Page 33 of The Stepbrother 2: Noah

He gave me a long, cold stare before turning and walking out of the guest house. I jumped up, pacing, my mind racing with everything I wanted to say, everything I wanted to do. Just as I was about to head for the door, he came back inside, dropping my keys and wallet on the sofa beside me.

“Go then, Creed,” he said, his voice flat. I saw a hint of something raw and broken in his eyes that made me feel guilty and sad. And with that, he walked away, leaving me sitting there with my escape in hand, feeling more alone than ever and wondering if maybe, just maybe, I’d pushed him—and everyone else—too far.

Creed-

"Stop looking at my daughter like that, Creed," Tempest swatted at me with a diaper.

I scrunched my nose. "But should all that be coming out of her? How can she stink this badly when she only drinks milk?" My hand did little to shield my nose from the assaulting smell.

"What do you think your baby will smell like?" Tempest shot back.

My eyes went wide. "I hadn’t thought about it." Tempest's comment made me realize I'd never changed a diaper or even smelled a baby. I was the youngest of my parents' children; that wasn’t my responsibility. I didn’t want my kids raised by a nanny. I was going to have to figure it out. I admit I had not thought about what raising an actual child would be like. I had not considered many things, like involving Noah. I believed him when he said he tried to tell me about Maine, especially after he confessed, he wanted me hurt. I had no reason to involve him in my wrath, but I think subconsciously, I wanted him to be my child's father. A funny feeling stirred in my stomach just thinking about it. That was why I decided to have the talk with him. We could co-parent.

"So you’re leaving today?"

Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I handed Tempest a diaper and nodded. "In six hours, I'll be back at home."

"Aww, friend," she pouted, "I'm going to miss you."

After Noah had given me my keys, I went straight to Tempest's house because AJ called and said she was going into labor. After the three-day hospital stay, I’d been at their house for just over a week, but I needed to get home. I had a business to run and baby plans to make on my own.

"I’ll miss you too, and little stink stink here," I laughed, just as my phone rang.

I pulled it from my pocket and checked the caller ID. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it was Noah. He hadn’t called since I’d left. I let it ring a few more times, sensing Tempest's gaze on me. I wanted to walk out before answering but didn’t.

"Hello?"

“I need you to meet me after you get your things, before you leave.” He spoke.

An hour later, I was all packed and heading toward my grandparents' old house. They had moved into something smaller when I was a child and never sold the old place. Now, Noah was talking about buying it. He said he was there with the bank assessor, and we could talk privately afterward.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the house. I didn’t feel the nostalgia I expected, but I could envision Noah living there, raising a family. But when I thought of him with me and our baby, I quickly shook the thought away. I exited the car and headed into the house. Noah said he'd leave the door open for me. The inside was empty, so when I called his name, he responded right away.

"Creed?" I heard his voice coming from the kitchen.

I followed the sound. He wasn't in the kitchen but must have heard me.

"Creed, down here."

I descended the steps to my father's old bedroom, chuckling to myself. I thought of Uncle Kyle's book. He claimed that he, my dad and my mother had a wild night here, but I doubted it. My dad didn’t like men even looking at Mom. He certainly wouldn't have shared her with one.

I frowned, surveying the room. It was fully furnished with a bed, sofa, and even a kitchenette. It looked like a high-end studio apartment. But where was Noah?

He emerged from the bathroom right on cue. His full smile was on display when he saw me, and I couldn't help but smile back. I thought he'd still be mad at me. He had been right. I shouldn't have tried to fight Maine while pregnant. But I had a score to settle with her for when I wasn’t, and it was on sight.

Dressed in red basketball shorts, compression leggings underneath, a black t-shirt, and matching Nikes, he looked like a Nike model. "You came?" he beamed.

He walked over and gave me a kiss on the head, making my insides tingle.

"Hey," I began, "I did. So, you're thinking of buying this place?"

He nodded, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Yeah. I thought it might be a good place to start our family."

I ignored the last part of his statement. "I don’t mean to rush you, but I have a flight to catch. What did you want to discuss?" I inquired amicably.

He took a seat. “Come sit," he beckoned, patting the cushion next to him before leaning over to pick up a remote. I found that strange. Were we talking or watching TV? But I kept silent.

I sat, noticing that our knees touched.

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