Page 43 of Unfaithful

This wouldn't have happened if that whining, obnoxious Sara hadn't come to my house—and if Cole hadn't refused to come back to me.

"I'm fine," Cole said, cutting through my thoughts, still grinning at the baby. "I love holding her."

Ugh. She's only a day old, and she's already stolen him from me.

"You want to hold her?" Cole rose from his seat and walked over to me.

Panic instantly gripped me. It surged through me like a tidal wave, crashing into my chest and choking my breath. It coiled tight in my stomach, twisting, making me feel sick.

"No!" I almost shouted, my hands instinctively shooting up to block him from whatever he was about to do.

Cole looked stunned.

Shit. What do I even say now? "I'm still in pain. I still can't move comfortably."

I held my breath, waiting for his response.

"Right." Cole nodded, his expression softening as he looked at the baby again. "You need to feed her, though," he said.

I blinked. "What?"

"You need to breastfeed her," he repeated, his tone matter-of-fact.

"But I just fed her a few hours ago," I said, my eyes widening in disbelief. This baby was going to wreck my boobs. I shivered, picturing them sagging and deflated like old, empty balloons. What the hell would Cole think if he saw them allstretched out and hanging? The thought twisted my stomach, and I felt completely ruined.

"She's hungry again," Cole replied, walking closer.

I stared at the baby while Cole carefully placed her against my chest. "Lean to the side and feed her," he instructed.

The baby nuzzled her tiny nose against my chest, instinctively seeking the source of her meal.

I was the meal.

I held in a sigh, pushing through the discomfort as I lowered the collar of the hospital gown and pulled out my left breast. It felt swollen and heavy, and I could feel Cole's eyes on it. Did it turn him on? Good, I guess.

But then, he barked, "What are you waiting for? She's chasing you."

"Okay..." I mumbled. Reluctantly, I fed her. The baby sucked on me eagerly, as if starving for days.

"Good." Cole's smile softened as he gazed at the baby. Not at me. "She's going to grow up pretty and healthy, isn't she?"

All he talked about was the baby.

"I'm going to make a call," he said, already spinning around. "I'll be outside."

"Don't!" I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended. I knew exactly who he was going to call.

Sara.

How could he? While I lay here, stuck feeding the baby, he was going to call her?

Sara, Sara, Sara. Always Sara.

Cole glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyebrows rising in silent question.

I scrambled to come up with an excuse, my mind racing. "I'm going to need you to help me put the baby in the bassinet after this," I said quickly, hoping the urgency in my voice would mask my unease. "I can't move around too much yet."

"I'm only going to be a few minutes," he insisted, his back already turned as he headed toward the door.

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