AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I force myself into the shower. It’s one task at a time. Shampoo my hair. Wash my body. Get ready for my day.
I’m putting in a half day at the bakery so I can get back here to tackle the pastries ahead of this Friday’s event, and even at work, I’m just going through the motions.
I head back to the house I’ve lived in with Kelly for the last three years, and I find her in the kitchen as she empties the shelves, stacking everything on the counter for the two of us to sort through.
She can have it all. I don’t need it since Grayson’s place has all this stuff, but am I still welcome there?
We didn’t get to that part of the conversation.
He wouldn’t just kick me out on my ass, would he?
If he did…then I guess I would need this stuff.
“You should take it all,” I say, and she jumps when she hears my voice.
“Oh!” she gasps as she turns to face me.
“I’m sorry. You okay?”
She nods, and I move in to help her empty another cabinet.
“How’d it go with Austin?”
She clears her throat. “It was…okay. Better than I expected, I guess. I’m still moving to Louisiana, so it’s not like he made some big play to get me to stay so we could raise the baby together and have our own happily ever after.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he wants to be part of the baby’s life, and he will do what he can to help me financially.” She shrugs. “He didn’t say he wants to be part of my life, though.”
“Do you want him to be?”
She snags her lip between her teeth. “I’m not sure. He didn’t say he didn’t want that, but I don’t know.”
“That’s not a no,” I point out.
She shakes her head. “No, it isn’t. I don’t like what he did to Grayson. I think he has some growing up to do, and maybe once he does that, there might be a chance for us.”
I reach around her and squeeze her in a side hug. “You’re really the best. Do you know that? You are going to be the best mom ever.”
“Thank you,” she murmurs. She shakes her head a little. “What about you? How’s everything?”
I sigh as I set down a stack of bowls and back up until I’m leaning on the island. I shake my head a little. “Not great.”
“Why not?” She pushes some dishes out of the way then lifts herself up to perch on the counter opposite me.
“He saw the box of pregnancy tests on the bathroom counter, and I think we’re breaking up.” My voice cracks at the end.
She gasps. “Because of the pregnancy tests?”
I lift a shoulder as I swipe away an errant tear. “He says no, that it’s because I kept another secret from him.”
“What secret did you keep?” she asks, her brows drawing together.
“The fact that I was worried I might be pregnant when you said you were.”
“Oh, God. I feel like this is my fault.”
I hop down off the counter and squeeze her arm. “It’s not. At all. It’s his issues. I think the idea of commitment and babies and love—everything, all of it…it’s freaking him out, so he’s running scared. He’s saying he’s got a season to focus on and doesn’t need these distractions, and now I’m halfway moved out of here, and all my stuff is at his place. I have no idea if I’m even still welcome there, but then he set my stuff outside the bedroom door last night. It's so confusing and conflicting.” I shrug at the end.
