Page 59 of In this Moment

Before she even knew what she was doing, Evie nodded. “Ihave.”

“And?”

“It’s not a completely terribleidea.”

Except it was. It was a terrible idea. She didn’t love Tony. She loved Declan.

But that’s notreal.

Just because she loved Declan, didn’t mean anything. He wasn’t the one standing in front of her, offering her the chance to be a family. Maybe if hewas…

No maybe aboutit.

Everything would be different if he loved her in return.

“I know you’re engaged.” Tony was talking. “And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Lauren and I…well, we’ll definitely have a few things to work out before we…make it official.”

She nodded numbly. “Of course.”

“But if you give me a few days, I can talk to Lauren and make sure she knows that it’s not because I don’t loveher—”

Evie held up her hand to stop him. She didn’t want to hear the details. It was one thing for her to end things with Declan. They weren’t really together. But Tony was going to end his marriage to be a family with her and Jonah. It was crazy.

It was wrong.

It was so very wrong.

“Tony, no,” she said. “You love Lauren and we’re not…” She waved a hand between them. “We’ve never been…Imean…”

“We never loved each other,” he finished for her. He took her hands in his. “No, but we were young and we both love Jonah.”

She nodded. That wastrue.

“And isn’t that enough? Relationships are formed on a lot worse,” he said. “Love for a child seems like a pretty good reason to be together.”

She nodded again, but a tear slipped from her eye. “I’m justnot—”

Tony silenced her with a kiss. It was hot and wet and sloppy and the only thing she felt from his touch was empty.

Evie was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the jingle of the bells until it was too late. But it was Lauren’s voice that cut through the noise in her brain and brought her back to the moment.

“I knewit!”

Startled, Evie pulled back, out of Tony’s completely awkward embrace, and took a step back toward the safety of her counter. “Lauren, I—”

“You…” Lauren shook her head in disgust and focused her attention on Tony. “How could you do it like this?” Her blonde ponytail shook from side to side, her face screwed up in hurt and anger. If Evie hadn’t have been more than a little scared of the other woman, she might have felt bad forher.

“Now, Lauren.” Tony took a step toward his wife. “Remember, we talked aboutthis.”

“Youdid?”

Tony ignored Evie’s question. “You agreed with me that it was important for families to stay together and do what was best for the child. Evie is the mother of my child.”

“So that’s it?” Lauren demanded. “You and Evie are getting back together? You’re going to be a family with Jonah and this is how you were going to tell me aboutit?”

“No,” Eviesaid.

Tony turned to her. “No?”

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