Page 78 of The Temporary Roomie: Extended Edition

“I think you’re right. And later on down the line, once the baby is here, I can always move back home.”

Drew’s body stiffens, and I feel his biceps flex. “You can?”

I look up at him with a grin and stage-whisper. “I’m just saying it for the mics.”

His brow immediately clears, and he nods likeThank goodness—but then when he thinks on that statement longer, he asks, “Wait, what mics?”

“Never mind. Don’t worry about it. All jokes aside, Drew, are you serious? You really know what you’re about to get yourself into, right? I’m going to have a baby in a few weeks.”

His face falls and he looks stunned. “A baby?! I thought you had a puppy in there this whole time.”

I scrunch up my face and try to tickle him, but he knows me so well now that my hand never even gets close to his side.

“Jessie, I’ve stopped trying to rationalize our relationship because it doesn’t work. There’s nothing rational about us, but I do know that I love you, and I already love this baby, and I want you here all the time. I want to help you with nighttime diaper changes and hold the baby so you can take a bath.”Sold! Say nomore!“I want to be there for all the little milestones. I just . . . I can’t explain it, I just trust us. In some crazy way, it feels like we’ve always been together.”

“I feel that way too. I’m trying so hard not to trust you, believe me—”

“Gee, thanks.”

“—but I can’t help it. And when my contractor said my house was done, all I could think was how disappointed I was.”

“I contemplated sabotaging the rest of the build just so you’d have to stay.”

Drew cuts off the light and we both sink down under the sheets. I run my finger lazily over the raised skin of his tattoo and try to convince myself I’m making a mistake. I try to think of all the worst-case scenarios and ways Drew could really screw me over—but nothing. Nada. My heart won’t grab on to any of them, because like he said, somehow I know we’re meant to be together. Even when my fears sink in, there’s a louder voice that says,This is where you belong, Jessie.

CHAPTER 39

Drew

ONE WEEK LATER

“Jessie, are you sure about this? Say the word and I’ll cancel,” I tell her as I throw my bag in the back of Cooper’s truck.

She watches me with a calculated grin, looking fine in her short shorts and tank top hugging every gorgeous curve. I don’t want to leave her, especially not to go to a stupid bachelor party. Who cares if he asked me to be a groomsman in the wedding? I shouldn’t have to go to the party, right?

“Yeah, right! I’m not letting you become that guy who bails out on everything now that you’re in a relationship. And I’m definitely not letting you use me as an excuse to avoid camping.”

I grin, agreeing that I mostly want to stay because I’ve become annoying and clingy and need to spend every free minute I have with my hands on Jessie, but a smaller part of me also wants to cancel because I’m not a camper. Neither is Cooper—we’re not exactly the most guy-guys out there and have been dreading this trip for weeks. I mean, we both like to hike, wakeboard, and do other things that will make me sound manly and rugged if it’s absolutely necessary to bring up, but given the choice between sleeping on my memory foam bed beside my hotgirlfriend or on the ground next to a bunch of dudes, I’m picking the bed.

Jessie steps closer with a soft smile and plants her hands on my chest. “It’s only one night.”

“What if you go into labor? I’ll be four hours away—not exactly a quick hop back.” I already know that technically the odds are slim that she will go into labor in the next twenty-four hours while I’m away. Jessie visited her ob-gyn yesterday and confirmed she wasn’t dilating. She’s still a week out from her due date, but I can’t help worrying a little.

“Okay, well, we both know I won’t go into labor, but even if I do, four hours will be plenty of time for you to get back to me. Lucy’s labor was what, like, eighteen hours?”

Lucy yells from somewhere behind me. “Twenty!”

“See! Twenty. You’ll even have time to stop and pick me up a sub on your way back.”

“You can’t eat once you’re in labor.”

“What!” Jessie’s eyes bug out of her head. “Are you kidding me?!”

I chuckle and shake my head. “No. How did you not know this?”

“Better question, how am I supposed to not die while sweating and laboring all those hours without eating a sub!”

Lucy scrunches her nose. “I think you might be underestimating the labor process a bit.”

---