Page 108 of Seven of Hearts

“That you’re ready for this next phase in your life. You’re going to thrive in it. And I couldn’t be prouder of the man you’ve become.”

30

LEAH

Logan was breathing so loud that I was half-tempted to grab one of the throw pillows on the couch and smother him with it.

He glanced up from his laptop. “You okay?”

“Fine,” I clipped.

I was not. He was driving me crazy.

Logan lifted an eyebrow. “You sure? Because I can hear you grinding your teeth from over here.” He let out a breath that was so loud it sounded like a wave crashing.

The click of his laptop closing sounded like a gunshot.

“You look tense.”

No shit, Sherlock. There’s an alien inside of me. I have to pee every five seconds. You huff every time you finish typing something. And the kitchen smells like garlic even though I’ve cleaned it from top to bottom and we haven’t used garlic in this house at all.

“I’m fine,” I said as I paced the kitchen again, hunting for the garlic smell.

Hands slid around my hips, and I jumped.

“Geez. You scared me.”

Logan pulled me backward against his chest and rested his chin on top of my head. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Nothing.”

“Leah . . .”

How did I explain to him that I was severely overstimulated in a quiet house, I was uncomfortable in my skin, everything hurt, I was slowly descending into madness, and I still had ten weeks to go before this baby came out?

“I’m fine. I’m just stir crazy,” I muttered as I yanked open the cabinet that held the plates and bowls and contemplated how to rearrange them...again.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. I was going a little stir crazy. The first week of my Christmas break away from Gio and Ellie was great, and I loved spending Christmas with the Solomons. My parents even came over the day after Christmas and had a surprisingly cordial brunch with Logan and me.

Things were seemingly falling into place, which was everything I could dream of. I had the best man. We were having a baby. My mom was slowly getting over herself, and Logan’s mother had left us alone since she showed up at Christmas.

So why was I still unsettled?

In the blink of an eye I had gone from pleasantly pregnant and glowing to a miserable, grumpy walrus.

The third trimester was a bitch. I was just ready for it to be over with.

Sharp pain lanced from my pelvis straight down my leg. My knee buckled, and I clung to the countertop for dear life.

“Leah—”

“I’m fine,” I gritted out.

To my surprise, he didn’t argue with me or try to coddle me. I breathed through the pain until the round of lightning crotch passed while he rested against the kitchen island and fiddled on his phone.

“Put some shoes on.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Excuse me?”

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