Page 128 of Ordinary Secrets

She shifts her scowl from the boxes onto me. “Youneverlet me pay. Not when we go out to eat, not on our dates, and you just bought me a brand-new car. Letmebuy something for once.”

“No.”

She doesn’t give up because lately, she’s been making it a point to be as difficult as possible. “Why doyoualways get to pay for everything?”

“Because I’m the man.” The moment I say that, I want to face-palm myself.

She scoffs and jerks her head back. “Are you saying I can’t pay because I’m awoman?”

“No.” I let out an exasperated breath. “I’m paying because these things are a smaller percentage of my bank account than yours. You work hard for your money, and all I did was lose my parents to a fucking explosion. Thousands of dollars I don’t deserve appear under my name every month, so I’m paying. Besides, this wasmyidea. I was the one who dragged you out here in the middle of the night.”

For a moment, her glare falters into sympathy. It looks like she’s about to give in, until she crosses her arms over her chest. “Nathan always had more money than I did, and he never let me pay for anything. At first, I thought it was because he wanted to be nice. Eventually, I realized he just wanted to control me.”

Ouch.I can’t believe she’s comparing me to that ugly scumbag right now. I cup her face with my free hand and lean in to her. “That’s not what I’m doing, and you know it.”

“Then when I say I want to pay for something, don’t stop me.”

This woman is one of the most easygoing people I know. She’s also the most difficult. I’ve learned by now that once her mind is made up, there’s no changing it. So reluctantly, I hand her the boxes.

She clutches all four against her chest. “Thank you for understanding that I need to do this.”

I do understand. Things are falling out of control, and she wants to feel in control ofsomething. Not only that, she doesn’t want to repeat her situation with Nathan. I applaud her for standing firm the way she just did.My strong, independent woman.

I lower my voice. “If you want to pay, that’s fine, but please, don’t compare me to your ex ever again. I don’t buy you things to control you. I buy you things because I want to take care of you. Because I—”Because I love you.The words almost leave my lips. They don’t, because 4 a.m. in the middle of the family-planning aisle of a grocery store is not the right time or place. “Because you’re special to me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to compare you to him. I was just trying to explain why I wanted to pay.”

With a palm on the small of her back, I pull her in. She steps into me and allows me to kiss her forehead, but it’s not enough, so I cup the back of her neck and collapse my mouth over hers. We embrace in a hard kiss that soothes the ache in me.

The second we part, the ache floats right back in like a cold black fog. Our moment of truth is coming, and my heart knows it.

“The car is this way,” Arella says after we check out.

“But the bathroom is this way.” I point toward the bigrestroomssign hanging from the ceiling.

“What? We’re doing thisnow?”

“What part of ‘I can’t wait any longer’ wasn’t clear?”

“Can’t we do this at your house?”

Ouch.It stings that she didn’t call itourhouse. “Arella, please...” I hold out the shopping bag.

With a huff, she snatches the bag. I’m about to follow her into the family bathroom when her palm against my sternum stops me.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I give her aduhlook. “Trying to see if you’re pregnant?”

“Nuh-uh. You need to wait out here. I don’t want you to stand around and watch me pee on a stick.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like I’ve never seen you naked.”

“It’s weird.”

Things will move along faster if I stop arguing with her, so I step back with my hands up. “Fine. Just take all four, and let me in as soon as you’re done.”

The bag crinkles in her grasp as she vanishes behind a locked door.

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