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“Nothing,” I mumble. “Just Ava being Ava.”
Hunter insists I stay in the guest room since it’s nice and big for Elijah and me. It’s just after nine, so I quickly text Mom and explain that I’m okay but also don’t wait up. She doesn’t ask any questions, which I appreciate since the last thing I need is a lecture on Hunter.
I can do this, and nothing will happen. It’s just one sleepover for the sake of our son.
“Elijah looks like he’s about to crash, so if you don’t mind, I’ll get him settled and head to bed myself.”
“Of course. Good night, Alexandra.”
“Good night.”
Before he walks in the opposite direction, he quickly leans in and kisses Elijah on the head. “Good night, son.”
I swallow the lump inside my throat and force myself to take a breath. He called himhis son. How can something so innocent trigger an emotion in me? The line between us is blurring, and I need to step away and remind myself of the boundaries I insisted on having. This was never going to be easy, but I never expected it to be this hard either.
As I predicted, Elijah fell asleep on the bed beside me almost instantly. I fall asleep not too long after, but somewhere in the middle of the night, I wake up in pain. My breasts are engorged, but Elijah is fast asleep and missing his usual feed. The only thing I can do is the pump, but I don’t want to wake him beside me.
I carefully hop out of bed, reach into the diaper bag and grab my pump. I usually don’t bring it, but for some reason packed it just in case.
The living room is dark, and I choose to keep the lights off. Only the pale moonlight filters through the windows, making a soft glow against the nicely decorated room.
With the suction part latched onto my left breast, I begin the process, feeling instantly relieved. I try to keep quiet, but the suction makes this air sound. Just as I’m about to switch breasts, I hear footsteps.
“Is everything okay?”
Hunter stands in front of me, wearing boxers and no shirt. I force myself to turn away because of the small glimpse of his body I caught, the man still has the most amazing body.
“I needed to pump. Elijah has passed out, and I can’t sleep if they’re engorged.”
“Oh.” I hear him struggle. “I understand.”
I manage a small laugh. “I didn’t know you had engorged breasts to understand.”
“You know what I mean,” he chastises, taking a seat beside me. “So, you have to do this every day?”
“Yeah, I produce too much milk, and Elijah can’t keep up with the supply. It’s a good problem to have, I guess.”
My hand begins to cramp up, prompting me to stop and switch sides.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” he asks, worried.
“Nothing major. It just cramps from doing it so much. I probably should invest in an automatic pump, but carrying a machine around is annoying.”
“A machine?”
“Yes, don’t freak out. It’s normal.”
“I’m not freaking out. It’s just all new information. So, what now? You’re done.”
“Uh, no. I have to swap sides. Maybe, can you turn away?”
“Alexandra,” he breathes, the simple sound of my name making my skin break out in goosebumps. “It’s perfectly natural, right? Why hide it?”
“Because, Hunter…”
He doesn’t turn away, keeping his gaze fixated on me. I move my hand under my top and try to switch until he lifts my shirt to help me. I’m unable to concentrate, but being the polite gentleman he is, he keeps his eyes only on mine and doesn’t look down at my chest. Finally, I’m able to secure the suction cup on my nipple.
“Now, what do you do?” he asks faintly.
