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With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “I knew I liked you.”
* * *
Dinner was, for the most part, fantastic. It was surprisingly easy being here. Ava was so warm and welcoming that I’d sometimes forgot why I was here to begin with. Theo’s dad jokes were as terribly amusing as they could get. Cassie was adorable, seated in her highchair with a bright green bib around her neck in the shape of a frog. And Cory was a little chatterbox —not that I minded in the slightest— talking about how he was sure his science teacher was a vampire.
“He’s just so pale,” Cory insisted. “And he always has the blinds in his class closed.”
“Isn’t it because his classroom’s on the east side of the building?” Theo asked. “And your science class is in the morning, so it’s probably pretty bright.”
“But what about that one time Emilio had some garlic bread for lunch and Mr. Nostra freaked out?”
Ava hummed. “Mr. Nostra has an allergy to garlic, sweetie. That doesn’t mean he’s a vampire.”
“What about his pointy teeth? How do you explain that?”
I shrugged as I took a bite of tuna casserole. “Maybe he can’t afford a good dentist.”
“Hm, good point. Back to the drawing board.”
Their happy chatter was a welcome change to my ears. I’d been so cooped up in the penthouse that I’d almost forgotten what regular conversation sounded like. It was nice and warm here. Full of love and life. A part of me was glad for the change in scenery.
But the other part of me desperately wished that I could go back.
I sat at the dinner table, poking at a bit of my food, struggling not to think about Jesse all alone at home. Without Wally or me there, he had no one; he was isolated in his penthouse way up high.
My mind wandered.
What was he doing right now? Was he eating supper, too, or had he gone back to deliberately drowning himself in his work? Was he thinking about me as much as I was thinking about him?
I was about to take another bite of my meal when my stomach suddenly churned. I swallowed hard to fight the gagging sensation at the back of my throat, covering my mouth just in time to avoid making a scene. I wasn’t sure what was happening. Out of nowhere, my portion of tuna casserole smelled absolutely horrendous to me.
“Excuse me,” I muttered quickly, leaving the table. I prayed nobody noticed my odd behavior.
I ran to the nearest bathroom and locked myself inside, making it to the toilet just in time to hurl the contents of my stomach. The tile beneath my knees was cold and hard, and the porcelain of the toilet bowel was just as unforgiving. A few more dry heaves and I was exhausted, shivering from the exertion of being sick.
I frowned as I wiped my forearm across my sweaty brow. It was really hot in here. Was I getting sick? Did I catch the flu or something?
Eventually, I found the strength to pull myself up, gripping the edge of the bathroom counter for support. I studied my reflection in the mirror, unsure why I was so flushed. I felt my forehead. I didn’t have a fever, yet my skin was sensitive and achy. What was going on? Was the tuna casserole bad? None of the Phillips family seemed to be having any of the same reactions.
And then it hit me.
I’d been feeling pretty bloated. That combined with my sudden aversion to one of my favorite foods… No, it couldn’t be.
Could it?
I rummaged through the bathroom drawers. I felt bad for snooping, but I needed to know. Curiosity would eat me alive otherwise. I found what I was looking for at the very back of the drawer, a small box of pregnancy tests, still in their wrappers. I debated asking Ava for permission before using one, but I figured that since she had a newborn, the chances that she’d need these right away were slim.
I shakily ripped the test out of its packaging and headed to the toilet, sitting down with a heavy sigh. There was no way I was pregnant. Jesse and I had been careful. We always used protection. Surely, I was just being paranoid.
Chapter 28
Jesse
Iwas aware of the disproportion. All this space, yet I was the only here.
Wally hadn’t returned any of my calls or texts, I wasn’t in contact with Vivian anymore, and the prospect of going to the office to work displeased me. I didn’t feel like putting on airs, dealing with employees, running into clients. I didn’t want to deal with anyone that wasn’t my son or Vivian, and they were the only people I couldn’t reach at the moment. Maybe ever again.
I tried slipping back into my usual routine, the one I followed religiously before Vivian waltzed into my life.A hearty breakfast. Rigorous workout. A hot shower. Then immediately answering urgent emails and approving security plans on my laptop.
