broken #1) by A. E. Murphy Page A

the covers. I feel
bad for him and want to stay at home to look after him but I can’t.
We need all of the money we can get.
    My boss, Derrick of Chicago’s
is really understanding thankfully. He even gives me a hug and
congratulates me which shocks me.
    Work is boring and I’m sick of
everyone asking me where Caleb is. He’s at home! Obviously. Why is
it anyone’s business? If it was me that was off they wouldn’t be
panicking, they’d be trying it on with my fiancée. I know this
because Sasha comes in with a group of girls every Wednesday, I
don’t work Wednesday nights. She tells me about the group of women
who constantly surround him but he brushes them off as much as he
can.
    You’d think the news of our
engagement and the pregnancy would warn them off but some of them
try even harder than they did before. It drives me around the
bend.
    Fortunately I have complete
trust in Caleb so I’m not worried at all. It’s just irritating. It
stresses him out too.

    When I finally make it home I
climb in the shower and afterwards I snuggle up with my poorly,
soon to be, husband in bed. He instantly wraps himself around me,
bringing my face to his neck.
    “ Marry me,”
he whispers as I place my hands against his feverish
skin.
    “ You’re
burning up,” I try and pull away so I can get his
medicine.
    He doesn’t let me, he looks in
my eyes in the dark; they’re serious, extremely serious. “I want to
marry you on Wednesday.”
    “ What?”
    “ Please. Just
do this for me. I’ve already made the appointment. Two PM on
Wednesday. I wanted tomorrow but tomorrow was taken. At Gretna
Green, it’ll be a road trip.”
    “ What’s wrong
with you?” I snap and pull myself free of his arms. “Let me get you
something to bring down that fever.”
    “ You’re not
fucking listening!” he exclaims suddenly and sits bolt upright in
bed. He winces and presses his hands to his head. “I need you to
marry me, please. It’s simple. We can have a party in a couple of
months but I want to make you my wife.”
    Damn it. This is crazy. He’s
delirious.
    “ Promise me,”
he sounds out of breath.
    I nod, not saying the words but
sort of meaning them. “Okay.”
    He sags back, his body too
heavy for his lack of energy right now. I take this chance to rush
into the bathroom and wet a lot of towels. When I place them over
his skin he cries out. My panic increases. “What’s wrong? What is
it? I think I should call an ambulance.”
    “ No!” He
almost shouts and his hand wraps around my wrist. “I’ll be fine in
the morning, it’s just the flu or something.”
    “ I don’t know
Caleb,” I admit and place a wet flannel on his forehead.
    His eyes come to mine, “Please
Gwenny. No hospitals.”
    I sigh and agree, he’s right,
it’s probably nothing. I’ll just have to keep a close eye on
him.
    “ I almost
forgot,” he whispers and motions me closer. “Bring him
here.”
    On a giggle I move up the bed
and bring my naval up to his face.
    “ Love you
baby Weston,” he says and I feel his lips press against my stomach.
Seconds later he’s fast asleep and I’m changing the towels. His
temperature is so high the water in the towels is now lukewarm.
That’s crazy. Now I’m really worried.

    The morning comes and Caleb is
much better. His fever broke in the night, I know this because I
didn’t sleep at all. I don’t want him to go to class and I’m
shocked when he so easily agrees and spends the day with me in bed
watching movies and eating junk.
    Then he reminds me of what he
said last night and my heart starts racing. “We’re getting married
Wednesday.”
    I roll him onto his back,
“What’s the rush?”
    “ You’re
pregnant with my son, I want to do this properly.”
    I frown and think on it for a
moment. I want to walk down an aisle in a stunning white dress. I
want the after party and the confetti. I don’t want to get married
at a registry office just for the sake of getting married.
    He sees my