Page 20 of Accidental Baby Daddy

Chapter 7

Lexie

Iwas more than grateful to get the call from Oliver’s grandmother. She assured me that the family that lived in the mansion up the hill kept to themselves, and I wouldn’t have to worry about them.

Honestly, I didn’t care one way or another. Having a place of my own that wasn’t my sister’s house was all I needed.

“You know you can stay here as long as you like,” Gillian said when I told her I was moving into the cabin.

“I know,” I said gently. “I just don’t want to cramp your style.”

She snorted. “What style? I just work, eat, and sleep.”

“Well, you should be able to do that in peace,” I insisted.

Gillian looked at me for a long moment. “Do you need some money? For clothes? For work?”

I swallowed hard, hating to admit that I did. “I can get by.”

She shook her head and pulled out a credit card. “There’s a three-hundred-dollar limit on this one,” she said. “Get whatever you need.”

“I’ll pay you back,” I promised, but Gillian shook her head.

“Being able to see you is payment enough, Lex.”

I wished that I could say I felt the same way. Gillian didn’t understand because she’d grown up so close to our parents, getting any and everything she wanted. I’d be close to them too if they treated me the way they treated her.

But they hadn’t treated us the same way. They’d tossed me to the side as soon as Gillian was born, and I knew that wasn’t her fault. But it became hard for me to be around her, watching her get everything I felt I needed and deserved.

My parents seemed incapable of loving both children. But I didn’t say any of that to Gillian. Instead, let her take me to the local department store. I picked out a few pairs of black slacks and several white t-shirts, since that was the dress code at the grocery store.

I also picked up a pair of shoes, some toiletries, sandwich meat and bread, and a bottle of white wine.

“The wine might be going a little overboard,” I complained, but Gillian snorted.

“It’s very important, after the week you’ve had.”

The total came to one-hundred and seventy-five dollars, meaning I’d blown through over half of her credit card limit.

I winced but Gillian didn’t bat an eye.

“At least let me feed you before she comes to pick you up,” she’d said.

I nodded slowly, and Gillian ordered pizza. Once it arrived, she sat in the living room and ate with me.

“How long are you going to be in town?” she asked, and I paused for a long moment.

“Just until I’m back on my feet.”

She hummed. “Have you ever thought about moving back here? For good?”

“God, no!” I exclaimed, and Gillian looked a little hurt. “Not because of you, Gilly. But you know how it went down with Oliver...”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “You were so torn up about it for months.”

Years, I thought but didn’t say. Sleeping with Oliver Stanhope after all this time had been one of the worst decisions I’d ever made. I’ve been avoiding him like the plague ever since.

I refused to admit that it had felt entirely right while it was happening. I just knew that I couldn’t let him lure me back to this tiny little town. I wouldn’t have a future here and I didn’t need to run from one man who was a mistake to another.

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