“I don’t know,” I scoff, looking at him, blinking them back.Think of the makeup!“Pregnant women cry, okay?”
“Okay.” He laughs, cupping my face in his hands, and places a gentle kiss on my lips, calming me instantly.
“Thank you for coming.”
“You needed me,” he says, hands on my shoulders.
“I know, but you must be so tired.”
“It’s fine.” He waves me off. “I’m free tonight, and I wanted to spend it with you. I’m glad Elijah called.”
“Me too.”
“But it should’ve been you,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
My stomach tightens. “I know.”
“You can always call me.” His voice is pleading.
“But what if?—”
“Always.”
“I know, but?—”
“Always,soffione.”
* * *
“Well, this brings back memories,” Noah says as we walk in the country club ballroom arm in arm.
I lean up to his ear and whisper, “Maybe we should find a closet for old times’ sake.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
A throbbing between my thighs gives me hope we haven’t lost our physical spark. “Noah.” I smile at a couple as they pass us, then return my attention to him. “If you keep talking to me like that, it’s going to be a long night.”
He laughs softly as we arrive at my family’s table. My mother, speaking to someone off to the side, turns, noting my date.
“Hello,” she says, eyes bouncing between us. “Charlie didn’t mention you were coming.”
“It was a last-minute addition,” Noah says with a courteous expression.
“Well,” Mom says with a tight-lipped smile, “lucky for you, my husband isn’t going to make it, so we have an extra seat.”
“Dad’s not coming?” I ask, panic setting in. There’s no way I can tell her about the baby without Dad to back me up. I don’t even know if he will back me up, but he’s usually the more reasonable one.
“He got called for a last-minute flight.”
“Oh,” I say, when what I really want to say is,Fuck.
“Anyways, enjoy the event.” She leans in to whisper in my ear, “Andpleasedon’t embarrass me.”
She strolls away, leaving a stinging feeling in my chest. Why did I even come?I should’ve excused my way out of it like I have every other invite since I found out I was pregnant.
But Noah’s right. I have to tell them. This is real, and it’s happening, and I can’t show up one day like,Hello, here’s your first grandchild!
“Want to dance?” Noah asks, hand on my waist, pulling me back to reality.