Page 36 of Forever His This Christmas

“Just drunken sex in the dark?”

“No, well just sex yes, but not the drunken or in the dark parts. I have to go Corey. I have plans for the day already.”

“When can I see you again?” he asked, trying not to shake her to get her to see reason.

“I don’t know. I work a lot. I have friends and things that occupy my free time…besides there’s also the fact that you live in New York. I’m sure you need to get back there.”

“Not without knowing that I’m going to see you again. I can’t go another six months without you. I don’t want to go another six minutes without you.”

“Tuesday night, seven o’clock,” she suggested. “That’s when I’m usually free but it can’t be at my place still. That’s my space…”

“I have to be back in New York this Tuesday. I can’t reschedule this meeting.”

“And I really have to go right now—maybe the next week?”

“Alright,” he agreed letting her have her top. He pulled her up against him and kissed her, showing her exactly what they were meant to be doing, that they were meant to be together, and hoped she’d see it too.

“I really have to go,” she said again finally pulling away. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“If you don’t answer I will come back, to hell with what day it is or how busy you are.”

“Okay,” she said giving him a smile as she grabbed her bag and slipped on her shoes. She hurried home and thought she’d made it in time, but as she was heading to the bedroom to takea shower the door opened and Abby moved inside, followed by David and Jazz.

“Mom…what are you doing, wearing…never mind,” Abby said laughing lightly. “I take it you had a good night?”

“Abigail, behave,” she replied kissing the top of her head. “I’m going to take a shower; think you can entertain yourself for a bit?”

“Sure thing, Mom,” Abby agreed, and she slipped off as the memories of the night came to her. She sighed wishing she hadn’t needed to go and could have spent more time with Corey.

Tell him the truth and you can, floated through her head and she shut off the water, drying herself before putting on her comfortable attire. The lounge pants were from Corey for Valentines’ Day, and she teamed them with the oversized thin tee over her racer-back workout top. She didn’t want to go anywhere today and when she returned to the living room, she found Jazz and David still there.

“Who’s hungry?” she asked them with a grin. “I can do French toast, waffles…egg quiche…”

“Waffles, please do your waffles Mom,” Abby pleaded, and she moved into the kitchen after giving her a hug.

“You look much brighter than I expected—late night drinking?” David guessed coming in with her.

“Do I ask what you get up to when I have the girls?”

“No, but it’s only been three weeks since they’ve began their overnight stays.”

“And last night was the first one that you’ve done. I know it was my choice but…last night was different. I knew I wouldn’t be very good company so instead I let half a bottle of vodka be my company.”

“Why’s that?” he asked when she took out the ingredients to make the waffles.

“Last night was the one-year anniversary of when I met Corey—and somehow, some crazy twist of fate…had him showing up at the bar, which I should have realized was his.”

“So, you spent the night with Corey?”

“Yes, I spent the night with Corey and no I don’t know if I’m going to tell him about Abby just yet. He’s agreed to take things however I want them to be, and if you’re sure about taking the girls on Tuesday nights…”

“Then you’re going to go out with Corey? Isn’t that a little difficult if he’s in New York?”

“He’s willing to do whatever I want. We’ll see what happens, for right now I need to see if what I feel is real or not,” she admitted hoping things became clearer the next time she saw him, she didn’t need any more confusion in her life.

Chapter 12

“Oh my god,” Lisa said staring at the stick. This couldn’t be happening, not like this, not now, but her stomach rolled again, and she didn’t doubt that it was real. She’d never felt like this before, she was hardly ever sick, but the last two mornings she’d barely been able to stop herself from throwing up. Now she felt like it again, but she figured it had more to do with what the test said than anything else.

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