text: The shock in Jack's expression was understandable. So was the anger sliding into his eyes. Blaine had just dropped a bombshell on him. She'd prepared for both reactions, but seeing the fury directed at her churned her stomach.
  
  Blaine took a deep breath and willed her belly to behave. There was no bathroom close, and she refused to throw up off the side of this gazebo. "I recorded the heartbeats on my phone if you'd like to hear them."
  
  "Are they mine?" Jack cleared his throat. "The babies you're carrying. Are they mine?"
  
  Eyes closed, Blaine fought the hurt slipping into her heart. She'd prepared for this question too. She'd also hoped he wouldn't ask it. "Yes. I haven't been with anyone in a long, long time before you, and I haven't been with anyone since."
  
  Jack cursed. He ran a hand over his head and walked to the center of the gazebo.
  
  She glanced at his strong back, then took in the view of the trees and their waning colorful display. Her eyes burned. She squeezed her eyelids closed and fought the tears. She would not cry. She would not cry. Blaine repeated the mantra. She'd had time to prepare for this talk. Everything would be fine, no matter Jack's choice. She was strong and so were her babies. They'd be okay.
  
  "I don't want money from you, Jack. I don't want anything you're not willing to give. I came here because I wanted—"
  
  Jack stepped behind her and hooked an arm around her waist. His palm settled on her belly. "I'm sorry, angel. I don't know why I asked that. You told me you haven't been with anyone in a long time. I believe you. I just…"
  
  Blaine focused on Jack's long fingers splayed over her stomach, right over her growing baby bump. Her vision blurred. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. This talk was proving harder than she'd expected. "You weren't expecting this. I know. That's why I didn't want you to come all the way to Russia. I wouldn't have been able to keep this from you, and I wanted to make sure the babies were okay before I said anything. No need to drop this on you, then say oops, my mistake. I didn't want to mess with your mind that way. I was only a fling."
  
  "You were never a fling. I think I recognized that the second I looked into your eyes. You were someone who'd change my life, and you have in the most unexpected way." Jack pulled her closer. He nudged her hair away from her shoulder with his chin, then kissed her neck. "In that regard, you're absolutely right. I wasn't expecting this, but that doesn't give me the right to accuse you of something I know isn't true."
  
  "I should've mentioned pregnancy was a possibility. We talked about STDs, but—"
  
  "The furniture store arrived with your mattress. Then I got away from you the first moment I could without looking like an ass." Jack made a rough sound and rested his cheek on her shoulder. He wrapped both arms around her. "Trust me. I considered skipping out once the delivery truck left, but I figured that'd be too obvious."
  
  His honesty cleared her vision. She blinked, easing the grittiness in her eyes. "Why? I'm guessing it wasn't because loving me was unpleasant. We did end up together a few more times."
  
  "What we did…how I acted…" Jack eased away from her. His fingertips trailed over her stomach as he stepped away. "I never got my dick anywhere near a lover without a condom on. No way in hell did I want a lifetime tie to a woman who meant nothing to me. That's something I promised my mama way back when I just started looking at girls. She set me down and put the fear of God into me."
  
  Blaine turned and swept her gaze over the man she'd have a lifetime tie to even if things didn't work out between them. Not only was he deliciously hot, Jack was a good man. She suspected if he did stay involved in their children's lives, he'd make a wonderful father too.
  
  "With you…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He laughed, a bitter sound that held no humor. "With you, I fought to hold on to my honor from the moment you stepped into my arms out on the deck. I knew I didn't have a condom. I hadn't expected to need one. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about getting inside you. When you dropped to your knees…"
  
  Jack glanced over his shoulder. "I lost it. All I knew was that I wanted you. Nothing else mattered. You understand?"
  
  Blaine smiled, even though she knew her mouth didn't behave the way it should, and went to Jack. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her good cheek on his chest, right over his heart. "What I remember is a man who kept trying to make me see reason. I was the one who wouldn't have any of it. Passion ruled me. All I knew was that I needed you more than anything."
  
  Jack held her as tightly as she held him. "It wasn't just that time, angel. It was every time we were together. I wanted the right to love you without a condom, any time and any way I needed you. I knew what I was thinking wasn't right so I kept my mouth shut and my dick wrapped, but dear God, it was hard."
  
  "Well, for the next few months, we can have all the sex we want without protection."
  
  "This has nothing to do with sex, Blaine."
  
  Her frown tugged on the wound that was still healing. She eased her tight expression. "I don't understand? Aren't we talking about sex?"
  
  "Not any longer."
  
  The seriousness in Jack's tone quickened her pulse. She turned in his arms. "What are we talking about now?"
  
  "What are your plans for your career? You hinted but didn't give me any definite decisions."
  
  Jack's loose grip around her waist stopped her from retreating from this conversation. While she'd come to terms with her decision, it still left her anxious thinking about the future. "My publicist was waiting for the green light to start the process of canceling any shows or business obligations I've committed to doing in the next two years. I got that yesterday when I heard their heartbeats. Trust me, hearing two when I was only expecting one shocked me, but it only made my choice all the easier to make. Bringing healthy babies into this world and taking care of me is more important than singing."
  
  Jack studied her face. His brows turned down. "So you're giving up everything you worked so hard to accomplish for our babies?"
  
  She laughed. "When you put it like that, my choice sounds horrible."
  
  "Not horrible. It's just that you were very adamant about not putting anyone in front of your wants. Not a baby. Not a husband. Nothing. You seemed so sure of your decision."
  
  Blaine traced Jack's beard as she'd longed to do over the weeks they'd been separated. "I'm not giving up. I'm taking a break. When I'm ready, I'll sing. Maybe not as well as I used to sing, but nothing will kill my desire to express myself. Whether it will still be marketable to do so remains to be seen. In the meantime, I'm taking time to think about my options. That's a good thing. Life isn't meant to be constant, and I plan on rolling with whatever life throws at me."
  
  A pleased expression spread over Jack's face. "Do those options include playing your violin?"
  
  Laughing, she shook her head. "Playing my violin, yes. Playing in Eliot's tour, no way. That's officially off the list."
  
  "Why?" Curiosity twined into the word.
  
  She gave him a "you're not serious" look. "I am not hauling two babies around with me on a worldwide tour. That's crazy talk."
  
  "How about if I haul them while you focus on your violin?"
  
  "You?" Blaine stepped back, breaking the loose hold Jack had on her.
  
  "Yeah, me. They're my babies too." Jack exaggeratedly spread his arms and wiggled his fingers. "And I've got two arms. One for each of them."
  
  Blaine pressed a hand to her mouth, hiding the big goofy grin on her face, but nothing she did would stop the tears from pooling in her eyes. "You plan to be a part of their lives, then?"
  
  "And yours." Jack drew her hand from over her mouth and linked their fingers. "That's what I've been craving, Blaine. I want the right to love you. Nothing between us. Not a condom. Not an ocean. Not a promise to my mama. Nothing. Just me and you."
  
  The trembling started in her fingers and raced up her arms. Blood drained from her face, leaving her lightheaded. Jack's steady gaze on her stopped the anxiety from spreading. She focused on his brown eyes and let the fear leave her with her exhaled breath.
  
  "What are you asking me, Jack?"
  
  Jack leaned in and took her mouth on a gentle kiss, a press of lips, an exchange of air, a promise that'd last a lifetime. Finally, he eased back, took her left hand in his, then met her eyes. "I'm not prepared for this any more than I was prepared to meet the angel meant to be mine, but I figured we could wing this. It's worked for us so far, right?"
  
  A shaky breath escaped her. She licked her dry lips. "Yes, spur of the moment seems to work for us."
  
  "Good. That's what I was hoping you'd say."
  
  Her heart turned over, and tears wet her lashes by the time he dropped to his knees. Jack glanced up the length of her body. "Marry me, Blaine Zima. Make me the luckiest man to ever have walked this earth."
  
  "Yes." Tears choked her voice. "Yes, I want to be your wife, your partner, your everything."
  
  "Thank God," Jack muttered. He stood and hugged her, stealing her breath. "You've just saved me from the beating of my life."
  
  Blaine laughed and playfully slapped at his chest. "You better not have proposed because of your mother, Jack. Because I'll tell her I got pregnant before you got down on one knee."
  
  "My mama was a math teacher before she had me and Levi. I think she'll figure it out on her own."
  
  Blaine gripped Jack's shirt. Doubt teased her. "Seriously, Jack. I don't want these babies to be the reason you asked me to marry you."
  
  "They're not. I asked you to be my wife because I love you. More than my next breath, just like I said on the phone to you. I love you, Blaine Zima."
  
  "I love you too." The tears in her voice didn't make her pledge sound very confident, but it was all she could manage. Emotions choked her.
  
  Jack took her hands in his and brought them to his mouth. He placed a kiss on her knuckles and looked at her from under his lashes. "From now until the end of time, angel."
  
  She dipped her head, allowing the love she saw in his eyes to strengthen her. "From now until the end of time."
  
  And that sounded like a wonderful end to her story and her symphony. Now she simply had to make it happen.