Page 67 of Pretty Drunk

A buzzing sounds in my ears and everything around me just fades away. I can no longer hear the conversations nearby, nor can I see anything other than this infuriating, stubborn man in front of me. “I don’t recall giving you any authority over my life, Logan.”

“Actually, you did. The day you told me you were pregnant. That gave me the authority to do whatever it took to protect both you and my baby, and this qualifies. You need a place to stay, and I’ll be that place.” His tone is serious with a touch of an edge, like he’s leaving no room for discussion.

My clit actually aches. There’s something incredibly hot about him right now, but I refuse to acknowledge it. No way will I let him win so easily, nor will I let him know how sexy I think he is when he’s standing his ground and bossing me around.

I take a deep breath and dig down deep for a reason. “Logan, you only have one bed. I’m not taking your bed. Who knows how long I’ll be out of my place.”

He shrugs, softening just a bit. “I don’t mind. In fact, the thought of having you and the baby under my roof and getting to be a part of your day-to-day where the baby is concerned is pretty exciting.”

I swear I hear Blair sigh and swoon. “I understand that, but I can’t let you sleep on your couch. It could be weeks. Hell, it could be months!” I proclaim, trying to get him to understand my point.

“Okay, so not my house then. We’ll go to the cabin,” he states, as if he’s not insisting we live together for the foreseeable future.

“The cabin? Logan, we can’t.”

“We can.” The brown in his eyes seems to darken even more. “And we will. I’m not trying to be a dick, Hallie, but that’s my baby,” he states, pointing to my abdomen. “I will do everything humanly possible to protect my child, and that includes you. Where my baby goes, I do.”

I throw my hands up in the air in frustration. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You won’t even let me go stay with my parents? My brother? I can go stay at the cabin by myself. I’m a big girl.”

He smirks a naughty grin. “I know,” he whispers. “And you’re not going to the cabin alone. Not with someone breaking in and stealing.”

I huff out a frustrated breath. “That was two months ago, and they broke into your shed to steal gas. It’s not like they were in the cabin.”

He lifts his broad, muscular shoulders. “That’s the deal, Cupcake. We go together or not at all. If we don’t go to the cabin, we’re going to my house. Take it or leave it.”

We’re in a stare down, neither wanting to concede first. To be honest, it might not be so bad staying with Logan. We’ve gotten along much better recently, and he has a point, this is his baby. The whole caveman routine, while annoying as hell, is understandable.

Crossing my own arms to mimic his stance, I lift my chin. “Fine, but we’ll go to the cabin so we each have separate rooms. I’m not letting you sleep on your couch, and we’re not sharing a bed.”

The corner of his mouth ticks, as if he’s telling me a simple door and lock has a slim chance of keeping him out.

I kinda hope it doesn’t.

“You two are so cute.”

I narrow my eyes and turn to face my best friend, who’s standing with Ellie, watching the show. “You’re not helping.”

Blair grins widely. “You’re welcome to stay with us, but I completely understand choosing another option. I don’t think I’d like living with my parents or big brother after being on my own for so long.”

“No, she’s right. Staying with Logan is clearly the better option,” Ellie chimes in, a pleasant smile on her lips. However, I can see the mischief there, and if I had to guess, she’s matchmaking. I realize it’s because I’d do the same thing if I were in her shoes. Hell, I was in her shoes a year ago, trying to encourage her to take a chance on TD, friendship be damned. I saw something there—we all did—and Ellie just needed a little coaxing.

Logan and I aren’t like TD and Ellie though. We’re not like Gabe and Blair either. We don’t have a future like they did. We’re having a baby, and with that will come compromise, teamwork, and mutual respect. That’s the main reason I’ve agreed to go stay with him at the cabin. We’re a team and the sooner I realize it, the better off we’ll be.

“I’m going to need clothes,” I mutter, mostly to myself. My brain starts listing off all the things I’m going to need sooner rather than later.

“I’ve got stuff you can wear,” Logan replies.

“I do too,” Blair says.

I don’t have the heart to remind her we’re not the same size and whatever she has is unlikely to fit me.

“I’m off tomorrow so I can grab whatever you need. I can run to the big chain stores in Hudson for you too,” Ellie offers.

My mind spins a little, realizing I’m going to have to deal with a lot of stuff in the next few days, all while maintaining my job. “I should probably take tomorrow off, but I’m not sure I can find a sub on such short notice.” There are a few names who are retired teachers willing to fill in for me on the off chance I take time off or use a sick day. It rarely happens though. Any vacation I take is done during the summer when the preschool is closed, and I’ve been very fortunate to remain healthy in the last handful of years.

“I’m sure you can find someone to help, especially under the circumstances,” Blair adds.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll call one of them shortly. Let’s go over and talk to Mr. Fitzgerald.” I’m suddenly exhausted and ready to lie down.

---