Page 44 of Pumped

I push to my feet. “I’ll go find something in the kitchen.” I pause at the door and glance back at him.

He’s watching me with an expression I’m not used to seeing from him. He’s watching me with fear.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

OWEN

I hang my head as a deep well of despair overflows inside me. Why? Why me? Why now? Why with Everest of all people?

Anybody else would be better. Literally, any other person on the entire fucking planet.

But no, it has to beEverestI’m stuck in this house with. It has to beEverestI share custody of Ivy with. It’s Everest everywhere, all the time. In my space, in my face, and I have no way of escaping him.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m at my wits’ end. I’m losing my ever-loving mind.

Whatever this was just now feels like it’s been building for days, weeks. Ever since our confrontation in the kitchen in the middle of the night, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how much I want him. So fucking much. More than is reasonable. More than is healthy.

To the point where I zone out during meetings at work, daydreaming about him. I’m constantly checking my phone to see if he’s messaged me. I’ve turned down extra work shifts so I can be home at the same time as him.

I’m hyper-aware of where he is in the house at all times. My heart skips a beat when he walks into the room. I can’t stop staring at his fucking hands.

My ears strain to hear the sound of his voice, the sound of his laughter. I used to find it so fucking annoying. It used to grate on my nerves. Now I could sit and listen to him playing with Ivy, giggling and laughing all day long.

I feel unhinged, obsessed. I need professional psychiatric help.

I should be freaking out right now about Ivy almost finding us in a compromising position. Instead, my lips still tingle from our kisses. My body is still warm from his touch. My blood thrums from the arousal he’s awakened in me.

Try as I might, I can’t get the taste of Everest out of my mouth, the scent of him out of my nose. Those baggy gray sweatpants hang unseemly low on his hips. That backward ball cap taunts and teases me. His goddamn smirk is seared onto the backs of my eyelids.

I rub the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to erase the image of him from my mind. I need him out of there to save my sanity. I need to regain control before I do something I really regret, something I won’t be able to recover from.

“Owen?”

A hand touches my shoulder and I jump, startled. I didn’t hear him come back upstairs. My heart skips a beat at the sight of him crouching in front of me, concern written all over his face.

“Whoa.” He lifts both hands, palms out. “Easy. It’s just me.”

There’s no “just” about it. He is the opposite of just. He is the antithesis of just. He’s as far away from just as one person could get.

“What do you want?” With my hackles raised, the words come out sharper than I intend.

I expect him to say something snarky or make fun of me somehow, but I don’t sense a single ounce of attitude coming from him. He seems genuine, sincere, entirely unlike the Everest I know.

“Ivy wants pizza for dinner. I tried telling her that you probably have something planned already, but she won’t let it go. What do you want to do?”

It takes me a moment to understand what he’s talking about. Dinner. Ivy. Pizza. Wait, is he…? Is he asking me what I want to do? Like he actually cares what I think? Like he actually wants to parent with me? I’m so surprised, I don’t know how to respond.

“So?” Everest prompts when I do nothing but stare at him, dumbfounded. “I know you don’t like eating out, but…” He shrugs as he trails off and the implication is clear.But do we really want to cook right now?“If you want, I can put my foot down.”

I— He— What— This is so far outside our norm I don’t know what to say. He’s never consulted with me like this before. He usually does whatever the hell he wants—whatever Ivy wants. He’s never been so… adult.

Everest’s lips twitch. “Hello? Earth to Owen? You still with me?”

Snap out of it, Lambert. I give myself a quick shake. “Um, pizza. Right. We, uh, we can make our own pizza?”

Everest tilts his head like he’s some adorable puppy and lets out a soft chuckle. “Are you asking me?”

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