Page 28 of Until Delilah

A soft hand brushes my hair off my face, and my mother’s coconut smell washes over me. “Oh, baby girl. Let’s get you up and in bed. I’ll get you a cold washcloth, and maybe that will help you feel better.”

Doubtful, but I keep that to myself. In this moment, it’s nice having her take care of me like she used to do when I was a child and sick. I listen to her turn on the water and then feel a wet, cool cloth on the back of my neck.

“Now, let’s get you up and into bed.”

I let her help me up off the floor. Not because I’m weak, but because I can’t believe I kissed Max in front of what had to be forty people, and then ran inside and threw up. He’s never going to want to kiss me again.

Once I’m on my side in the middle of the bed with one washcloth on the back of my neck and the other on my forehead, I feel the bed dip and my mom lie down beside me. She pushes aside the wet hair on my forehead and kisses my temple.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asks softly, as if one loud word might send me back to the bathroom.

“I am. Thanks. I can’t believe I did that in front of Beck’s whole team and their parents.” I groan and pinch my eyes closed.

“I don’t think the boys even noticed.” My mom says probably trying to make me feel better. What she’s saying is the boys didn’t see it, but all the parents did.

“I’m going to be the laughingstock of the town. Who throws up after a hot guy who’s one of the kindest men they’ve ever known kisses them?”

“A pregnant one.” She laughs softly.

Hearing her raspy laugh makes me smile. “Do you want to hear something horrible?” I ask quietly.

I feel her head come to rest on my pillow. “Of course, I do. I always want to hear anything you have to say.”

“While I already love this baby, I wish I wasn’t pregnant. Why couldn’t I have met Max instead of Bradley?”

“Oh, baby girl,” she sniffs and drapes her arm lightly around me. “I think you met Max when you were supposed to. If you had met him a few years ago, you might not realize how amazing of a person he is. You might not appreciate how good he is with Beck or you. Plus, things would have been different then because of his career.”

True. I’m not sure I could have dealt with him being gone for long periods at a time, and there is no way Beck and I could have followed him around the country just to be with him.

“He’s so good to us, and I don’t understand why. He could literally have anyone he wants, so what does he want with a single mom who’s pregnant with another man’s baby?”

A gruff throat clearing has my eyes pop open to see my mom’s are wide with an amused grin on her face, and Max is standing just inside the door.

“Lexie, do you think I could talk to your daughter alone for a few minutes?”

She doesn’t hesitate to get off the bed and start for the door. “I’ll be out back if you need me. I’m sure the pizza will be here any moment and they’ll probably need some help.”

Max waits until she closes the bedroom door to make his way to me. He sits down on the edge of the bed and runs his knuckles along my cheek. One corner of his mouth quirks up. “I hope my kissing isn’t so bad you had to run away.”

My hand comes up and claps onto his wrist, holding it in place. “I think we both know it had nothing to do with your kissing skills.”

“That’s good to hear. What your mom said… I think she’s right. We came into each other’s lives at the right moment. I wouldn’t have been good to have around before this year. I was constantly traveling for games and barely home. I would have been a horrible boyfriend.”

Oh god, he heard all of that. Kill me now. And it looks like I was right about the traveling.

“Anything would have been better than Bradley. I’m so ashamed of myself for staying with him. It was like the moment he hit me, my head became clear, and I realized how much of myself I’d lost while being with him,” I confess.

“I’m sorry you went through that, but don’t punish me for his mistakes.” His thumb caresses my cheekbone. “I will never treat you with anything but great respect. I like the woman I’ve gotten to know and don’t want you to change. I was raised by strong women who I believe can do anything they set their minds to.”

“You say all the right things, Max. I know I shouldn’t punish you for my past, but my past stood up and slapped me only a couple of weeks ago.”

His jaw tenses. “I get that. That’s why I’ve been patient with you. I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for, but I want you to know I don’t care that you have Beck. He’s the best kid ever and if I’m lucky to someday call him my own, it will be no hardship, but a privilege.”

Moving, I curl into Max’s lap and let the tears that started to well up while he spoke, break free.

“Hey, I didn’t say that to upset you. I want you to know I don’t care that you have kids.”

“What if… what if we don’t work out—”

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