Page 71 of Jaime
“Don’t say that,” I replied shakily.
“It’s the truth,” he whispered.
I pressed forward, sealing our lips together desperately.
“I—I—”
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “I just want you to know.”
Iwantedto say it though, because it was the truth. I loved him. I loved him so much that it was overwhelming, but I was scared to say it. If I put it out there, if he knew, it would make everything harder.
Instead, I pressed our lips together again, sinking into his embrace, letting him take charge the way that he did. The way that made all the worries pour out of me, leaving me boneless and relaxed.
When he pulled back, I didn’t want to let him go. But he was right to, of course, because I heard the washroom door close quietly. The bedroom door was open, the bathroom door was visible from where we sat. I'd almost forgotten that Liz was here. Ethan's mouth had that effect on me.
In strong hands, he took my cheeks, holding me there until he had my undivided attention.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he said firmly. “Trust me.”
For some reason, I did.
I let Ethan hold me for a while longer. When Liz emerged from the washroom, she didn’t glance in at us on her way back to the living room.
This whole situation felt weird and uncomfortable. I wanted Liz in my life, but I was afraid of her being there.
But Ethan offered me a strength I didn’t know I could have again so easily. With his hand in mine, I felt like I could breathe again, at least long enough to find out what would come next. I could face it so long as I wasn’t alone.
As for his job, I’d been too chicken to even ask about it yet, so I would just have to wait for him to tell me. And based on the way he was being with me, wanting to be my boyfriend and all, I would just have to trust he would try to make it work for both of us.
A touch of skepticism rose within me, but I pushed it back down.
If he wanted to try to make this work long-term, I was curious to see what he came up with. If it was doable at all, I would be in one hundred and ten percent.
For now, as he said, I just had to trust.
CHAPTER24
ETHAN
Liz was surprisinglycheerful for the day. She didn’t seem to mind spending time around us, the couple that couldn’t stop gazing at each other or touching with a hand on an arm or knee or a quick embrace or even occasional kisses when we didn’t think she was looking.
She caught us more than once, but she only smiled lightly.
She didn’t pay us too much attention at all, really, she was too focused on Evie. She insisted on taking over feeding her and when we all went out for a walk, she wore the carrier instead of Jaime.
I could see the corners of his eyes crease with worry, but he kept it to himself, keeping the conversation light, even when his grip tightened on my hand.
When Evie started wailing for a few minutes, and no amount of Liz’s bouncing stopped her, was the only time he intervened.
“I’ll take her,” he insisted, reaching for her, but Liz shook her head, frowning and turning her back to us as she walked away, still bouncing Evie.
Jaime bit his lip, watching anxiously. I tugged him toward a park bench, forcing him to sit down at least so he wouldn’t start pacing.
He started to bite a nail at once, his gaze still glued to them.
“You have more experience than Liz does,” I reminded him. “It’ll take some time for her to get the hang of baby language.”
His frown deepened.
