Page 69 of Jake and Conner
"So you're not going to make a fuss about it?"
"Not about that, no, but I am disappointed that I had to hear about all of this from Mrs. Rosewood of all people. You could have told me, you know. Youshouldhave told me."
Conner visibly cringed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just thought you would..."
"What? Flip out?" I suggested.
"Pretty much, yeah. It's kind of what you do," he pointed out. "If it was up to you, I would never even go to a demonstration again."
"But I know that it's not up to me. I'm doing my best to keep my worries under control, but when you're not telling me things, you're not really giving me a chance to show you and now I'm not sure what else you're keeping from me andthatworries me."
For a long moment, Conner said nothing. Then, "I'm not keeping anything else from you. I'm fine."
"Yeah? Are you?" I didn't want to lace my voice withtoomuch doubt, but it was hard not to. "I can see those lines under your eyes and I know you're not getting enough sleep because you--"
"Don't say that I work too much," Conner interrupted me, getting off the couch to stand before me. "I'm not going to stop working. That's non-negotiable. Omegas aren't fragile and we don't have to stop working just because we're pregnant. I've read up on it. I'm not doing hard physical labor or anything."
"I'm not saying that," I pointed out, trying to stay calm in the face of my boyfriend's growing agitation. "I'm not saying that I want you to stop working. I only want you to take better care of yourself. Take the foot off the gas for a couple months. I know your job is important but yourmostimportant jobright nowis to grow a healthy baby."
There was a moment while I was speaking that I thought I was getting through to Conner, but as soon as I had uttered my last sentence, he glared at me. "I'm not an incubator," he hissed.
Foot meet mouth. Ihadworded that poorly.
"That's not what I meant to say," I explained. "I'm sorry!"
But Conner wasn't listening. He was already on his way out the door.
Fantastic.
30
Conner
Ifelt bad almost as soon as the door slammed shut behind me. I might have overreacted just a little bit. But I didn't want to admit it.
So I went home, ate a whole tub of chocolate ice cream all by myself and resolved to talk to Jake in the morning.
Everything would be better in the morning.
But I was still feeling upset the next day. I was upset while I was eating my breakfast--eggs and toast, same as everyday--I was upset as I drove to work, and I was upset as I sat down in my office to go about doing my job.
When I was still upset by the time lunch rolled around, I decided there was really only one thing I could do that would make me feel better and help me get some clarity--I decided that I was going to take my lunch break and visit the town's book store.
Ever since I was a child, I'd formed a habit of visiting this place when I needed a break from life. There wasn't a place anywhere in the whole universe that was better suited to escaping reality than a book store.
When I parked my car in front ofTall Tales,I saw theClosed for Lunchsign hanging on the door, but I didn't pay it any mind. Truth be told, I never had. The man who ran this store was family, and even before he'd married my father's cousin, he'd always understood my plight and let me hang around when I needed to, regardless of opening hours.
As always, I found the door unlocked when I turned the handle and pushed. The cheerful chiming of bells accompanied my entry into the store.
"We're closed!" the storekeeper's voice called from the back.
"It's just me," I announced.
"Conner?" Zander stepped out of a door in the back to look at me. "It's been a while since you've disturbed me on my lunch break."
"And I haven't even brought sandwiches. Can I stay, anyway? I won't bother you."
Zander regarded me with a kind but calculating look. He was no fool. He knew I hadn't come here just because. "Take as long as you need," he said finally, and then, "I'm around if you want to talk. Just need to stock some shelves." He vanished into his office again and came back out with a cardboard box filled with books. New arrivals, probably. Part of me itched to take that box from him and look through it myself.
