AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We need to talk.”
We do. We really do. He has no idea. I shut the door. We need to talk, but not right now.
“Maybe we can get coffee or something next week.” I’m trying to sound normal, but I’m feeling anything but normal.
“Now,” he says, firmly.
He stares me up and down. There’s a little flash of relief in his eyes. I look good. Healthy. Strong. Curvier than he’s ever seen me. It’s the best I’ve ever looked.
He’s noticing.
“I'm leaving for a trip in a few minutes. My friends will be here soon. It’s a bad time.”
My heart is pounding. I’m sweating. I’m hoping he can’t see. He crosses his arms over his chest. He’s not budging.
And then it happens. Juliette opens the door. Lily in her arms. I stop breathing. I’m pretty sure the world stops turning.
Mine does at least.
I was hoping this day would never come, but here it is.
I flick my gaze over to Cash. As soon as he sees Lily,he knows.
The realization spreads across his face. He’s doing the math in his head, but he doesn’t need to. He knows already.
Lily looks exactly like him. Same perfect mouth. Dark hair. Fair skin. Otherworldly gray-blue eyes. Everyone comments on her eyes. Where did she get them? She looks nothing like me. Must be her father.
His eyes cut to mine. There’s an unmistakable expression on his face - betrayal. Seeing the pain in his eyes crushes me. Years ago, in the beginning, I would never have imagined we’d be here.
Never.
Juliette has not picked up on the tension between us. I’m not sure she’s even noticed Cash. He’s standing so still. She’s too preoccupied with Lily anyway.
“I’m sorry I came back early,” she says, walking toward me. “This little fussy pants is hungry. She wants Mom.”
She hands Lily to me. Lily squeals when I take her. Juliette leans forward, tickles Lily’s tummy, and says, “My boobs are no use to you.”
Juliette looks over at Cash like she’s just now seeing him.
“Hi.” It sounds more like a question. “I’m Juliette.”
“Cash.” His tone is clipped.
Her eyebrow shoots up. She knows who he is. She’s pretending she doesn’t. God, she’s a terrible liar.
“You okay?” she whispers to me under her breath.
“Yes, fine,” I answer, sitting down on the sofa and whipping out my boob. Lily takes it greedily. I pull a blanket from the sofa over my shoulder to cover us. Lily isn’t having it. She pulls it down with her little hand and continues eating, making the sweetest baby noises in the world. The kind of noises that normally make me melt.
“Well, okay then, I’ll just...I’ll just go to my room and finish packing. Unless you need me for something?”
“That’s fine. Go.”
“Holler if you need me,” she calls over her shoulder.
“I will.”
Cash is pacing the room. He looks like a predator about to attack or a prey about to be eaten. I can’t decide which.
