Page 44 of Craving You

Another groan. “Why can’t we just have normal parents? They knew I was coming here to stay with Billie, and Billie told them where I was! Why did they have to get on a plane?”

“You heard what Mom said earlier—she thought Billie was just protecting Max. It’s not the most outlandish thing to think.”

“Yes, it is! Billie isn’t the kind of person who would lie!” And yet another groan. “I just hate that they had to show up here and ruin what was supposed to be a somewhat relaxing day. I mean…I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure who knew about the pregnancy, but…”

“Everyone,” Sloane said matter-of-factly. “Everyone knows. In Mom’s quest to find out where you were, she threw that fact into every conversation.”

“Seriously? And you didn’t try to stop her?”

The bland look she got spoke volumes.

“Okay, fine. There’s no stopping her. I just…I hate this. Max and I kind of hit pause on everything so we could get to know each other and now Mom and Dad are going to come back here and demand answers! I hate putting Max on the spot like that!”

“And what about you? Do you have everything figured out?”

Flopping back against the mattress, she mumbled, “No.”

“Maybe you should be talking to Max instead of me right now.”

It wasn’t the worst idea, but she was sticking to her avoidance method for a little while longer.

Mimicking her pose, Sloane turned her head with a sympathetic smile. “You’re really moving here?”

“Yup.”

“And Max is a good guy?”

“He really is.”

“Are you going to marry him?”

That wasn’t something she could answer quite so confidently.

“First, we still barely know each other. Second, nobody needs to get married anymore. We can easily co-parent—especially since I’ll be living here.”

Propping herself up a bit, Sloane’s expression turned serious. “Okay, but…just hear me out. You’re moving someplace completely new. You don’t have a place to live, a job, or anything. You’re pregnant, and you have no idea what this pregnancy is going to be like.”

“That’s all true, but…”

“Imagine having someone there to support you—and I’m not talking about financially, but someone who can share the load with you. Someone who is just as invested in this journey as you are.”

“I get what you’re saying, Sloane, but—again—you don’t have to be married to have that. Maybe Max and I can live together or near each other. I’m not planning on staying here in Billie’s guest room indefinitely. Finding a place to live was always part of the plan. And if Mom and Dad hadn’t shown up here today, it would be something I could have freely discussed with everyone.”

“Don’t be a brat. You can still do all of that. It’s not like they’re going to spend the entire day blocking you from speaking.” With a snort of amusement, she laid back down.

“No, they’re just going to keep trying to make me feel guilty while giving Max the stink eye.” She sighed loudly. “I can’t believe what a mess I’ve made.”

“Um…I hate to break it to you, but it takes two to make a baby, so…Max shares the responsibility for this mess.” Sitting up, she shrugged. “And if you ask me, it’s not that much of a mess. You were totally into him, he was obviously very into you, and you both currently seem very into each other. You said you like him and he’s a great guy, so I’m not seeing this as being a bad thing. Did you speed things up? Yes. This pregnancy allowed the two of you to reconnect when you were both too stubborn to reach out to each other.”

Flinging her arm over her eyes, she murmured, “Maybe.”

“Would it be so terrible to marry Max?”

“No.” Forcing herself to sit up, Hailey shook her head. “You’re forgetting one key thing.”

“What?”

“We’re not in love! Marriage should be about being with the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with.” Then she remembered Max’s suggestion. “Plus, he sort of already suggested it.”

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