Warmth spreads through me.Tell him to leave you alone, or he’ll have to deal with me.
Okay.
I’m just trying to wake up, and then I’ll be out.
Don’t. You’ll hate the movie.
I stare up at the ceiling.What movie is it?
I don’t remember what it’s called but it’s about a dog. You'll hate it.
It’s sad?I ask.
Yeah.
I hate sad movies.
I know.And he would. He was the only one growing up that didn’t make fun of me when I’d cry during a sad movie. And then eventually, when I refused to watch any animal movies, he never made fun of me for it. I hate watching sad movies of any kind. My motto is life is hard enough; I don’t need to watch an animal die or somebody get cancer or any other sad story plots.
I’ll tell you when it’s done.
Thanks, Reid.
I spy my phone on the end table next to the bed and snag it and start making a to-do list for this week. It's not very long before there’s a quiet knock at the door. I know it’s Reid by his scent.You can come in.
He opens the door and comes in, closing the door behind him. The room feels much smaller with him in it now. I move over, so he can sit on the bed. “Feel a little better?”
“I do. I slept so hard, I couldn’t remember what day it was.”
“Good. You needed it.”
I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “Did you ask your parents about doing dinner?”
“I did, and they are looking forward to it.”
I study his face. “You don’t sound very happy about that.”
“About your mom and my mom getting together right after they find out we’re mates? What could possibly go wrong?” he asks dryly. “They’ll have us mated and you pregnant before the end of the month.”
I swallow wrong and end up choking. “Pregnant? Good grief, Reid!”
“Well, not yet, obviously.”
“We haven’t even bonded yet,” I remind him.
“You know that, and I know that but our mothers...”
I groan and lay back on the bed. “Maybe we should cancel.”
His warm chuckle makes me smile. “Too late for that.”
I stare up at the ceiling and think about his words. “It’s weird to think about, right?”
“What is?”
I shrug, even though he’s not looking at me. “I don’t know. All this talk about mating, having a baby...it just doesn’t feel real. Right?”
“Riley.” He says my name in a way that makes me turn my head to look at him. “This, everything between us, is very real. Have I thought about having kids with you? Yeah. But I’ve had years to think about it. Give yourself time. Don’t worry.” He gives me a beautiful smile. “I don’t plan on impregnating you any time soon.”
