Page 5 of Starry Night Kisses

Pain and something softer, warmer, battle in my chest as I watch Eric. His whole face lights up, and I swear tears shine in his eyes when he looks up at Daphne. “I’m so fucking happy for you, Daph.”

His gaze slides to mine, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. With a smile, he says, “I know. I’m a sap. I just love babies.”

Not wanting to lose my shit in front of a bunch of people I barely know, I awkwardly return his smile. “Yeah, a baby looks good on you.”

“One day, it will happen. Don’t give up hope,” Daphne tells him as she sits on Henry’s lap and wraps an arm around his neck.

I feel like I’m intruding on a special moment I’m not meant to be a part of. Something passes between Eric and Daphne as they smile at one another, and then to Henry, because he’s obviously a part of their odd little equation.

Not many women are comfortable with how close we all are.I remember Eric’s statement from New Years.

I want to be. The fact that they’re still close doesn’t bother me at all. But it’s clear that one day, Eric wants a family, and I can’t give that to him.

So, I might as well bow out before things getcomplicated and sticky. I have a feeling I could fall for Eric just as easily as I did for Jonathan.

And I don’t think I can handle having my heart broken like that again.

“Shit!” Eric curses as he hangs up his phone. “I’m so sorry, Evie.”

“It’s okay,” I tell him, not tearing my eyes away from the window.

He’d talked me into having dinner with him once we left Daphne and Henry’s, but his work called when we were on our way to the restaurant and told him he needed to go into the office.

It’s probably better this way.

“No. It’s really not. I feel like I keep fucking this up.” I finally turn my head to see him white-knuckling the steering wheel. His elbow is propped against the window, and he sighs as he scrubs his face with his hand.

“Don’t worry about it.” I shrug when he looks over at me. “Friends. Remember?”

The rest of the ride is quiet, the only sound coming from the country music playing on the radio and the sound of horns as vehicles aggressively pass one another, fighting to get a fraction ahead of the other cars.

Eric insists on riding up the elevator with me when we reach my place, bending to play with Bagel as my energetic pup jumps on him and licks his faceas soon as I open the door. “Oh, Archer is gonna be pissed at me when he smells you,” he tells him with a laugh.

I attach the leash to his collar, and we walk Eric back down, waving at the concierge—a nice older gentleman named Phil—as we pass through the lobby, so that Bagel can do his business and I can say bye. I try not to put too much stock into the fact that Eric didn’t just drop me off and leave, trying to spend as much time with me as possible, even though he needs to go to work.

“Do I at least get a hug?” he asks, opening his arms wide. He looks slightly concerned as I step into his embrace.

The earlier sexual tension between us has melted away—chased by the interruption to our plans, paired with the knowledge that Eric wants a family someday, and I can’t give that to him…ever.

As if he can sense my hesitation, his arms loosen and he steps back, sliding his hands down to mine. “Is everything alright, Evie?”

“Yeah, I’m just more tired than I thought. Guess it’s a good thing our plans had to change.” I try to smile, but it’s weary and doesn’t reach my eyes.

If Eric notices, he doesn’t push it and just squeezes my hands. “Okay, well. Talk later? I’m hoping I can stick around for at least a few days before having to fly back to New York.”

The urge to kiss me flares in his eyes, bare and bright enough for me to see. But I rotate my hands out of his hold, pressing them against his chest as Ilean up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “Talk later.”

Stepping back, I turn and gently pull on Bagel’s leash so he follows me, pausing when Eric asks, “Did I do something? I can’t help but feel like something’s changed since we were at Daphne and Henry’s.”

“No,” I say over my shoulder. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Eric.”

Once again, it’s just me who can’t get anything right.

evie

Draining the rest of my cab, I grab the bottle and pour the rest of the wine into my Olivia Pope-sized wineglass. Bagel sleeps peacefully in his bed in front of the fireplace media console, and there’s a trashy reality TV show playing quietly as I sketch out ideas for Roselyn’s nursery.

Over the past two weeks, Daphne has been adamant about getting me in there to paint. Eric says she’s trying to make friends with me—which is silly because we’re already friendly. She doesn’t have to hire me to get me to like her.

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