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I step out onto the edge of the sidewalk and raise my hand to call for the taxi driving by. Ready or not, she’s going to talk to me.
It’s only about twenty-five minutes until I reach Liz’s apartment. There is surprisingly little traffic, and the taxi ride isn’t nearly longenough for me to figure out what to say to Liz. Then again, even if I had several days, it wouldn’t be enough to figure out what to say.
It seems important I get this right.
Part of me hopes she isn’t home. No, that’s a lie. All of me hopes she isn’t home. I’m not ready for this conversation.
As we pull up to her apartment, nervousness kicks in.
I ran away before, but I am not gonna do it again.
As I climb the stairs to her floor, I rehearse everything I’m going to say. She needs to understand that I will be here for her and the baby. It’s what I should have done in the beginning. Even if I’m not the father, we’re friends. I should help her out anyway.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. I hear people talking inside, and it takes a moment before someone comes to answer the door.
Maybe she wasn’t just giving me an excuse. Maybe she’s busy tonight. Too late. I probably should have told her I was coming.
I hear the chain unlocking on the other side of the door.
To my surprise, a man opens the door to her apartment. I see a peek of Liz resting on the couch behind him.
He looks vaguely familiar, though I’m almost certain I’ve never met him before. He’s tall, a little older than me, maybe thirty-five or thirty-seven-ish? There is nothing remarkable about his precisely cut brown hair or shrewd brown eyes. The rigid way he holds his body makes me think he’s in the military or law enforcement. At the moment, he is eagle-eyed and focused on me. His unblinking stare is unnerving.
“Can I help you?” The man asks in a deep timbre.
“I’m here to see Liz,” I reply brusquely. Why is this guy acting like Liz’s keeper? And why is that voice familiar? “I’m sorry, but do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar to me.”
He pauses, assessing my face. He casually looks me up and down before sneering at me. “Oh, yes. We know each other. We met at my wedding eight years ago. I’m Trent. Trent Ellington. I’m Liz’s ex-fiancé.”
Chapter 6
Liz
“Ethan, what are you doing here? I told you I had plans tonight,” I say as I walk toward the door. It took longer to get up from the couch than I would have liked. I feel unwieldy and unsteady. Not only do I feel like I’m carrying a fifty-pound baby, but I’m also exhausted. Yesterday and last night took a toll on me, and I’m more tired than usual. Staying overnight in the hospital was one of the more unrestful nights I’ve had during this pregnancy. The constant beeping of machines and the interruptions from the nurses checking on my vitals throughout the night didn’t allow for much rest. It was all too much.
Ethan is staring at me in disbelief. I wish he hadn’t come over. I’m not sure how to explain Trent’s presence in my apartment. Not that he’s entitled to an explanation, but I know it must be a shock to find my ex-fiancé here. The last time Trent and Ethan met ended in disaster.
I peek at Ethan and see anger flashing in his eyes. His body is tense and rigid.
“It looks like I made a mistake in coming here,” Ethan grinds out through clenched teeth.
I look back and forth from Trent and Ethan and realize that I need to defuse the situation. I walk closer to them and put my hand on the doorframe. “Trent was about to leave anyway. He needs to get home. Ethan, why don’t you come in?”
Trent looks at me, uncertainty showing on his face. “Are you sure? I could stay a bit longer.”
“I need to talk to Ethan. I’ll call you later, okay?”
Trent looks like he might argue, but instead, he nods stiffly and waits as Ethan moves to the side to let him out.
Ethan doesn’t come in until Trent makes it down the hallway and starts down the stairs. When he looks at me, I can feel the anger reverberating through his body. His anger immediately puts me on the defensive.
As soon as the door closes, Ethan starts. “I can’t fucking believe what I just saw. Liz, please tell me that isn’t the same guy that cheated on you the day before your wedding. Tell me I’m seeing things.”
I hold up my hand to stop his tirade. “I can be friends with anyone I want to.”
“Is that what he is? A friend?”
“It’s none of your business what he is. But, yes, he’s a friend. I’m like fifty months pregnant and look like a hot air balloon. Do you think I’m actually dateable right now?”
