Page 64 of The First Time

“I understand, but our brains can be liars. In fact,mostof the time, they are.”

“Thanks,” he replies, looking down at his feet. I think he’s trying to hold back his emotions.

I hate that what Lauren did to him will always be etched into his soul. It’s not something that goes away, but he’s come a long way. He has generally moved past it, but I imagine he will need to see for himself that Charlotte will love him after the baby comes.

I feel a little tap on my shoulder. “Yes, sweetheart?” I turn to Brie.

“Can we go outside and play?” she asks, looking much more awake now.

“Of course we can. How about sidewalk chalk?” I suggest.

That earns me a cheer of excitement. I walk outside with Brie and get both of us set up with the chalk. Being a part of this little family unit makes me think back to when I used to picture what life would be like if I married Josh.

I was seventeen and stupid, but I had it all figured out in my head. Who knew ten years later, those dreams would start to creep back in?

Chapter Twenty-One

Josh

“Did you pack an overnight bag?” I ask Layla as I lean against the frame of her front door.

She picks up a black bag from the ground by her shoes. “Overnight bag is packed.”

She closes the door and locks it. As soon as we’re settled into my truck, she grabs my cheek and pulls me in for a kiss.

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of her lips or the way my heart flutters every time they touch mine.

“Now, can you tell me where we’re going?” she asks as she pulls away.

I put the truck in reverse and back out of her driveway.

“Nope. Sorry, Freckles. It’s a surprise all the way to the very end.”

I’ve been setting this up for a couple of days. My friend owns a huge beach house in Charleston that he rents out in the summer months. He is letting us stay there for the evening. But we arenot driving the two hours to Charleston, we are taking another form of transportation.

When we pull up to the gate of the private airport, she looks at me strangely.

“What’s going on? Are we flying somewhere?” she asks.

I find a parking spot in the front and cut the engine. “We are indeed.”

I grab both of our bags and walk into the building. Carter is waiting for us at the opposite side of the building by the sliding glass doors.

“What’s up, man?” I ask, placing our bags on the ground and shaking his hand. “Thanks for letting me do this.”

“Not a problem. I think you’ve earned yourself a solo trip.”

“You ready, Freckles?” I pick our bags back up, following Carter outside to the small aircraft that’s being inspected at the moment.

“This guy is flying us somewhere?” she asks as the wind whips through her hair; looking like a movie star with her sunglasses.

We walk up the stairs and into the aircraft. I place our luggage in the closet and then sit down in the cockpit.

“Not exactly,” I tell her. “Come sit down.”

I motion for her to sit in the co-pilot seat, but she continues to stand in place.

“Josh, what the hell is going on?” she crosses her arms over her chest.

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