Page 12 of Oh My Secret Christmas Baby
“You’re telling me these things so I’ll share?” She tilts her head, watching me.
“Is it working?”
“Yes.”
“Then ask,” I nudge her along.
“Is the accident why you moved out here? I didn’t see any articles on it.” Gwen lets out a small gasp at her own slip.
“Googling me?” The thought of her researching me warms my chest. If it were anyone else, I’d think there was an angle. There often is when you have money.
“Maybe.” She cringes, her cheeks turning pink. I wonder if her blush spreads down to her chest.
“As you should. A girl coming out here all alone. Hell, you should have gotten a background check.” I don’t love that she is so willing to stay here. It was far too easy to talk her into it.
"Thanks."
"Thanks?"
"For letting me off the hook with that one."
"I'm not letting you off of anything." Gwen has no idea how deeply I mean that when it comes to her. "But yes, it's part of why I moved. My grandparents used to own a home here. I loved coming here as a kid, and I was over the politics of it all in the business world. Everyone stabbing the other in the back. I don't enjoy living my life like I have to question everyone's intentions." It’s wearing, and you start to ask yourself why you’re doing it at all.
“It super sucks when you have to question the people around you.” She speaks clearly from experience.
“It doessuper suck.” I wink at her, making her smile, that blush lighting up again. I had no clue a blush could be sexy as fuck. “And who are you questioning?”
“The person who I thought was my best friend. We’ve been friends since college. He’s a few years older than me.”He?I gritmy back teeth. I’m already questioning his intentions too, but maybe I’m being sexist. Kindred and I can be close, although it’s more sibling-like, but I still don’t let her in that far, and I wouldn't call her my best friend. “I think maybe he has cornered me.”
I’m right. I already know what this fuckwit is up to. He wants her; there’s no way he doesn’t. Can’t say I blame him, but too bad for him, she’s mine.
“How so?” It’s a strain to keep my voice calm and not demand to know every bit of information.
“Where do I start?” She lets out a humorless laugh.
“If I get to pick, I say from the beginning.”
Gwen nibbles on her lips again, but after a few moments, she begins.
Chapter Seven
CANDY
Hollis is easy to talk to. I spill almost everything to him. About how Max and I met in college and so on from there. I tell him about him talking me into moving in with him after graduation, the bank account, and my phone. I go on with a list of other things.
I don’t go into the baby stuff fully. Instead, I leave it at Max asking me to be a surrogate, and I add that it would be my own egg. Though I hadn’t agreed to that. Max has worked around that. But I leave it at me not having made up my mind about it.
By the time I’m done, Hollis has plated our lasagna with a salad and garlic bread.
“Are you going to say anything?” I ask when it grows quiet.
“How honest do you want me to be?”
“I need to hear the truth. I worry that I’m seeing it wrong and he really is my friend.”
“He’s not your friend,” Hollis says immediately. There is heat to his words. He’s pissed. “Twice he’s brought up the two of you being more. He’s playing the long game.” I don’t get it. Max has a string of beautiful girls he can have. They’d do anything for him.
“I don’t want to believe that. He’s kind of all I’ve got.” I’d be alone in this world once again.
