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"What do you want?" he asked.
"I like the shawarma they have here." I pointed at the far left of the food hall.
I bit my lower lip because I was nervous, and I was sure he could tell.
He nodded toward the booth, and we walked slowly side by side. I glanced around, trying to spot a table, but fortunately there were a few free. I ordered a chicken shawarma. Travis ordered one with beef. We received them right away and paired them with two sodas.
"I'll carry the tray," he said. "You lead the way to the table."
"Okay.” Looking around, I chose a table in the far-left corner. I wanted us to be a bit farther away from the hustle and bustle of the counters and other diners so we could actually hear each other talk.
As we headed away from the louder area, I became even more aware of the awkward tension between us. Travis took off his coat, putting it on the back of his chair. He was wearing a Henley sweater. For a moment, I forgot all about the awkwardness and simply drank him in. His muscles weren't as visible as when he was naked, but still, there was plenty to make me drool.
"Want me to help you take off your coat?" he said.
"Yeah, sure."Way to go, Bonnie. First you don’t want him to touch you, and now you let him take off your coat like you can’t do it yourself. I couldn’t keep up with my two personalities.
I unzipped it, and he was right behind me, pulling it off my shoulders. His fingers grazed the top of my arms. Heat skittered all over my skin. I was shocked at the intensity of it.
I sat down quickly as he put it on the back of my seat, hoping he hadn't picked up on my reaction. When he sat in his chair, I caught him staring at my belly.
"I'm not showing yet," I explained. "It's probably going to be another two or three months before I do."
"Got it, " he said as we both unwrapped our shawarmas. "How are you feeling?"
“A bit tired. I sleep a lot, but honestly, I’ve also had a lot to do these past few weeks, securing my transfer here and then wrapping up everything in Oceanwell Bay.”
Travis put down his shawarma. "Bonnie, I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you through all of it. When I got my new phone, my assistant set it up. I hadn’t backed up my phone in a while, so the newest numbers didn’t transfer. I know I could’ve tracked you down other ways. I thought about calling the practice in Oceanwell, but I got caught up with the hotel business, and—"
I held up a hand, stopping him, and shook my head. "It's okay. I got it. You don't have to give me all the details."
"But I want to. I just want this to be clear to you. If I’d known, I would've been there for you from day one."
"Thank you. I appreciate it." And I really did. After weeks thinking I had to do this on my own and fearing my baby would never meet his or her dad, it was truly reassuring.
"You were probably a bit shocked," I said before taking a bite of my shawarma. The second I swallowed, I realized I’d been starving. This was another weird change. Sometimes I literally didn't feel the hunger until I started eating.
"It doesn't matter right now.Youare the one who matters. You've had to deal with the shock and the baby all by yourself."
"Yeah, that evening when I did the test, I walked around in a daze. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even understand how it happened, but the ob-gyn in Oceanwell said no form of birth control is 100 percent, so I guess that's where we are."
"I'm glad you tracked me down. I was looking forward to seeing you again. You know that, right? I'd planned on us getting together again when you were back." He flashed me that trademark panty-melting smile.
Oh no. I had this sinking feeling we weren't on the same page.
"Travis," I said slowly, "we can't pick up where we left off.”
He frowned. "Why not?"
"Because we're having a baby."
"I'm not following."
I licked my lips, leaning back in the chair. "In Oceanwell Bay, we both agreed we weren't looking for anything serious."
"As you said, things have changed."
"Yes, but that's not what I meant. I think we should co-parent and try to be friends. I think that's the healthiest way to do this. What do you think?"
