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“And when he’s back? He goes back to following you around the office like a puppy dog?” Oliver whines, then dramatically collapses in one of the chairs in front of my desk. “I can’t live like this.”

“You can’t live like this? The man literally sleeps across the hall from me now. He never leaves me alone.” I say, my composure cracking. “I just want one god damned day away from this man, like it was before... you know.”

Oliver doesn’t miss my gesture to my stomach.

“He is a really good cook, though,” Oliver admits. “The enchiladas he brought yesterday were to die for. I still need to say thank you for sending me home with a tray for my family.”

“He won’t stop feeding me,” I smirk. “You think it’s some kind of kink?”

“Nah, with how often that man put his hands on you and your belly? That man is more obsessed with you being knocked up than anything.” Oliver says with a chuckle.

When my door swings open dramatically, I’m not even surprised to see a very furious-looking Selene standing in the doorway.

“He has to go.” She says desperately.

“Ah. I’m so glad everyone is in agreement.” I say.

“He’s got my staff clinging to the end of their sanity. He asks so many questions.” She complains.

Looking around the room at my two closest friends, I drop my head into my hands and begin to cry.

“Oh, my goddess. Babe. I’m so sorry.” Selene starts, rounding my desk and kneeling beside me with a hand on my thigh.

“No.” I cry. “It’s not you. I’m just... overwhelmed and emotional.”

“My partner did the same thing when xe was pregnant,” Oliver says, grabbing for a tissue from the box on my desk. “It comes and goes.”

“I just don’t know what to do. He’s driving me up a wall.” I fret, trying to gather myself as I wipe my eyes with the tissue Oliver passes me. “Last night, he insisted on making dish after dish because either I couldn’t stomach the idea of eating them or he would make something, and the smell made me gag.”

“Oh. That’s kind of sweet.” Oliver coos.

“No. It’s really not. He made a mess of my kitchen and gave me a headache with all his banging around.” I gripe. “Then this morning, he woke up early and bought about forty different supplements he says I need to be taking. Now he’s asking when my next doctor’s appointment is because he has questions for her.”

“Okay, the doctor thing is reasonable, you must admit.” Selene contributes, to which I frown.

“Not when he wants to ask about whether or not it’s safe for me to have sex.” I scoff, thinking of the uncomfortable conversation we had driving into work this morning after he shoved his way into my car and refused to leave. “I want to scream.”

“At least he’s thinking about sex.” Selene shrugs, standing up and going to the free chair next to Oliver. “I’ve heard once the morning sickness goes away that you become horny as hell.”

“She’s right,” Oliver says with a far-off look and a smirk.

“I want to scream,” I admit. “I want to run in the opposite direction. Just quit everything and escape to a country with no extradition treaty.”

Selene and Oliver share a conspiratorial look, which makes me frown and wonder what they’re up to.

“The man needs boundaries,” Selene says with a devious smile.

“Clearly.” Oliver agrees, a grin forming on his face as he watches Selene carefully.

“You should make a list of rules.” Selene suggests, giving me a small shrug as though what she’s suggesting isn’t that big of a deal.

“Rules,” I repeat, trying to follow the silent conversation going on between my two friends.

“Ooh. I like that idea,” says Oliver. “The do's and don’ts of being together.”

“We’re not together,” I interject sharply.

“Fine,” Selene says in a soothing voice that’s somewhat out of character for her animated personality. “In which case, think of it as like roommate rules then. That’s what y’all are, right? Roommates? At least for the time being.”

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