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I pushed the door open and shut it quietly behind me. I'd been in this house a thousand times before, so I knew my way around. The house was silent, so I crept up the stairs, stopping in front of Amara's door. I twisted the handle and stepped inside. The room was dark except for the purplish light of the sunrise shining in through the sheer white curtains billowing out from the open window.
I could barely make out Amara's sleeping form in the middle of the bed because the room was so dark. I set down my keys and phone on her nightstand before tugging my shirt over my head. I pulled down my board shorts and folded the blanket back before sliding into bed. Before I was even settled, Amara sighed and burrowed her head into my chest. Her dark hair tickled my nose, and I chuckled softly before dropping a kiss to the top of her head and wrapping my arms around her.
I inhaled the scent of her before closing my eyes. She smelled like the most delicious combination of cinnamon and honey, exotic but warm at the same time. I wanted to run my tongue across her body and see if she tasted as good as she smelled. My cock twitched at the thought, but now wasn't the time. The one time we'd been together, we were both drunk, and I didn't exactly remember all the details. I wanted a do-over. I wanted as many do-overs as I could get. I wanted a do-over every day for forever.
But for right now, having Amara in my arms, her warm body pressed up against mine would be enough. Closing my eyes, surrounded by her warmth and her scent, I drifted off, holding my future in my arms.
The bed shifted underneath me, and then Amara's feet hit the ground running. My eyes flew open, and I threw back the blanket, jumping out of bed and following her into the bathroom just as she slid across the tile floor. Her head hung over the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach. I pulled her hair out of her face and back into a messy ponytail before turning and grabbing a washcloth.
Running it under cold water, I pressed it to the back of her neck.
"Ugh," she moaned.
"I'm sorry, honey." I didn't know what else to say to make her feel better. I wished she didn't have to go through this part or that I could take it on myself and save her from it. I rubbed circles on her back, hoping it would bring her some comfort.
She turned and leaned against the wall, her forehead resting on her pulled up knees. "It'll be worth it, right?" She lifted her head and gave me a tired smile.
"Our baby will no doubt be worth every bit of discomfort, even if it's hard to go through now. You're not alone." I slid down the wall and sat next to her, grabbing her hand and weaving our fingers together. "Can I get you anything?"
"I could go for an extensive brushing of my teeth right about now." She chuckled. "Also maybe a waffle? I think I could eat a waffle."
I grinned. "My specialty. Meet me downstairs when you're done up here. Then we've got a date."
"What kind of date?"
"The fun kind. It's a surprise."
"I love surprises." She let go of my hand as some color came back into her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled. I stood, holding my hand out to help her up.
"I know."
Turning, I walked out of the room and got dressed before making my way down the stairs. The smell of bacon wafted through the room, but taking a sniff, I noticed there were no coffee smells. Smiling, I turned the corner and stepped into the kitchen. I'd never been more thankful for my best friend and his wife than this moment. They welcomed Amara when she was stressed out about the baby and were going out of their way to make sure she didn't get any sicker by keeping coffee out of their house.
"Morning." Zen stood shirtless in front of a frying pan, transferring crispy bacon to a plate. Kennedy wasn't around.
I lifted my chin up in greeting. "Morning. You know you're going to burn the shit out of your chest cooking bacon without a shirt, right?"
He laughed. "Kennedy likes when I walk around like this. It's worth the burns."
"Speaking of, where's the wife this morning?"
"Still in bed." He smirked.
I pulled out one of the stools at the counter and sank down onto it, pulling a piece of bacon off the plate. "I'm going to just act like I didn't hear that."
"OJ?" He pulled open the fridge and stuck his arm inside.
"Sure, thanks."
"I'd offer you coffee, but, well, you know. We've been going out to get it this week." He pulled two glasses down from the cupboard.
"Yeah, about that." I finished chewing the bite I'd just taken. "I wanted to say thanks for letting Amara stay here and taking care of her. I know you didn't have to, but I appreciate it."
He nodded. "She's family to Kennedy, so she's family to me. Besides, it sounds like she might be joining the family in another way soon, too."
I met his stare down with one of my own. "If I get my way, damn right."
"Good. Now, I'll be enjoying my breakfast in bed." He turned to walk upstairs.
