Page 106 of Ex's Accidental Baby

“How?"

Bryce doesn’t have an answer for me. No one does.

But eventually, I moved on in every way but romantic. I tried again and again to have a one-night stand, but I couldn’t ever stop comparing Meredith to every woman. And they always came up wanting.

No one can hold a candle to her.

“We’ve all had our hard times.”

“After Lillian left...” Grayson whistles. “I was a mess.”

“I remember.”

We’d still been in touch then, and Grayson had just wanted to watch the world burn at the time. I’d related pretty hard, even gone out with him a few times.

But somehow, neither of us had ended up with a woman on our arm.

I guess work replaced romance, for me, but now work and romance are all wrapped up together.

And since Meredith has banned me from touching her until I can be honest with her–which is never–I guess I’m celibate again.

“We got in a fight the other night, and I brought it up,” Grayson admitted in a mutter, sipping a glass of wine that the server had upsold us.

I wince. “Didn’t go well?”

“That’s an understatement. She threw me out of the bedroom. I had to sleep in the couch for a while.” He chuckles. “Not the best nights of my life.”

“But you made up, right?”

If Grayson and Lillian don’t make it, I don’t have a chance in hell with Meredith.

He grins. “Making up is the best part, isn’t it?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, something like that.”

“What about your girl?”

I freeze. “What girl?”

“The one you told me about the other night.” Grayson’s voice sounds teasing but also curious.

“Things are complicated.” Because she is pregnant with my baby, but she’s not mine. Even though every cell in my body wants to claim her.

“What are you going to do about it? I know you love her, you said so yourself. Why don’t you fight for her? Tell her how you feel.”

“Like I said, things are complicated right now. Maybe I’ll tell you about it at the family dinner.”

Grayson tilts his head. “Oh? Gonna steal Meredith’s thunder?”

“Something like that.” I hate myself, and if Grayson rips my head off, I deserve it.

“Good. She’s kind of a drama queen anyway.”

I smile, biting my lip to keep from defending her. “I’m going to do the rounds downtown, look for struggling garages.”

Grayson nods, digging into his surf and turf. “Eat first. I can tell you haven’t lately. I know the look.”

It has been a day, so I dig into my pasta, and I do feel a lot better after my belly is full. I’ve only had a glass of wine to Grayson’s three, and I nudge him.

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