Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Easton: We’re still on for 6:00?
Me: Yep. I’ll meet you at the Starbucks off 3rd and 61st.
It’s close to the club, so afterward, I can go straight to work.
Easton: See you then.
“You ready for this?” Naomi asks, glancing over my shoulder.
“No, but it is what it is.” I shrug. Everything is changing. That’s part of life and all I can do is roll with it.
Naomi, Kendall, and I spend the afternoon baking and decorating cookies. Once we’re done, she keeps an eye on Kendall while I jump in the shower and get ready for work. My pants are already tight around my waist, so it won’t be long before I’ll need new clothes and a new job—I know Dante said we’ll talk, but I’m not going to let him pay me when I can’t work. I didn’t save anything from my pregnancy with Kendall, so I’m going to have to go shopping soon.
After explaining to Kendall I have a meeting, which is why I’m leaving early and Aunt Naomi will be putting her to bed tonight, I kiss her goodbye and head out. It’s cold outside, and light flutters of snow are falling, but since I have on my thick, warm coat, and the roads are still dry, I walk to the Starbucks instead of flagging down a taxi.
When I arrive, I glance around and immediately spot Easton sitting in the booth with a hat and hoodie over his head, like he’s trying to hide… And then it hits me, he was wearing a beanie that day in the park to hide himself because he’s famous. And when he asked me when I could meet, he suggested we meet at his place, but I insisted we meet somewhere public. Shit, I didn’t even think about that.
When he looks up and sees me, he stands, but I shake my head and pull out my phone to message him.
Me: I’ll grab our coffees. What do you like?
Easton: I would argue I should be buying, but I appreciate you doing that so I’m not seen. Whatever you get is fine. Thanks.
I order two drinks and two pastries, then walk over to the other counter to wait for my name to be called. When the barista calls out, “Dash,” I glance at Easton, who laughs.
“Here you go,” I tell him, setting our drinks and food down.
“Thanks.” He takes the drink and has a sip, nearly choking on it. “What the hell is this?” he splutters.
“A cocoa cloud macchiato with extra chocolate drizzle.” I’ve been craving chocolate like crazy this pregnancy.
“Does it even have any caffeine in it?” he asks through a cough. “Or is it just pure chocolate?”
“It has caffeine in it… but definitely more chocolate.” I take a sip of my delicious drink. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
He sets his drink down and gives me his attention, his brown eyes reminding me of the drizzled chocolate in our drinks. Maybe I can pick up marshmallows, and Kendall and I can make s’mores…
Easton clears his throat, and I jump slightly, remembering where I am. I blame the cravings, mental distractions, and detours on the pregnancy.
“Sorry.” I take a deep breath, then begin. “As you know, in September, when we met, we went back to your hotel room and had sex.”
The corners of Easton’s lips curl into a sexy smile. “Yeah, I remember.”
I ignore his comment, needing to get this all out before I chicken out. “It had been a while since I had sex and since I wasn’t actively having sex, I wasn’t on birth control.” His eyes go wide, the cogs in his brain turning. “I didn’t mean for this to happen and I don’t want anything from you,” I continue quickly. “I just wanted you to know that I’m pregnant, in case you want to have something to do with the baby when he or she is born. And also, I would like to add, in my defense, you went in without a condom and I was the one who reminded you to pull out, so if you try to say I tricked you, that will only make you look like an asshat.
“And I know you’re thinking that since you pulled out, I shouldn’t be pregnant, but there is such a thing called precum, and plus, you could’ve easily come before you pulled out. You’re the only person I’ve had sex with, but I’m sure you hear that a lot, so if you want a paternity test, I’m completely okay with that… Or maybe you don’t want anything to do with the baby and in which case—”
“Whoa,” he says, cutting me off. I suck in a sharp breath, needing the intake of oxygen from my longwinded speech. “I know what went down. I was there. It was just as much my fault as it was yours.”