Page 86 of The Valentine's Bet

“Have you talked about...” My voice trails off because, suddenly, I’m not really sure I want to know.

“Having a family?” Amy finishes, giving me a funny look as she starts pulling ingredients down from the cabinets. “No. We haven’t. Well, not about having a family together, at least. He’s mentioned that he wants to have a family someday, and I do, too.”

“Hmm,” I reply, turning to set my running shoes on the rack.

Amy’s next question stops me in my tracks. “Doyouwant a family someday, Parker?”

Confliction fills my chest. “Uh...”

“It’s okay to just be honest,” she urges, giving me a half-hearted smile. “I know you’re not into relationships and all that. Obviously, if you stay single, that would make it hard to have a family of your own. I shouldn’t have even asked.”

“The idea of having a family has always been appealing to me,” I admit, shocking myself with my honesty. “I just don’t see a way I’ll ever have one.”

Amy pauses opening the bag of potatoes and frowns at me. “Because you don’t think you’ll ever find the right person?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’d rather not raise kids in a family of dysfunction like mine. It’s not a great way to live.”

“But you’re not your dad.” Her words hit me like a freight train right to the chest.

“I never said that I was,” I snap, shaking my head beforefinallysetting my shoes down.

Amy immediately recoils. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just meant...” She sighs, her shoulders falling. “You have such a good grip on the way a relationship should be. I don’t see why you couldn’t be successful at keeping the love alive once you found the right person, and I think deep down you want—”

“No,” I cut her off, feeling stupid and vulnerable. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Because you’re going to lose the bet?” She shoots me a clever grin.

Ugh. She never just lets me be irritated.

“No,” I reply. “And I haven’t lost the bet yet. Dalton isn’t your boyfriend.”

“How doyouknow?” She raises a brow as I make my way toward her in the kitchen.

“Because if he was, then you’d have been rubbing it in my face and jumping for joy by now. There’s no way you’d be able to keep that inside.”

She pouts in a way that makes me want to kiss her. “Fair enough. I guess you know me better than I thought.”

“Well, youhavelived here for three weeks.”

“Ugh, I know.” She gives me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry. I’m probably such a thorn in your side. My landlord told me there aren’t any empty apartments available that they can move me to. I think they’re just going to have to break my lease and I’ll find a new place—but I can definitely move out sooner than later. Just say the word. I don’t want to be in your way.”

“You’re never in my way.”

Her eyes soften toward me as I brush past her, her perfume filling my nostrils. I swear the more she’s around the moreappealingshe becomes.

“You really don’t mind me living here?”

I can’t tell if she’s fishing as she looks up at me, holding my gaze. For a moment, I consider being funny, making a dry joke about it. But I don’t. “I like having you here.” I open the drawer, pull out the potato peeler, and set it on the counter.

Amy falls into silence as she washes the potatoes and I grab the trash can. I can’t tell if she’s gone quiet because I said something that’s bothering her or if she just doesn’t have anything to say. I mean, maybe shedoesn’t like staying here but doesn’t want to hurt my feelings.

I distract myself from those thoughts as I grab a potato and start peeling it, watching as Amy gets the steaks ready.

“So, you had a good day at work?” I ask awkwardly, hating the silence between us.

“Yeah,” she says, not looking at me. “It wasn’t bad. I’ve been growing a lot closer to Nellie, which is nice. It’d be nice to have some close girlfriends in the city.”

“Yeah, having friends that are girls would be a little less off-putting to your potential suitors, I suppose.” I chuckle.

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