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“We’re just about to feed the little one, dear,” Mrs. L chimes in, snapping me out of my momentary lapse before I nearly start tearing up. I’ll definitely pay him back asap, but for now, I’ll just appreciate it.
“If you two need a moment”—she actually winks at me. And by winks, I mean she squeezes her right eye together so hard that her mouth opens wide. It’s hilarious—“I’ll get his bottle.”
“No, no, that’s okay.” As much as I appreciate her help, Dillan and I need to be alone.
Because, well, this is it.
He has tracked me down and come all this way to see me—he needs to know about Isaac. There’s no way I can reconnect with him yet again without telling him the truth. “Thank you, Mrs. Loughty. I really appreciate you watching Isaac for me.”
I make a move to reach for Isaac’s baby bag, but Dillan gets there first. “I’ll help you.”
It’s like I’m in a dream. Watching the father of my child be so gentle and careful makes my heart ache with want. Together, we gather Isaac’s things and push his stroller down the hall to my apartment.
My heart races.
I know there’s no turning back now.
25
DILLAN
I’m not expecting Lizzie to just waltz in right at that moment. God, I’m happy to see her.
Her expression is difficult to read. It goes oddly blank, as if she’s trying to mask her emotions. I help her take Isaac and his things to her apartment—one hand holding a couple bags, my other hand at the small of her back. There’s a slight tremble. Is she nervous? The walk down the hall is a silent one filled with tension that I can’t quite place. I can’t tell if she’s mad at me or not, which confuses me because if she is, I have no idea why.
Her apartment is small but homey and definitely lived in. There’s a comforting charm about it that immediately puts me at ease.
“I know there’s a lot to discuss, but can it wait just two minutes?” Lizzie asks. “I’ve got something to sort out real quick.”
“Yeah, do what you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.”
She gives me a brief smile at that statement before opening the laptop on the counter, fidgeting in anticipation. After a moment, she frowns. “This is weird.”
“What is?” I ask.
“I just got an email receipt for my hospital bill, but the last time I checked, the payment hadn’t gone through.” Lizzie continues to stare at the screen, shaking her head. “Wait…what…no…” She pauses for a beat before looking at me with wide eyes. “Dillan? Oh, my God. Did you pay for my hospital bill too?” She blinks rapidly, shaking her head in disbelief. “I have the money, I do—there must have been a technical issue somewhere. Let me jot down your account number. I’ll wire the amount to you right away. That, and my ex’s bill.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her, waving it off.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t…” She closes the laptop and gets to her feet. “It’s too much. Dillan, I’ve been so distracted lately, but I can’t allow that…”
“Seriously, Lizzie, don’t worry about it. Really. You can transfer the money to me if it makes you feel better, but honestly, it’s no big deal.” The last thing I want is for her to feel like she owes me anything, so I give in (for now).
“Look, I know me coming here was out of the blue,” I say. She takes the stroller from me and wheels it over to the couch. “But I ran into your blind date at Amelio’s and decided to take a chance.”
A flicker of revelation crosses her face, and her features soften. “I’m glad you did. I ran into him one time too. Well, long story. But guess what? I was just at Amelio’s too. The waiter, Luigi, he told me you were looking for me.”
“I was.”
“I’m glad you were,” she says softly.
There’s warmth to her words, but I can tell she’s being careful and guarded. I put Isaac’s bag down and help Lizzie ease herself onto the couch.
“You really should be resting, considering you just gave birth and all,” I say firmly.
She tries to reach for her shoes, but I push her hands away and kneel in front of her, untying the laces. She lets me, silently watching as I carefully remove her sneakers and help her lie on the couch. I feel how she tenses when I touch the soft skin of her legs, but she relaxes quickly, allowing me to do so.
Isaac begins fussing, and I sit down, watching her feed him, while she tries to look anywhere but at me. Strange. Before, she couldn’t look away, but now that my focus is on her, she can’t make eye contact.
