Page 224 of Lovers' Dance: Vol. 2

“Are there any issues with their growth rate?” Matt asked and Isighed softly before glancing at the screen. It was the 4D ultrasound machine, a big change from the normal 2D I got via the NHS.

“They look strange.” I decided. When I had it done earlier I was too surprised to catalogue exactly how it felt seeing them. Now I did. Matt stopped talking for a minute, yep I counted. “Right?” I twisted my head to face Dr Nichols, seeking support. “I mean, they’ve got squishy faces and I think that knee over there looks knobbly. The noses, urgh, they don’t have my nose. Matt, your nose is snooty, they have snooty mushed noses,” My words trailed off.

With paternal ire, Matt had eyeballed me into silence before quizzing Dr Nichols about everything, seems he’d been doing his own research since finding out he was to be a father.

Thirty minutes later, my tummy was free of sticky gel and my belly button was thankfully covered. Matt had his own set of pictures, he hadn’t stopped smiling since we left Dr Nichols. The three of us were in the lift and my bodyguard quietly tried his best to avoid encroaching on his employer’s personal space.

“They look clever.” Matt mused.

“Uh, ok,” I agreed, patting my tummy in reassurance as I mentally promised them protection from any of their father’s unrealistic expectations. Matt must have seen something I didn’t on the scan. They looked squishy to me. And what does a ‘clever’ foetus look like?

“I hope they get some of my height,” he continued thoughtfully.

“Excuse me?” I blinked at my reflection in the sleek mirrored wall panels of the lift. “What’s wrong with my height?”

“You’re perfectly fine as you are, I’m sure they’ll be tall enough.” Matt belatedly tried to cover his tracks.

I centred my chi with some nice deep breaths and tried to bite my tongue. The biting of tongue thing had been my motto the past week. I wanted to ask:What are we doing? What’s going to happen after they bust out my vag? Is a custody agreement being drawn up already? If it is, why am I not being consulted? When am I going to take the paternity test? Is it the non-invasive one? Who gets them for Christmas? How will the holidays be divided? What’s going to happen when they are actually here? What do you want from me?

“Are you alright?” Matt asked, pulling me from the questions thundering around my head. “You look ill.”

“Yes,” My vague answer earned me an exasperated snort from him.

When the elevator doors slid open, Matt put a hand on my arm, causing me to pause. The bodyguard slipped past me and stepped out first. Then Matt guided me out, his hand found its way to my back once more.

Why are you touching me?I desperately wanted to ask him but thought it better not to.

“I know this is a bit last minute,” Matt leaned in closer as we walked through the glitzy reception area. “But Hannah and the girls want you to come over for,” He glanced at his wristwatch. Nice, new and shiny. “A late lunch, early dinner.”

“I have things-”

“I called Dante on my way over here and he said everything’s under control.” Matt said with a breezy confidence that heated my blood.

“Since when do you and Dante talk?” I asked, surprised over this new titbit. “What? Are you bff’s now? There are classes I’m obligated to teach, paperwork I have to go through. Do youtalkto each other now? How often do you call him? Does he call you?” I stopped walking. “You’re stealing my best friend?”

“Stop babbling.” Matt urged me forward to where the bodyguard held the door open for us. “It’s just an early dinner at my place, and I’m not stealing anyone. We’ve spoken a few times since last week.”

“How many times?” I needed to know. Why hadn’t Dante mentioned he’d been chatting to Matt? This was borderline cheating, there had to be some rule that made them being friends a form of cheating.

“A few, maybe five or six.” Matt’s nonchalant reply left me speechless.

What the heck was going on?

“So yes to meeting the girls? They are probably there already.” Matt pressed for confirmation as we walked through the door. The sun shone brightly, causing me to squint against the glare.

“But what do you talk about?” It was worrying. Did they talk about me? Who made the first call? I unconsciously grabbed the edge of Matt’s work suit jacket. “You guys didn’t like each other before.”

Matt bestowed one of his smiles on me. The cute relaxed one that always made me think of lazy days spent snuggling. “Dante is a sound bloke,”

My mouth fell open, unattractively might I add.

“We may not have seen eye to eye before,” Matt divulged, as if I had been oblivious to the unspoken dislike between them in the early days of my relationship and short marriage. He continued, “But we have quite a fair bit in common and he’s a funny chap.”

“W-what on earth do you two have in common?” I stuttered, not wanting to state the obvious, which was me. I was what they had in common.

Matt winked at me. “We both have crazy exes.”

That shut me up for a second before I gave him the ‘look’. He had better not be referring to me.

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