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I walk down to her find her in the bathroom. Her hair is down, sleek as it hangs around her shoulders. She's wearing a sweater that shows off her belly, but she hasn't put her pants on yet. Audra gives me a smile and kiss when I enter the room.
“Could you do me a huge favor?”
“What is it?”
She looks down at her legs. “Will you shave my legs for me again?”
I laugh. “You ask me that every time we go out. Do you think I'll end up saying no?” I ask, motioning for her to step in the tub so we can wet her legs like every other time I've done this for her.
“I don't know. I'm sure you get sick of it. I mean, I do and they're my legs.”
“I don't mind, Audra. You know that.”
“And that's why I lo-” She stops so suddenly that I look up at her, not even realizing what she was going to say until I do.
I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to make her uncomfortable if
she's not ready to say that yet. Hell, I don't know if I am. There's still that small, irrational fear in the back of my mind that if I ever utter those words again, something terrible will follow. We are quiet as we follow through our steps to shave her legs. We're almost done when I clear my throat. With her almost admission, I'm jumping the gun on my plans, but I can't help it.
“There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about.” I cut my eyes over at her as she places a hand on her stomach.
“You have?” Her voice is too quiet, and it hits me that she may think I want to leave with her slip of the tongue.
“I want you to move in with me.”
Audra's eyes widen. “What? Why?”
I give her my best 'are you serious' look. “Babe, I stay here more than I do at my own place and your bed sleeps like shit. We're practically living together as it is. I just...” I pause, noting that she looks a little freaked out, something I was not expecting. At all. “Think about it, okay? My place is bigger, my parents won't make us pay rent because I'm not now, and I'll talk to the guys. It might be easier and better once the baby comes if we were living together, that's all I'm saying.”
She doesn't say anything as I finish working on her legs. We're about to raise a baby together and she's freaked out over living with me? Why? The longer she's silent the more instances over the past month pop up. Any time I try to take charge in any way, she stiffens a little and usually snaps at me like she did at the doctor's office that day.
“Hey, you know what,” she starts, trying to sound cheerful. “You haven't hung out with the guys in a while and I haven't with Mimi or the girls. Why don't we do that instead?”
Audra's canceling on me? After we've had this planned all week? After I shaved her legs? My heart sinks, which kind of surprises me if I'm honest. I was looking forward to going out, but if she doesn't want to, then we won't.
“Yeah, okay. I guess I'll go then.” I give her a soft, short kiss and add, “Text me later.”
She says she will, but for some reason, I doubt her. As I drive home, it hits me that my mistake was asking her to move in with me. I couldn't leave things alone and now, things aren't right between us. If she doesn't want to, then that's fine. As long as she and the baby are healthy, that's all that matters to me in the end.
When I get to the house, the guys are in the kitchen, talking. They all stop when I walk in.
“I thought you had plans tonight,” Bo says.
“Plans get canceled. What are y'all doing?”
“Just decided we're going to the bar tonight,” Winston states.
“Want to come?” Grant asks.
“Yeah, I think I will.”
It's a bit early, but we leave anyway. We're all hungry and some of the other guys on the team will be meeting us there. By now, the guys know I'm dating someone, but that's it. They don't know anything more than that. So it doesn't faze anyone when Bo starts asking questions after the waitress, Liana, has taken our orders. Pretty name. I haven't seen her here before, so she must be new.
“Well, what happened?”
I take a swig of my beer. “I get there and she's not quite ready, which isn't new. I may have asked her something important, and then she suggested she go hang with the girls and I hang with y'all. So, I left.”
Bo nods, like that makes complete sense. It doesn't, dumbass. That's what I want to say, but I don't. I don't want to talk about her, so I look at Grant and Winston.
