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“I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, I still want to marry you, but I realize it’s too soon; so I’m asking you to forget about the proposal for now. That’s part of the reason I want you to come to Brattleboro with me.”
“Why?”
“Your main objection to my proposal is that you don’t think it would last, right?” he asks, and I nod slowly. “Well, I’d like to prove you wrong.”
“What are you talking about, Ezra?”
“You only think that because you don’t know me, and It’s not like I really know you either. So, come to my town and finally get to know me.”
His idea about getting to know each other isn’t a bad one; whether we date or not, we’re having kids. That’s more commitment than marriage in my opinion, so we really do need to get to know one another.
“And what’s the other reason?” He did say that’s partly why he wants me to come.
“I told my parents about the babies and they’d like to meet you.Again. They’ve invited us to Sunday dinner,” he explains and I gulp.
“Okay, I’ll talk to my secretary and clear my schedule tomorrow. I’ll go back to Brattleboro with you.”
He starts to say something further, but the babies choose that moment to move around. A quick tumbling motion that will never cease to amaze me. I gasp softly and grab his hand without thinking. I place it on my abdomen and glance at him with a huge grin, my heart racing in excitement.
“Do you feel that?”
He blinks at me. “Feel what–” He trails off when the babies move again, his eyes going comically wide as they drop to my belly. “Mon Dieu,” he murmurs, “is that the babies?”
I nod frantically and place my hand over his, pressing harder, so we can feel them together. We share a look of wonder and excitement as we both sit there, our hands pressed over my stomach.
“That’s…amazing.”
It really is. The babies move one last time as if to agree with us. Then everything goes still, but we remain in that position for a little longer, staring into each other’s eyes. He has the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen: the clear blue of a frozen lake or the morning sky after a storm. I wonder if either of the twins will get them?
My heart starts pounding again, but this time for a different reason entirely. His palm is stretched wide on my stomach, and he moves it up caressingly, the warmth penetrating my skin even through my dress. Goosebumps erupt over my skin, and I shift toward him.
He does the same, leaning forward until we’re almost sharing a breath. My eyes drop to his lips, and I lick mine nervously as his head bends toward me. His mouth hovers over mine. Isqueeze my eyes shut, my heart working overtime when his lips brush mine softly.
My other hand glides over his shoulder and settles on the back of his neck to draw him to me, I can’t wait another second for him to close the gap between us. A loud honking sound suddenly fills the air, and I jump away from him startled.
“Ow, fuck!" I yell when my head hits the car window.
“Shit, Charlotte, are you okay?” Ezra leans forward more, his hand moving up to touch the back of my head. The asshole behind us honks his horn again, and Ezra tosses a menacing stare at his car.
“We’re blocking traffic,” I mutter, nodding toward the traffic light, which is now green.
He runs his hand over the back of my head one last time before settling into his seat again. “Alright, let’s get out of here,” he says, sounding disappointed and hits the gas.
The silence in the car the rest of the drive home is awkward. I want to be anywhere but here. Fuck, what the hell were we thinking?
We finally pull to a stop in front of my apartment building, and I stumble out of the car as fast as I can. “What are you doing? Charlie!”
Damn it, why is he following me? I clear my throat and come to a stop, so he can catch up. “Thanks for driving me home, good night.”
He grabs my shoulder before I can walk away. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I finally glance at him. “What?” I ask quietly. The corner of his lips twitch like he’s fighting back a smile, and I narrow my eyes. “Well?” I add impatiently.
“I’m staying here tonight.”
“What?” I scoff, taking a step back, so his hand drops from my shoulder. “What are you talking about?”
“You heard earlier, Donna told me to stay here. Think of it as a part of us getting to know each other,” he adds when I just stand there gaping at him.
