Page 159 of Sloane

“Is that what this is about? Millie won’t take a bottle, so you’re going to stay in the Marines another thirteen years to prove… what, exactly?”

He tossed the remaining cucumbers that he’d been cutting into the salad he was making and grabbed his cane.

“You know what? I’m not hungry.”

“Suit yourself.”

That’s what you’re best at.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Sloane

Ashley didn’t tiptoe into my bedroom last night, and I hated it. I was tempted to try and maneuver the stairs to her apartment and slip into her bed, but visions of me tumbling down the steps in the middle of the night popped into my head.

I wasn’t sure how I’d explain that to the guys.

Besides, there was a reason she’d stayed away. I’d been a dick while making dinner.

Another fucking apology I owed her.

I woke up ready to eat humble pie when I went out for breakfast. I was surprised to find Crash eating cereal while Ashley stood at the pantry pulling a granola bar from the box. She was wearing scrubs rather than the yoga pants and t-shirt she normally wore around the house. Millie, already in her car seat, was in a pink and purple striped onesie with matching pants and socks on her feet.

She also had a pink headband bow on her head and was quite possibly the cutest baby to have ever lived.

But did I tell Ashley how beautiful our daughter was? Or how beautiful she was, for that matter?

No. Because I’m a dipshit.

Instead, I simply said, “We’re not doing therapy today?”

“Jeff—er, Dr. Connolly is coming by this afternoon to see you guys.”

“He hasn’t been here this week. I thought he came twice a week?”

Crash snorted from the table. “That’s when he thought Ash was going to date him.”

She turned to look at the paratrooper with her hand on her hip.

“First of all, that’s not true. I’ve seen his notes; he comes once a week. The only exception was the week when Scotty moved out, and that just happened to coincide with the week I moved in. And he came twice last week because he wanted to meet Sloane. And second, who says I’m not dating him?”

I knew that little dig was for my benefit, and although I didn’t say it out loud, the look I shot her said exactly what I was thinking.

I said so.

“Are you dating him?” Crash asked.

The corner of her mouth turned up.

“Who wants to know?”

Crash only paused briefly before taking another bite of cereal to casually throw out, “Pretty sure Sloane does.”

I looked over at my roommate and asked, “Why would I care?”

“You two aren’t as sneaky as you think.”

Ashley had just taken a bite of her granola bar and started choking, so she quickly gulped some coffee, then finally sputtered out, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I have to get to the hospital, so I’ll see you guys later.”

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