AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s not what I want to say,” I argue.
“Why not? It’s true, isn’t it? And I asked you to be brutally honest.”
I set my glass on the coffee table and lean forward. Taking off my glasses, I rub at the bridge of my nose, before putting them back on and looking at her. “Miss Green, do you want to keep the baby?”
I watch the subtle movement of her throat as she swallows. “Yes. But…”
“No buts. You’ll figure the rest out. If that’s what you want, then that’s the right answer.”
She stares at me for a moment, a wrinkle forming between her eyes. Then, she lets out a loud, guttural noise.
“Ugh!” she cries, slapping her hands over her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“That is not helpful, and I thought you, of all people, would tell me that I need to be smart about this and do the responsible thing.”
I pick up my glass and take another sip. “Sorry, Miss Green, but I’m not in the business of telling women what to do with their bodies.”
“But I thought…” she argues.
As our gazes meet, I let my eyes roll as I stand up. “Not like that.”
I can understand the irony of that statement since we literally had a conversation this morning about how I may or may not be the kind of guy who does, in fact, like to tell women what to do with their bodies. I am a bit of a control freak—I can admit it.
And while it’s not inherently sexual, I can see how fun it would be.
But that is not what I’m talking about with Sadie, and she knows it.
Avoiding that topic of conversation again, I disappear into the hallway and flip the light on in the guest bedroom.
“Come here, Miss Green,” I call in a low, commanding tone.
I hear her rise from the couch and make her way down the hall. As she appears in the doorway behind me, I turn around to find her arms crossed and her eyes scanning the cozy space.
“I never said I was moving in here,” she states defiantly.
“I know you didn’t, but I’m showing you anyway.”
“And what about when the baby comes?” she asks, looking up at me with her brows raised.
“I’ll be gone by then. I’ve applied to a program in England. I leave in the spring and I’ll be gone for a year. You can rent this house and have it to yourself. Or move out by then. Doesn’t matter to me, but what I’m offering you is more than a room, Miss Green. You understand? By the time the baby comes, you’ll have your finances in order. You’ll have graduated and you won’t feel like you do now—like a mess.”
Her curious gaze lingers on my face, and before long, it starts to burn.
“Who lived here before?” she asks softly, those warm, green eyes still focused on me.
I clear my throat. “No one.”
When she doesn’t look away, I get the feeling that she doesn’t believe me. But Sadie is too closely tied to my family for me to be honest about this. I can’t tell her that Isaac has been quasi living with me because she could pass that information on to Sage, who would then tell her husband, Adam.
And the last thing I need is a fired-up Adam on my case.
If she can see through my lie, she isn’t arguing about it. Instead, she takes a deep breath and lets out a heavy sigh.
“Fine.”
My head spins toward her in surprise. I have to quickly train my expression not to come off as too eager or excited.
