Page 39 of Last Minute Fiancé

My eyebrows rose and I shook my head.

“We can’t really take back what happened last night, or the night that brought forth this lovely little complication.”

Addison ran her hands through her hair, then started doing dishes. I grabbed a towel to start drying, both of us in sync as if we’d done this thousands of times. It was practically domestic.

But we had been friends first, and that was the hard part to remember.

“Sleeping together last night was a mistake.”

I held back a flinch, but I knew she was right.

It made things far more complicated, far more twisty. We wouldn’t be able to act rational like we both needed if we kept letting feelings and hormones get in the way.

“And I know that this is going to be hard, especially when our family and friends find out.” She winced. “Oh my God, we’re going to have to tell our family and friends.”

I winced as she handed over a plate so I could dry it. “Yes. My brothers are going to kick my ass.”

“Excuse me? I’m the woman who deflowered their baby brother.”

I scowled. “I wasn’t a virgin before we met, you know.”

Clouds filled her eyes, and I could have cursed for that. Then again, she just used the word deflowered.

“I know. But you are still their baby brother. And I’m just the crazy best friend who slept with you.”

“I’m pretty sure we slept with each other. More than once. Remember? I’m the one who told you to take my cock. And you’re the one who greedily accepted.”

“Luca Cassidy, don’t say things like that. It’s hard to think when you do.”

“Well, we were thinking pretty well last night, weren’t we?”

“That’s why we can’t do that again. It makes things too complicated. We’re already a tangled mess, and we can’t be our rational selves and figure out what to do next with all of this if we are too busy worrying about sleeping together again. So we’re not going to do that, ever.”

I raised a brow. “So, we’re going to raise this child as friends, with what, both of us having separate lives and dating other people and pretending that we’re okay with that?”

I hadn’t meant to say it like that, I didn’t even know if us dating was the right move, but I didn’t want to throw it away. To toss out just the idea of it because it was too hard.

“Luca, I just, I’ve never allowed myself to feel like that for you. I never wanted to lose your friendship.”

“Don’t put sex off the table. Because if we do that, it’s going to make things worse. We’re adults though. We can do this.”

“Okay, but we’re going to be friends first, no matter what. Because that is worth more than anything. Orgasms are great, but friendship is more. As is the fact that we’re going to be raising a child and it’s going to change everything. It’s going to be so fucking ridiculous. I need to make sure that you are on board with this. That you are on board with midnight feedings and the fact that our lives are going to completely change.”

“I’m there, Addison. I’ve been there.”

“Okay. I know you’re always there.”

I wanted to curse at that, at the fact that it sounded as if it were my own epitaph, but I didn’t. Instead, I just reached out and cupped her face.

“One step at a time. Telling our friends and family is a big step. And then doctor’s visits, and work. But, Addison? I care about you.”

There was something here, something I couldn’t just ignore because it was difficult. I knew she wanted to, that she felt like she needed to ignore it. But fuck that. I wasn’t going to let her walk away and put me in a box because she was scared.

Because I cared. I wanted to know her. I wanted more.

I just hoped that she didn’t hate me in the end.

“Luca, I care about you too.”

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