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“You, too.”
“I was just about to show Ms. Hart the chef’s kitchen.”
“What do you think?” Hunter asks.
I look around. “It’s amazing.” My eyes return to Hunter. “I’m just not sure what we’re doing here.”
Hunter turns toward Kirk.
“Kirk, would you give us a moment?” he asks.
“Certainly. I’ll step outside.”
When Kirk is gone, Hunter pulls away and walks toward the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area.
“Would you be comfortable living here?” He motions to our surroundings.
We haven’t talked about me moving in again since he first asked me when he found out I was pregnant. He hasn’t asked, and although my thoughts on the idea have changed, I haven’t brought it up.
He must read the hesitation on my face, because he quickly fills in.
“The apartment isn’t for us.”
“Oh, it’s not?” I ask, my brow furrowing in confusion.
“No,” his eyes find mine. “It’s for you.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
He crosses back over to where I’m standing.
“You wanted the experience of living alone. Having your own place.” He places his hand on my belly. “It won’t be for long, but I want you to have that.”
If he wasn’t holding me in place, I’d fall backwards.
I look around in disbelief. “Hunter, you can’t buy me a condo.”
His smile tells me everything I need to know. He already did.
“Hunter, that’s not—”
“Necessary? Prudent? What, Sophie?”
“Yes! All those things.” I pull away and walk toward the window. More than finding out I’m pregnant, the hardest thing to manage has been the idea that I won’t be able to stand on my own two feet. My goal to be more independent, not be a burden or someone else’s responsibility like I was for Griffin growing up has now transferred to Hunter. I don’t want to be that to him.
I recall my conversation with Griffin. I need to find balance. Because no matter what plans I had, the moment I found out I was pregnant, that I was going to be a mom, everything changed.
“I get wanting to be independent, to do things for yourself and not be indebted to anyone, but then there’s being downright stubborn.”
I whip around. “I’m being stubborn? What about you?”
“Wanting to take care of you is not unreasonable.”
“And wanting to take care of myself is?” I snap back with the frustration, that niggling feeling that I’m a burden to the people around me worming its way back in.
My emotions are a hurricane about to make landfall. Another woman would swoon at her baby daddy—ugh, I hate that phrase—buying her a luxury condo on Central Park West. But I’m still coming to terms with the guilt that Griffin did so much for me growing up and this feels like a setback. Hunter knows this.
“I thought this could be a compromise. The condo would be all yours, the title in your name. There’s also an account set up for HOA expenses and utilities. Everything is in your name.”
