Page 64 of Hidden By His Side

She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she’d been transferring a ton of phone calls. Well, in between vomiting up everything she attempted to put in her stomach.

The only food that stayed down were the bananas and the decaf tea that had appeared in her tea corner. Ramiro was responsible for the bananas and the decaf options and the saltines,which didn’t stay down at all, and all the little touches that kept showing up.

He’d even bought a newborn onesie. A pink one with sunflowers. He’d left the gift on her work desk during one of her trips to the bathroom.

Friday was almost over, and they were going to go back to his home again once it was, and it all just felt so awkward. She’d mentioned moving back to her apartment, but he’d told her she should stay. Summer was pathetic enough to cling to the chance, despite knowing he didn’t really want her there.

The light indicating he was still on a call went dark. Ramiro was available. In the past, she’d pop in, ask if he needed anything. Maybe take him another coffee.

Her hand moved to her twisting stomach. The smell of brewing coffee made her nausea worse. That and the smell of meat.

She’d switched to salads for lunch, but without any soft cheeses. Ramiro had read they weren’t good for the baby. Not even the salads wanted to stay down, though.

With all the bananas she’d been eating, maybe her daughter would come out as a hairy monkey and no one would want her, then Summer would be able to keep her.

The ache in her stomach grew worse. She shouldn’t allow herself to think about that. A part of her might want to keep the baby, but it was the selfish part. Her daughter would be better off without her.

“Summer?” Ramiro called softly, his tone worried, and she wondered if he’d called her name more than once. He hoveredat the edge of her desk. He’d been the one to come out to check on her, when it should have been her checking on him.

That was wrong. That was all wrong.

She pushed up from her chair too fast, her head swirling with her stomach. “Did you need something? What can I do?”

Ramiro shook his head. “That’s what I was asking you. I noticed you didn’t eat much again for lunch.”

“I just haven’t felt too hungry lately.”

“The morning sickness is still bad for you.” He knew because he came to her in the morning, no matter how quiet she tried to be. The way he held her hair back and soothed her made her want to tell him about her other episodes. She hated throwing up, but since he only touched her then, she wanted to do it around him more often.

Don’t you see how toxic that is?

Summer hated that the voice digging into her mind sounded like Ramiro.

“You look tired. Why don’t we head home early?”

He still called it “home” as if it was hers.

All week, she’d been trying to find the right spot for her blue bowl. She was starting to believe there wasn’t one because it didn’t belong there. Just like she didn’t.

The phone rang, and Summer jumped for it. “Rodriguez Security,” she greeted, her tone switching to the happy one that came so easily with a phone in her hand.

“Hey,sunshine, ready to run away with me yet?” Ash’s voice was sexy, but his flirting had always left her cold. Asher Mendez just liked to mess with her.

“I can transfer you to Ramiro in just a moment,” she said, looking up in time to see Ramiro’s back as he stalked back to his office and closed the door.

“Still not sick of that control freak?” Ash asked.

“I never will be.” Half of her hoped he didn’t hear how pathetic she was; the other half hoped he’d take it seriously and stop the flirting he never really meant.

“You’re too good for him,” Ash said.

He’d never say that to her if he knew her better. “I’ll transfer you now,” she said and pushed the first button. “It’s Ash,” she told Ramiro, waiting for his hum to come through before she pushed the button again.

The phone slid back into the cradle, made to be there. She’d never fool herself into believing she fit with Ramiro in the same way. He was right to keep her at a distance.

She felt like the final grains in an hourglass were falling, counting out the last moments he’d let her selfishly cling to him.

Chapter 21

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