Page 33 of Time Out

Never. With that thick, lush and soft hair and the lips and that jaw, common was far below Davis Hall.

He pushed off the stool and took a seat on the coffee table in front of me, moving my snack closer.

“I don’t want to make the same mistake I made the other day—”

“You didn’t. That was mine, and I’m sorry.”

He ignored me. “But is there anything you need from me? Anything I can do for you? I want you to know I’m all in on this, whatever you want from me, or need, I’m there. I’m not sure where we go from here, but you’re carrying my child, Maggie, and I take that seriously. I take this seriously.”

With him being so close, it was difficult to remember my earlier decision.

“A friend,” I blurted before I forgot it completely. “I need a friend.”

It’d be so easy to take him to my bed. Let him further exhaust me. I didn’t have the luxury of selfishness anymore.

“A friend.”

“Yeah.” My teacup hid the quiver of my chin. Friendship at least solely, was the last thing I wanted from him.

Friends.

I’d never had a friend I wanted to kiss, or ride, before.

This was going to suck.

“Okay,” he breathed out. If disappointment had a look, it was Davis’s face as he nodded. “Friends I can do.”

“You’re sure?”

He laughed, but it wasn’t a happy one. “I get it. We’re strangers. What we had was great, and I’ve already told you I wanted more, but there’s more to think of.”

“More to lose.”

“More to gain.”

He had a point. Tempting.

“Davis,” I said his name through another yawn.

“I should go,” he said. “Let you sleep, but before I do, do you have any appointments scheduled?”

“Yeah. My phone’s in my purse—can you…”

He was already moving.

“My code is zero-seven-thirty.”

He glanced at me over his shoulder, but I only saw him through blurry, half-open eyes. “You’re giving me your code?”

“I’m too tired. It’s the due date…” I set my tea on the table before it landed in my lap.

“Okay…” It came from a distance, almost a tunnel.

My eyes closed.

They opened to sunshine and the softness of my bed. What the heck? The last thing I remembered was Davis in my living room, agreeing to be friends. Grabbing my phone.

“Oh god,” I moaned and reached for the sleeve of salted crackers I kept next to my bed.

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