Page 150 of The Friend Situation

I meet her gaze, and the silent conversation between us is loud and clear, each unspoken word hanging heavily in the air.

“Fuck,” I breathe out, realization dawning. “Youwantme to give you a baby?”

Her mouth opens and closes, but I see her hidden desires written on her face. Her expressions always give her away.

Carlee turns and moves to the kitchen to clean herself up, her shoulders tense. I pull up my joggers and follow her, the air thick with unsaid words.

“It was a moment of passion,” Carlee admits.

The thought of putting a baby inside her puts me in a fucking choke hold.

Our eyes stay locked until I pull her into me, holding her. “The day you say those three words to me and mean it, I’ll keep you pregnant,” I mutter in her ear, my breath warm against her skin.

A small gasp escapes her as she holds me tight, not daring to let me go. “I don’t know if I can, Wes.” Vulnerability laces her words.

“You will, and when you do …” I stop mid-sentence, not having to finish my thought. The weight of this revelation lingers tightly between us.

Carlee glances over at her laptop, and uncertainty washes across her features. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

I search her face, waiting as the seriousness of her mood takes hold.

“Whoever stole my laptop knows about our friendship, alongwith every time we’ve met up, and I think they’re aware that I run LuxLeaks too,” she confesses, her voice shaking.

“How do you know?”

“Lexi texted me this morning about this brand new website that was just created,” she says, reopening the screen and typing the address into the browser. Her face pales.

“Obsessed with Weston Calloway dot com?” I say, sitting on the stool in front of her laptop. I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “Love the address.”

She shakes her head. “It’s cheesy! Whoever came up with this sucks. I guess your name has better SEO than Carlee Jolly though. Anyway, they’ve published every single journal entry here that mentionsyou. All of my most private thoughts aboutyou.”

I can hear the worry in her voice and see it etched on her face.

“Carlee. It will be okay.” I grab her hand and pull her closer.

“My thoughts weren’t for anyone’s entertainment,” she whispers, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly as if to shield her from her own confessions. “People are saying I’m obsessed.”

I chuckle lightly, trying to ease the tension. “Are you?”

“No,” she hisses, looking at me incredulously.

I smile, unable to resist the pull of her energy. “You sure about that?”

“I’m being serious. Not everything I said about you was great and glowing. And my biggest fear is you’ll read it andhateme.” Her voice drops to a near whisper.

“Never,” I say firmly, swallowing hard against the knot in my throat. “Were you honest and truthful?”

“Yes.” She glances away from me, unable to hold eye contact.

I tilt her chin upward with a single finger, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Your truths are yours regardless of how it’s delivered. I can handle your criticisms. I’ve been doing it foryears.”

“I think you should read it so you’re not blindsided if someonementions it to you,” she says, sounding defeated, her shoulders sinking. “I’m so sorry.”

I lean closer and read the top of the website.

Alleged journal entries from Weston Calloway’s new fiancée, Carlee Jolly.

Read her private thoughts from when she met Weston and leading up to their recent engagement.

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