Page 1 of Most Likely to Fear Love

CASSIDY

What sort of food do you serve a guy who’s coming by to drop off his jizz, anyway?” My sister, Hannah asked as she grabbed a mini quiche from the plate, shoving it in her mouth before I could stop her.

“Well, I guess mayonnaise is off the list.”

“And yogurt.”

“Also, tzatziki.” I set the plate of sandwich fingers on the table, next to the savory pastries. Stepping back, I frowned, chewing my bottom lip. “Do you think I’ve overdone it?”

“Not at all. It’s perfectly normal to lay out a spread that could feed twenty people, just for one guy who’s probably only going to be here for ten minutes.”

Yeah, I guess I really had gone overboard. My little kitchen table was overloaded with the sandwiches, the mini quiches, crackers, cheese and dip (thankfully no tzatziki), stuffed bell peppers. And that was just the savories. For sweets, I had mini cupcakes, scones, cookies and brownies. On top of all that, there was iced tea and soda in the fridge and the coffee was already on. Fuck. Not like me to overthink everything.

I nodded, acknowledging Hannah’s sarcasm as I ran my fingers through my hair for the third time. My nerves weregetting the better of me, and I couldn’t stop fidgeting. I hoped the house looked okay. And why the fuck did that even matter? I was not trying to impress this guy.

Still, I cast a quick glance around. It wasn’t big, just three bedrooms, an open plan living and dining room and tiny entry foyer. It was all creamy tones and minimalist furniture. Everything was in its place, as always. No stray magazines, no clutter on the side tables. Even the throw pillows were perfectly arranged. Neatly tucked away in the valley in Esperance, North Carolina, it was my sanctuary.

I guess Hannah must have caught me making sure everything was in order. “You know, Cass, your place is so tidy it’s almost creepy. Don’t you ever just... live in it?”

I frowned at her. “I do live in it. I just prefer things orderly.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know you do. Even your bookshelf is color-coded.”

I glanced at the built-in shelves lining one wall of the living room. She wasn’t wrong. The books were arranged in a perfect rainbow, from red to violet. It was soothing to look at, at least for me.

“There’s nothing wrong with liking things neat,” I muttered, more to myself than to her. I didn’t look at Hannah as I moved over to the sink and started scrubbing at a mixing bowl I’d used for the cupcakes.

“Cass…” The scrape of her chair across the polished wooden floor made me wince.

“What?”

“Are you sure about this?”

“About getting baby batter from a guy on Craig’s list and impregnating myself? Sure. What’s to doubt?” I attacked a particularly stubborn bit of dried batter on the mixing bowl before flicking her a look, knowing exactly what I would see in her face. Confusion. Concern. A little dash of fear. I was theolder, responsible sister, after all. It was hard to blame her for thinking I was out of my mind.

“Nothing, I guess. If you really are sure.”

“I’m sure.”

Of course, that was a fucking lie. I was riddled with doubts. So many doubts. But I needed this. I deserved it. And it’s not like I hadn’t done my due diligence. The moment I’d put the ad up, I’d been flooded with creeps. Lots of offers to do the deed the “natural way”. Ew. Some dick pics, just in case I needed evidence that they were up to the task. Double ew. I’d just about given up hope. Until Harle.

“Maybe you can take me through how all this works, so I don’t completely lose my mind.”

I huffed out a breath. Hannah was doing that thing she always did when she was nervous or worried. Running her hand through her curly blond hair until it was all over the place.

“We’ve been over it twenty times, Han.”

“Humor me. And sit down while you’re doing it. I’ll make the coffee. Fuck knows I need it.”

Lacking the will to argue, I flopped down in the dining chair, stretching my long legs out and crossing them at the ankles. I hoped I was dressed right for the occasion. Dark blue jeans, new boots and a nice, form-fitting, forest green top.

“So, you put the ad up a month ago…”

“Yes.”

“Got a fuck ton of creepers, which is to be expected.”

“That’s right.”

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