as Drew walks around to my side of the car; he opens my door and holds out his hand to help me climb out of the car in my teal dress and heels. I feel better after getting dressed properly. I’ll feel even better after a good meal.
“Thank you,” I say as I climb out. Drew smiles at me.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes dart to my dress taking in my still tight body despite the pregnancy. Although I doubt that will last much longer. His hand finds the small of my back as we walk to the restaurant.
“If I remember correctly, this was one of your favorites.”
“Yes.”
We take a seat at a small table opposite each other. The waiter comes over and asks us what we want to drink.
“White wine,” I say on autopilot before I remember I can’t.
Drew frowns at me, scolding me like the father figure he always was. He was always trying to keep Landon and me out of trouble. Except we didn’t want to be kept out of trouble. Maybe we should have, though, and we wouldn’t be in this situation. We wouldn’t have so much baggage that we will never escape from.
“Water,” I say quickly.
“Water,” Drew says.
“Can we also go ahead and order our meals? I’m starving,” I say as Drew beams at me, happy to hear that I will be eating something.
“Of course,” the waiter says.
“I’ll have the lasagna with a side salad dressing on the side. Can we also start with an appetizer of breadsticks and the Caprese salad.”
The waiter writes everything down.
“Oh and a side of the fettuccine alfredo.”
The waiter’s eyes grow large as he turns to Drew.
“I’ll just take a salad,” he says handing the waiter our menus.
Drew just sits staring at me a huge smile on his face.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just happy to see you eating. You’re far too skinny.”
“I am not. Don’t let my agent hear you say that. She won’t let me out with you again. I’m already three pounds heavier than I was.”
His smile just gets brighter. “You’re beautiful.”
I don’t know why, but his words make me blush. His words never have before. I take a sip of the water the waiter brought us to cool my flushed cheeks.
“So what did you think about the last house we looked at?” I ask.
“It was nice.”
“Just nice? It was grand and beautiful.”
He nods. “It was. It also wasn’t the house for you.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel like the right house for you.”
“Why not?”
“I expect you to find something that is completely unique and beautiful like you. That one didn’t have enough ...”
“Enough what?”
“Enough strength in its beauty. It was just beautiful and fragile.”
I stare at him wide-eyed. He’s wrong if he thinks I’m anything but fragile.
The conversation ends, though, when our appetizers are brought out and I dig into the food. Loving the taste and how it feels as it slides down my throat.
“You know I’m going to be there, right?” Drew says suddenly out of nowhere.
I swallow my bite trying to understand what he’s saying.
“I’ll be there for you and the baby. No matter what happens between you and Landon.”
The gesture is sweet. I know he means it, but I don’t need Drew. I need Landon. And frankly, I’m still mad at Drew for ruining my best chance at happiness with Landon.
“I know, Drew, but I don’t want you to. It’s not your responsibility. It’s Landon’s. The test proved that.”
He nods and then opens his mouth to say more but thinks better of it.
I return to eating. The test said it was Landon’s. The test proved it, despite my reservations. There is no arguing with 99.998% accuracy. It’s fact, not a theory. Landon’s the father. It’s Landon’s.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex
53. The number of days my mother had left to live when she got the cancer diagnosis.
I fire the gun, making
“Thank you,” I say as I climb out. Drew smiles at me.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes dart to my dress taking in my still tight body despite the pregnancy. Although I doubt that will last much longer. His hand finds the small of my back as we walk to the restaurant.
“If I remember correctly, this was one of your favorites.”
“Yes.”
We take a seat at a small table opposite each other. The waiter comes over and asks us what we want to drink.
“White wine,” I say on autopilot before I remember I can’t.
Drew frowns at me, scolding me like the father figure he always was. He was always trying to keep Landon and me out of trouble. Except we didn’t want to be kept out of trouble. Maybe we should have, though, and we wouldn’t be in this situation. We wouldn’t have so much baggage that we will never escape from.
“Water,” I say quickly.
“Water,” Drew says.
“Can we also go ahead and order our meals? I’m starving,” I say as Drew beams at me, happy to hear that I will be eating something.
“Of course,” the waiter says.
“I’ll have the lasagna with a side salad dressing on the side. Can we also start with an appetizer of breadsticks and the Caprese salad.”
The waiter writes everything down.
“Oh and a side of the fettuccine alfredo.”
The waiter’s eyes grow large as he turns to Drew.
“I’ll just take a salad,” he says handing the waiter our menus.
Drew just sits staring at me a huge smile on his face.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just happy to see you eating. You’re far too skinny.”
“I am not. Don’t let my agent hear you say that. She won’t let me out with you again. I’m already three pounds heavier than I was.”
His smile just gets brighter. “You’re beautiful.”
I don’t know why, but his words make me blush. His words never have before. I take a sip of the water the waiter brought us to cool my flushed cheeks.
“So what did you think about the last house we looked at?” I ask.
“It was nice.”
“Just nice? It was grand and beautiful.”
He nods. “It was. It also wasn’t the house for you.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel like the right house for you.”
“Why not?”
“I expect you to find something that is completely unique and beautiful like you. That one didn’t have enough ...”
“Enough what?”
“Enough strength in its beauty. It was just beautiful and fragile.”
I stare at him wide-eyed. He’s wrong if he thinks I’m anything but fragile.
The conversation ends, though, when our appetizers are brought out and I dig into the food. Loving the taste and how it feels as it slides down my throat.
“You know I’m going to be there, right?” Drew says suddenly out of nowhere.
I swallow my bite trying to understand what he’s saying.
“I’ll be there for you and the baby. No matter what happens between you and Landon.”
The gesture is sweet. I know he means it, but I don’t need Drew. I need Landon. And frankly, I’m still mad at Drew for ruining my best chance at happiness with Landon.
“I know, Drew, but I don’t want you to. It’s not your responsibility. It’s Landon’s. The test proved that.”
He nods and then opens his mouth to say more but thinks better of it.
I return to eating. The test said it was Landon’s. The test proved it, despite my reservations. There is no arguing with 99.998% accuracy. It’s fact, not a theory. Landon’s the father. It’s Landon’s.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex
53. The number of days my mother had left to live when she got the cancer diagnosis.
I fire the gun, making
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