Page 18 of Where We Fall

"Hi, sorry I'm late," Savannah, my sister-in-law, and Luke's wife, says as she walks in.

She's pregnant and has been dealing with some serious morning sickness and fatigue. My guess is she was either getting sick in the bathroom or was taking a nap in her office. It's been good entertainment to watch Luke freak out because he can't do anything to control the rollercoaster ride that pregnancy entails. Fatherhood is gonna be a big adjustment for him, but he's gonna kill it. He's great with our niece and nephew, Sienna and Joey, Gabe's kids.

Savannah looks over at Lexi, and she joins the room with big bug eyes.

"Holy shit," Savannah exclaims. "Lexi? Damn girl, you look hot!"

I chuckle in my seat. Savannah is the best. Since she isn't an owner of the company, she doesn't have to try and maintain any sort of image. She is free to be who she wants, and I love every part of it.

"Thanks, Savannah," Lexi smiles then surprises me when she pulls out the seat right next to me.

I look over at her and lift an eyebrow. "I don't think you've ever sat next to me before."

It looks like she's considering my words. "I guess so. Maybe it's because I know you a bit better and have realized there's not much to be intimated by. It's all a facade."

Luke chokes on his water, but his grin can't be contained.

"Touché." I nod at her.

I like this side of her. I don't know where it's been, but I hope we get to see more of it.

"So, Lexi and Marcus," Mia starts. "We wanted to get everybody in the same room so we could all be on the same page for this weekend. Have you guys talked about the game plan for Saturday? Like how long you've been dating, etc.?"

"We meant to do that yesterday, but the day got away from us," I say.

"Well, this incident happened three months ago. So, your relationship can't exceed that timeline," Gabe says.

I look over at Lexi, wanting to know what she would prefer.

"Do you have a preference?" I ask.

She puckers her lips as she contemplates. My dick stiffens a bit at the sight. I'm stunned that within twenty-four hours, this woman that I've been around for over a year can suddenly affect me like this.

"I guess the longer the better, right? If we're going to act so in love. Maybe you can say it's the reason you never called that woman. You can say we started working closely on a project when you returned. and things just sort of started changing between us."

"I like that," Mia chimes in. "It's a good reason not to have called the girl. You fell in love."

"Aw, it's so sweet," Savannah says as she puts her hand over her heart.

I look over at her. "Are you crying?" I ask as I watch her wipe the corner of her eye.

"Shut up! It's the hormones. Plus, it's super sweet, you falling in love like that."

"You do realize it's not real?" I ask.

"It's still cute!" she defends.

Luke shrugs his shoulders. Clearly, even he doesn't know what to say back to his wife. This pregnancy is making her crazy. How are me and Lexicute?

I steal a glance at Lexi and her cheeks are red. Damn, this woman is going in and out with her boldness. It's like the mere mention of the two of us together for real is making her blush.

I want to lean in and say something to lighten the mood, but I'm also very aware that there are shifting emotions between the two of us. I need to tread carefully. The last thing I need is for this whole thing to blow up in my face.

"What else can we do to help you two out?" Gabe asks.

"I don't know. Maybe don't let us be alone with him. It will help if there's someone there to steer the conversation away if we get into a sticky situation and can't answer his questions," I tell the group.

"I do have to warn you guys that I am not the greatest liar," Lexi says. "I think it's best that I do minimal talking."

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