Page 129 of The Promise Of You

My body stiffens, preparing for the worst.

His other hand touches my bare arm, and his voice is low and gravelly when he says, “Clover… I’m in love with you.”

I whip up on his chest and catch his searching gaze on me. Cupping his face in my hands, I bring my lips to his and kiss him, our tongues doing their slow, familiar dance. Then he releases my mouth, wraps his arms hard around me, and flips us so I’m under him. He takes me slow and gentle, our gazes never leaving each other. “I love you too, Justin. So much.”

He continues his slow movement in and out of me. “Never thought I’d ever fall in love,” he says into my neck. Then he lifts his head to look me in the eye. “Except after Boston. You’re the only one for me. Was just waiting for you to come into my life.”

I tear up at his admission. “Oh, honey,” I whisper in his ear, and then he increases his thrusts, and we come together, our orgasms feeding off each other.

I fall asleep twirling line circles on the clover tattoo over his heart.

Then I’m dead to the world until loud bangs street-side wake me up to an empty bed.

The shower is going, so Justin can’t hear. Everybody knows Lazy’s doesn’t open until twelve. And everybody knows if you need to get to Justin, you come through the back.

Ergo, this must be a new delivery person. I throw on my tiny pajama shorts and spaghetti strap cami, run my fingers through my hair, and rush downstairs. “I got it!” I yell for Justin, in case he heard and is scrambling to come downstairs.

I crack the door open, thinking I’m going to tell them to go around the building.

A very pretty, leggy blonde is standing at the door. Her long hair falls in straight curtains around her face. She’s all cheekbones and pouty lips and eyes that totally rock the thick eyeliner and fake lashes they’re sporting, even at this early hour in the day. She has the kind of physique that makes me instantly wonder why god is so unfair.

“I’m here for Justin,” she says as my eyes fall on her very round belly.

thirty-nine

Chloe

“Justin?” I repeat stupidly.

She shows most of her tan, round shoulders under the thin straps of her summer dress. She’s thin and fit enough that her clavicles do that little dip, but none of her other bones show, except, as I’ve already noticed, for her fantastic cheekbones. Her arms are toned and tanned, a bunch of silver bracelets on both her wrists make pretty little noises that I always associate with beautiful women.

“Hello? Are you gonna let me in?” she says.

Everything in her is leggy and long and toned. Just her belly is super round, and just at the front. It pokes out beautifully, if a bit aggressively, and I take note that she shows none of the other signs of her state. Her skin in flawless, her calves and ankles thin, her boobs generous but not spilling out of her dress. Yes, god is unfair.

“And you are?”

She eyes me, top to bottom, clearly not impressed. “I’m Gisele. His baby mama.”

The words hit me like an ice bath. “S-sorry, come again?”

She chuckles, a deep, bitter sound. “You’re funny. I had all the coming I could get a few months ago. Now I need to talk to the daddy.” She pushes by me and strolls into the pub.

My hands shake as I try to lock the door, and no air seems to fill my lungs.

She turns around several times in the empty pub, taking in, I suppose, the chairs on the tables, the lights turned off. “You guys closed?” she says, her back to me.

The entire room is spinning, while an unforgiving vise tightens around my skull. She’s having Justin’s child? That’s what she’s saying, right?

My mouth feels like sandpaper, my knees like jelly. “Um. Why don’t you sit down.” I turn over a chair from the closest table, then the other ones so she’s not sitting staring at chair legs. “Can I get you a glass of water? Juice?”

“Water’s good. Juice is full of sugar.”

Good. Movement. Something to do. Need to get Justin.

I get behind the bar and come back with her water, trying to steady my hands. “Was Justin expecting you?”

Another bitter chuckle. “No, honey, I’m expecting his child, and he’s been ghosting me.”

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