Page 46 of Make You Stay

With a grunt, I accept the call. “Hey Barbara, what’s up?”

“Aidan, my date bailed, and I’m really drunk. Can you please come to get me?”

“I just got home. Can’t someone else take you?”

Chloe touches my arm, and I meet her gaze.

“Hang on, Barbara.”

“Go,” Chloe mouths.

“I don’t want to,” I hiss back. Is she insane? Theonlything I want is to admire every inch of Chloe for the rest of the night. Hear her scream my name as I make her come again and again.

Barbara doesn’t figure atallinto this scenario.

Unfortunately, Chloe won’t be deterred. “She’s drunk and alone at a bar with men who can and will take advantage. If you don’t go, I will, even though I shouldn’t be driving.”

I groan, putting the phone back to my ear. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Ending the call, I motion to the truck. “Why don’t you come with me?”

“That’s a bad idea. She really likes you, Aidan. I think tonight was hard on her.”

“She was with another guy,” I argue, considering it’s a totally valid point.

“To make you jealous. Now she’s upset and drunk and will have a terrible hangover tomorrow. You’re a good man. Go do the right thing.”

“I thought I was,” I mutter as Chloe kisses my cheek. “I want to spend tonight with you.”

“Maybe the universe is trying to tell us something.”

“Yes, that I need to change my number. I guess by the time I finish dropping Barbara off, you’ll be asleep, right?”

She nods, and I release another groan. “Goodnight, Aidan. You were spectacular tonight.”

I stall on Chloe’s stoop, even after she’s walked inside.

I want to be with Chloe.

I’m tired of being the good guy.

The guy with the rules.

The guywithoutthe woman he’s falling in love with.

Chapter 10

Chloe

Imade a decision after our outing to the bar. I’m not pursuing Aidan.

It’s not that I don’t want to, because my heart is seriously tangled up in the man, but this will end badly.

He and I want different things, and even if we got past that hurdle, there’s always the fact that I don’t fit his rule. Barbara does.

Plus, I still want a baby, and Iknowthat’s not on his radar.

Too many variables, adding up to one answer—Aidan and I are a bad idea.

He didn’t show up for work at the house the next day, claiming a townsperson had an emergency repair.

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