Page 20 of Accidentally in Love

“Avery,” he sighed. “I know we didn’t plan for Peanut, but I’m here for you and the baby. You know that, right?”

“Okay,” I muttered.

He shocked me when he slanted his mouth over mine, right there at the bar in front of everyone. All our kisses before had been in secret. In the shadows and behind closed doors where nobody could see. This was out in the open like he didn’t care who saw us. He kissed me slow and tenderly, and I faded into his touch like I always did. Like I always would. It was the kind of kiss that made me feel safe and warm. Made me feel loved.

“Come to my place so we can talk?” he asked when he pulled away.

“It’s a school night.”

“I’ll drive you home afterward.”

“Okay,” I conceded, and I wasn’t sure why I did.

Maybe it was because when he kissed me, my heart wanted to pretend it meant he felt the same way I did. But my head knew better. Nolan might want me in his bed, but never in his heart.

Chapter Six

NOLAN

Avery was quiet on the walk over to my house. I hated her living in that tiny upstairs apartment. It was right across the street from the school where she taught, but I had a big house all to myself. It would be the perfect place to raise our child. I needed to figure out a way to convince her to marry me and move in.

I held the front door open for her, and she walked inside. She took off her shoes while I locked up. She looked exhausted, as evidenced by how she flopped down on my couch. I went to grab her a glass of water, but when I walked back into the living room, her eyes were closed, and she had passed out. So much for having that talk tonight.

I bent down to carry her upstairs. She stirred. “Nolan?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

I huffed as I walked up the steps with her in my arms. “You passed out on the couch. I’m taking you upstairs to bed.”

“Mmm. Growing a baby is tough work.”

I smiled down at her and kicked open the bedroom door. I gently set her down on the bed. “You’re doing amazing, okay? You want to get out of these clothes? I can give you one of my shirts to sleep in.”

“I love sleeping in your shirts. They smell like you and make me feel like you’re hugging me,” she slurred sleepily.

Her words struck me in the chest, but I knew she didn’t mean it the way I wanted her to.

She slid her dress pants off, and when she unbuttoned her blouse, my eyes widened at how her tits spilled out of her bra. “Don’t even think about it. They hurt so much.”

“Aw, Avs. I’m sorry.”

She unclipped her bra with a relieved sigh, and I went over to my dresser to pull out an old t-shirt. My 2XL t-shirt would look like a long dress on her petite frame, but I wasn’t about to let my baby mama sleep in her work clothes. I went to hand it to her, but she had already crawled underneath the covers and was fast asleep. I smiled at that; she looked good naked in my bed. I wished she could always be there, wished that I could wake up every morning to her cute sleepy smile.

I left the t-shirt on my side of the bed and tip-toed downstairs. I sat in my living room reading the pregnancy book my brother had thrown at my head yesterday. If I was going to do right by her, I wanted to be prepared for the baby to come. The mood swings were normal. I just had to roll with the punches. Hopefully not literally.

An hour later, I slid into bed beside Avery. She must have woken up at some point because she was now wearing my shirt. As I expected, it fell to her knees. She was such a little thing.

She stirred and curled herself into my arms. “Nolan?”

“Shush, go back to sleep,” I whispered and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m so tired, Nolan. I’ve never felt this tired before.”

I slid my hand over her stomach. “I know. Peanut needs all that energy to grow.”

“What if I’m bad at this? What if I’m a terrible mother?”