Page 67 of Wicked Love

His eyes widen and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile this big. It’s still not normal people’s big, but for him, it’s big. Very big. And I’m stuck on big.

I shake my head, backing up. “Gotta run! You take care, okay? Okay?”

I turn and run out, with Clara saying, “She forgot to order!”

Fumbling with my phone when I get to the car, I call Marley and I feel terrible about this, but when she croaks out a hello, I breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Aw, you’re sick?” I cry. Hypocrite, hypocrite.

“So sick.”

“I’m so sorry. I’ll call you later. Or call me when you feel better. I love you so much.”

“I love you. Okay, I will.”

We hang up and I glare at myself in the rearview mirror.

Over the next few days, I try to decide when—and how—to tell Bowie. Waiting until the twelve-week mark feels safer, but am I really going to be a bumbling idiot every time I see him until then? And what if it’s just worse after he knows?

I decide to try to avoid him for the next three weeks, but he brings Becca to Briar Hill…and stays. What the hell? I would’ve been thrilled over this predicament a couple of weeks ago, but now it’s sheer torture.

The kids love him. He comes and plays volleyball with us and then lingers afterward. I try to pick up the balls and keep dropping them, which has always been a problem of mine,but it’s magnified with the way he’s watching me. He helps me put them away.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah. Fine. Totally fine!” I say, my voice way too high.

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press.

“Are you okay?” I try to deflect.

“Besides my mom driving me crazy? Yes.”

I wrinkle my nose. “No update on a new place?”

“Oh no. Paulina is making no effort to go anywhere. She’s nesting.” He swipes his hand over his face and I watch the beautiful curve of his bicep, his perfect veiny hands. Ilovea veiny hand.

I shake my head and clear my throat. “Nesting,” I repeat.

“Putting her shit up everywhere. There must be thirty giraffes in the kitchen alone.”

“No!” I gasp, laughing.

He lifts his hand to the back of his neck, and again with that bicep. Damn.

He leans against the wall and watches Becca talking to her friends, while I watch him. When he turns to look at me suddenly, I’m caught.

He looks sheepish and my cheeks flush. He totally caught me ogling him.

“You should come out with us tonight.”

“I. What? Out…with you?” I repeat. “I mean, us.” I sigh and give up.

I give up right the hell now.

“Uh, yeah. Becca and I are going out to eat tonight. We may or may not be avoiding going home.”

“Oh! Dinner.” I blink.

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