Free The Contingency Plan (The Lonely Heart Series) by Latrivia Nelson

this point.  I’ve done a lot of research and gone over a lot of scenarios.  They all just lead me right back here.”
    Still Charlie said nothing.
    “Let me just start at the beginning, okay.  A few years ago, I realized that all of my brothers and sisters had a family of their own.  They had accomplished at least the first part of their life goals and had what they wanted. Now a few have gone through divorce like Mikey and May, but they don’t regret it because of the kids.   And Amber and Will are still very much an item.  That’s why they are so happy with life, but me…I don’t know. I have accomplished so much, but the one thing that I haven’t been able to satisfy is the need for a family. It haunts me.”
    “What about adoption?” she asked with a frown.  That made a lot more sense than what he was propo s ing. 
    “For some people, that is enough, but for me, I want to see my eyes, my lips, my chin…” He held tighter to her hand.  “I want a child of my own.”
    “And you don’t have a girlfriend who would do that for you?”
    “Dane is the playboy. Not me anymore.  I gave that title up a while back. And there is no girlfriend .  I haven’t had the time or energy lately.”
    “Why?  You were so good at it,” Charlie said, r e leasing the ice in her veins. 
    Sully felt the chill, so he tried to warm up more to her.  “I know that I hurt you, and I’m so sorry about that.”
    Her eyes bucked to keep from tearing up.  The r e ality of what was happening was like a heavy weight on her chest.  The one man whom she’d adored, the one man whom she’d learned to loathe, was here now begging her forgiveness and all she could do was try to breathe.  Still, she had to fight to get the words out.  Her voice cracked. 
    “You’re sorry?  You broke my heart into a tho u sand pieces, and you come back seven years later, throw some money on the table and politely ask me to be the mother of your children.  And on top of that you’re sorry .  Well, why didn’t you say so earlier, because that just makes everything okay?”  Her eyes narrowed on him.  Her chest rose and fell rapidly, giving away her now frantic state.  “Please tell me that this is a joke, Sully.”
    “This is no joke,” Sully stuttered. “You’ll never know how sorry that I am.  I’ve regretted us since the day that you left.  I tried to reach you, but your mother wouldn’t give me a number.  She hates me, by the way.  You changed your email.  You moved.  You shut me out completely after graduation like I didn’t exist. It took a year for me to even find out where you were and when I did, I realized that you just would not give me another chance.”
    “Damn right,” she lied. 
    “But it never stopped me from loving you.” His voice ached. 
    “It was a short-term relationship, Sully.” Another lie.
    “It had long-lasting effects, Charlie .  Why do you think that I’m here?  I love you.”  That was the truth for him, the only truth that he had held on to for many years.
    There was no response to that for her.  She felt like a magnet was pulling them together at the moment.  All she wanted to do was crash into him.  But she had to fight it.  Alex was a good man, and Sully…well Sully was a good liar. 
    Still the tears ran down the sides of her face as the words left his mouth.  God in heaven knew that she had waited, dreamt, pleaded for those words for so long, and now that they had finally come, it was too late.  And because it was too late, she had to block it.  Throw him off from knowing how deep to her core he had just gone.  Her mind raced to find something that would break the mood, keep her from losing her wits. 
    “How do I know that you won’t give my eggs to someone else?” she asked, blinking away more pain. 
    “I wouldn’t dare,” he said offended.  “This is about me creating a family, not anyone else.  Charlie, you know me better than that. I’m being a