Page 17 of What if It's Us

Uh…Is this really Marlee or does someone else have her phone? Layken is that you? Are you drunk?

I cringe rereading my message. “Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Three little dots appear before I have the chance to apologize and then finally a message pops up on the screen.

Marlee

Aww hell. No, it’s not Layken. And sadly, no, not drunk. It’s really me. I’m sorry. That was really stupid of me. I was trying to be cute and I failed miserably.

Relaxing a bit, I smile at my phone and then type out a reply.

Me

You could never fail at being cute, Marlee. Also, your rhyming prowess is impressive.

Marlee

Thanks. It took me a while to come up with all those words. And if I’m being honest, a little extra bravery to even hit send. Now I kind of wish I was drunk.

Me

I admit it caught me a little off guard. I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear from you.

Marlee

Yeah. I’m sorry. Really, I am. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve just been a little caught up with all this baby nonsense and talked myself into texting you and then I second guessed myself about one hundred times, and then I said fuck it and just did it before I could stop myself. Please don’t take it seriously. I have plenty of other avenues I can try. I’m so sorry to have bothered you. Goodnight, Ledger.

Whoa!

Wait!

Other avenues?

What does she mean by that?

Did she seriously just ask me to be her sperm donor?

And now she’s back peddling?

Does she want to ask someone else?

Fuck that.

If she thinks I’m going to let some other guy’s sperm anywhere near her body…

I can’t let this conversation end.

I don’t want it to end.

I’ll do anything to keep talking to her.

My fingers act of their own accord as they swipe across the screen and before I know it, I’ve let my all my fears and anxieties about fathering a child fly out the window because I’ll be damned if another man or any part of him gets anywhere close to Marlee Remington. Fuck it. She needs me and I refuse to even consider letting her down.

Me

Whatever you need, I’m in.

CHAPTER FOUR

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