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Lifting a hand, I made a so-so motion. “Kind of. Part of me doesn’t think he will, no matter how uneasy all the new things make him, but after watching him get defensive and snappish yesterday I’m less than sure.”
He’d tried to assure me he wouldn’t and I wanted to believe him, but there was that tiny voice at the back of my mind that couldn’t quite bring myself to fully buy it.
He retreated and turned on me when someone even mentioned us having kids. Trying to talk to him was like pulling teeth; if that didn’t go away later in the relationship, then I’d be suffering through it for who knows how long.
Would that become normal?
Kimberley frowned, her eyes far away as she considered that. “Was he like that today?”
I shook my head. “No, he was completely back to normal. But he just wanted to hang out and no more serious talk. Do you think now that if the problem is handled he won’t freak out on me again?”
She shrugged helplessly. “The only one who can tell you that is him. If he snaps like that anytime he gets stressed, then it’s not healthy for you.”
That was yet another worry I’d had.
William wouldn’t hurt me, not on purpose, but that didn’t make the fighting good for either of us.
I could try to talk to him about all of this, but if he runs away from it, then that would probably mean a short end to this whole relationship.
“Thanks, I have a lot to think about,” I said, my mind miles away as I considered what to do next. Kimberley nodded, her understanding expression not leaving.
“I’m here if you need to talk more. Feel free to call or head out to the ranch. I might be working, but we can always chat while I’m cooking.”
I hummed, watching as she got up and headed out of the diner. Once I was sitting alone at the table, I pulled my phone out and hovered over William’s number.
We’d settled the whole ‘kids’ thing, but how was I supposed to bring up my concerns about the lack of communication? Would he feel cornered?
If earlier was any indication, the answer was a resounding yes.
Biting back a groan, I buried my head in my arms and put the phone down.
Maybe I should wait and see how things panned out. If we have another incident with miscommunication then I’ll bring it up to him…
It felt like running away, but after how high-stress things had been over the past few days, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring this up right now.
Making my decision, I got up and headed for the car, hoping I was making the right one.
Chapter 18
The last thing I expected walking into the apartment was for all the lights to be off and a soft glow coming from the living room.
Fig ran to greet me as usual, but something felt different. Devin wasn’t home, the parking lot empty of his car, so what was this?
Inching further into the room, I looked around the corner and froze.
The coffee table was in the middle of the living room, covered in a deep red cloth with candles overtop. Two plates sat on it, each holding what looked like–if my nose was correct–chicken alfredo.
Behind the table stood William, a sheepish expression on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Hi, I know you didn’t really get to enjoy your food last night at the restaurant, and that’s a shame since Alfredo is your favorite, so I figured I’d put this together.”
He gestured to the table awkwardly. “You didn’t have noodles, so I substituted the recipe for a chicken one instead. Do you like it?”
A smile stretched across my lips, answering him even before any words slipped out. “I love it.”
The hard line of his shoulders eased and he pulled out a chair, nodding to it. “I’m glad, because I’ve never done this before and I thought for sure this was too cliché.”
I sat down on the floor in front of the table, shaking my head as he did the same. “It’s sweet, and I don’t care about ‘cliché’. You put time and effort into doing something for me, so I love it.”
