Page 67 of Jake and Conner
"Okay, okay." Raphael sighed, but he started filling me in. "You remember that demo we went to? We were going to eat something before we started marching, but Conner didn't like the hotdogs so he didn't and then he kind of..." Raphael made a gesture with his hand. "He was really only out for a second. We figured he just hadn't had enough to eat, you know?" Raphael paused. "I guess it was because of his pregnancy, huh?" He scratched his head. "I never really considered that."
I stared at him. How could he talk about my mate fainting as if it was a non-issue?
Up until now, I'd kept my worry in check by telling myself that Conner knew what he was doing, but what I'd just heard was throwing some serious doubt on that assumption.
"Don't be mad at him," Raphael said. "We really didn't think it was a big deal. He felt better right after."
"I'm not mad at him."
"You're not?" Raphael tilted his head at me as if I was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. "I thought for sure you would be."
I shrugged, but to tell the truth, I was a little surprised at myself too. But I wasn't mad at Conner for not telling me. I'd brought this on myself. I'd turned myself into the sort of person he couldn't trust with everything, thinking I would overreact as I had in the past. Maybe this was what my dad had warned me about when he told me I was going to drive Conner away if I kept behaving the way I was.
So, no, I wasn't mad. I was just disappointed.
And a little bit worried.
I left the kitchen again, taking my phone out of my pocket as I went. I was going to call Conner, see what was taking him so long, but almost that exact moment, his key--which I had given him a little while ago--turned in my front door and I remembered that I had prepared a surprise for him.
"Get ready, everyone!" I called just before the door opened. The lights turned off in the living room and the room grew very quiet as I stepped forward to greet Conner. "Another long day at work?" I asked, trying not to let worry lines crease my face. The lines under his eyes made me want to ask how much sleep he was getting, especially in light of what I'd just heard, but that conversation would have to wait for later.
"Sorry I'm late," Conner said, taking his coat off and stepping out of his shoes. "You know how it is. Things just keep piling up."
"Forget about it. I'm just glad you're here now." I took his hand to draw him closer to me and kiss him. As he melted against me, just for a second, I forgot that there was a party waiting for us in the living room, no matter how much I just wanted to drag him upstairs with me.
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," Conner murmured as we parted. "I think it's the baby. The little one has a great appetite."
I chuckled and glanced at his belly and the small baby-bump he was sporting. "Maybe the little one just wants to make sure you get enough food in you."
Now Conner was laughing too. "If he takes after you, then yeah, that's possible."
Part of me just wanted to kiss him again, but I knew people were probably getting impatient in the living room, so I led him there. "It's good that you're hungry," I said. "I got a couple of snacks. And cake."
"Cake? Are we celebrating something?"
I didn't respond. Instead, I stepped into the room and flicked the lights on.
"Surprise!" Mrs. Rosewood's voice rang out over everyone else's as soon as the room and the banner and the balloons and the presents and all our guests were illuminated.
"What?" Conner's mouth hung open, his eyes staring wide at the scene in front of him. Mrs. Rosewood was waving both her hands in the air and around her, everyone was grinning at him. Nathan had snagged one of the balloons and threw it in Conner's direction.
"Close your mouth," he said with a smile. "It's just a baby shower. You have your boyfriend to thank for this. He's been hounding us all for days."
Finally, Conner's lips shut again, only to open anew a moment later as he started speaking. "This is for me and the baby?" He turned to me. "You didn't have to!"
"No, I did," I insisted. "I can't think of anything more worth celebrating."
Conner smiled at me in a way that let me know he would have taken me somewhere private for that if we hadn't had guests over. Since we did, I led him to the couch. "You said you were hungry, so I think it's time we cut the cake."
"Cake! Finally! I've been starving!" Raphael exclaimed. He nudged Nathan with his shoulder. "This one never makes me cake. You should count yourself lucky, Conner!"
"It's just that I enjoy baking," I said with a laugh. And then to Nathan, "I can show you sometime."
"Oh no." Nathan held up a hand. "If I started he'd never let me stop. He'd chain me to the oven day and night to keep him in cakes."
Raphael tried to look offended, but only managed to pull the expression off for a second before he started laughing. "I guess you know me too well."
I shook my head at the both of them and walked around to the small table to cut the cake. Layered lemon cake. It had taken me a long time, but it had turned out beautifully. At least I thought so, anyway.
