Page 96 of A Good Book

“Want company?”

“You want to go to my OB appointment with me?” I squinted at him.

“I would. It has to suck going alone.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Matthew…”

He grinned. “Gabriella…”

“You’re pretty awesome.”

He lifted his chin and puffed out his chest. “I know.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

PHIL COLLINS & MARILYN MARTIN, “SEPARATE LIVES”

Gabby

Two weeks later,Matt took me to my OB appointment.

“This must be the lucky dad,” the nurse said as Matt followed me from the waiting room to the exam room.

“You bet,” he said.

I shot him a look over my shoulder as the nurse stopped at the scale. He winked.

“Turn around,” I said.

“Huh?” He squinted.

“I don’t want you to see my weight.”

“Gabby—”

“Just do it.”

He turned while giving me a heavy sigh. The nurse eyed me as I stepped onto the scale. It was a silent tsking, as if I had a terrible boyfriend who judged me for my weight. Matt was neither my boyfriend nor overly judgmental. And while I was no longer actively pursuing him or trying to impress him, I didn’t want him to know my weight.

“Okay, follow me,” she said after jotting down my weight. “Your boyfriend can wait in this room,” she pointed to the exam room on the right, “while you pee in this cup for me. The restroom is down the hall on the left.”

I nodded as Matt sat in the chair next to the exam table.

After peeing in the cup, I returned.

“This is weird,” I said, sitting on the exam table, legs dangling off the side. “What would Julianne think of you being here with me?”

He made duck lips for a few seconds. “Good question.”

“Would she be mad?”

He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “Would Ben be mad?”

“No. Well, maybe. Yes. He’d be mad because you’ve been his nemesis.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because he had to endure my talking about you when he liked me. And he was mad when he found out that we almost had sex.”

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