Page 68 of Forever With You

“Nick’s back in the kitchen,” Reece said, obviously reading my mind. “Does he know you’re here?”

“I didn’t tell him I was coming out.” I sipped the drink, loving how the fizzing bubbles burst across my tongue. “I kind of decided to come out last minute.”

Roxy frowned as she turned her attention to Reece. “Back up. Why would she need to tell him, Reece?”

Her boyfriend opened his mouth and then took a moment, appearing to consider what he was about to say so he didn’t dig himself a grave he couldn’t climb out of. I bit down on my lip to stop myself from grinning. “What I’m trying to say,” he stated slowly, his eyes on Roxy, “is that he would probably just like to know where his girl is, and if she wanted me to, I could go and get him.”

I was Nick’s girl? Suddenly I wanted to giggle.

Roxy did not appear amused. Her frown deepened. “And why would he need to know where she is?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe because ... he cares?”

“Or maybe because he needs to realize that she’s a grown woman who doesn’t need to inform him of her coming and goings.”

His eyes narrowed. “Maybe he realizes that she’s a grown, capable woman, but he still worries about her safety.”

I rested my chin in my hand, using my fingers to cover my mouth. At this point I knew they weren’t talking about me. Calla streamed past us, heading for the kitchen. She shot Roxy and Reece a weird look.

“Maybe he shouldn’t worry so much,” Roxy shot back.

Reece sat back, crossing his arms. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Seriously.” Roxy folded her arms, mimicking him.

Before Reece could respond, a door opened on the other side of the bar and Jax walked out, and right behind him was Nick. I straightened on the stool, pressing my lips together. Calla must’ve said something about me being there, because Nick’s gaze swung right to where I was sitting. While Jax entered the bar, Nick stalked around it, heading straight for me. I relaxed, starting to grin.

“What are you doing here?” Nick demanded.

Our little audience consisting of Jax, Roxy, and Reece froze as the worst kind of reasons bloomed in my mind at why Nick would be asking such a question. A strange slice of panic cut though me. Heat burned up the back of my neck.“What?”

On the other side of the bar, Roxy smirked. “Here we go again.”

Chapter 19

This was so not happening again.

Nick was oblivious to how close he was to death as he placed a hand on the edge of the bar and leaned in, his face coming dangerously close. “What are you doing here, Stephanie?”

“Oh, man.” Jax spun around and headed toward the other end of the bar.

I took several deep breaths. “Why would I not be here, Nick?”

His brows lifted like twin wings, but Reece cut in before he could respond. “Answer that question carefully, my friend, because I just went down that road. It was curvy.”

“Yeah, we just had this conversation for you,” Roxy said, her eyes sharp behind her Harry Potter glasses. “And Reece didn’t fair too well.”

Out of the corners of my eyes I saw Calla start toward us, but Jax tagged her with a quick shake of his head. She wisely stayed away.

Nick was ignoring everyone, though. “Why would you not be here, in a bar? You’repregnant.”

I opened my mouth, but there were no words, so my jaw snapped back together. Nick wasn’t exactly mad, more like shocked, and my irritation gave away to indecisiveness. I glanced around, and I saw Roxy looking like she was seconds away from whacking Nick over the head with a bottle of liquor.

“It’s safe for me to be here,” I said, my voice low. “I’m not drinking. No one is smoking. And I doubt there’s about to be a massive fight with this crowd.” I could feel the heat traveling from my neck to my face. “I even looked it up on the Internet. Pregnant women go out.” Then I started rambling, and I didn’t even know why, but I wanted to smack myself so I stopped. “I was bored. All I’ve been doing is sitting in my apartment, night after night. It’s really lonely and I’ve—­” Luckily, I cut myself off before I blurted out that I missed him. Right now I wasn’t sure if that was wise.

“Hey Nick, you got a minute?”

I glanced over to see a heavier older man with a bald head and grease stains splattered across his blue shirt. He was standing in front of the kitchen doors, and I assumed that was the cook.