Page 58 of Before You Go

“Congratulations!” I can’t help but give him a hug. I know how hard he’s been working toward that goal, how many long nights he had, and how much he sacrificed for that position, which has always been his dream. Maybe I shouldn’t be so excited for him because one of the things he sacrificed was our marriage, but as someone who used to be his friend, I’m genuinely happy that he finally got what he always wanted.

“Thanks.” His hold on me grows uncomfortably long, and I have to wiggle for him to let me go.

“I’m really happy for you.” I step away from him and back into something solid, feeling a hand wrap around my hip.

Dayton.

“That means a lot.” He tips his head toward the bar. “Can I buy you a celebration drink?”

The fingers wrapped around my hip dig in, and I swallow hard.

“Oh, there’s Christen,” Molly says loudly, making me jump. “Come on! Let’s go get a drink and say hi.” She laces her arm through mine as she looks through everyone. “Sorry, I’m going to steal her for a few minutes. We’ll be back.”

“Go mingle,” Mom replies, oblivious to the tension in the air as she waves us off before turning back to talk to Shelly.

Glancing up at Dayton as Molly tugs me away, I catch the look on his face and instantly feel a knot form in the pit of my stomach. If I thought he wasn’t happy before, I was wrong. I want to reassure him—or have him reassure me—that we’re okay, but I don’t even know what we are. This thing between us is strange, because we have no label, yet I feel more connected to him than I ever did my ex, who I was with for years. And it’s not just because our futures are tied together in a way that they will never be untangled, thanks to our baby.

“Girl, I knew I felt the tension between you and Dayton when he came to pick us up, but that whole scene just proved there is something going on with you two,” she whispers, leaning into me as we reach the bar. “What have you not told me?” She smiles at the bartender, who sees us and starts in our direction.

“I don’t know, but I think something is changing between us.”

“That’s kind of inevitable with the amount of time you’ve been spending with him.” She takes her eyes off me to order a drink for us each.

“He told me that he never wanted a relationship.”

“He also didn’t want a kid, yet here you are.” she inserts quietly.

“I know, but the thing is, I don’t want him to want to be with me just because I’m pregnant. You and I both know that is a recipe for disaster,” I whisper, and she frowns at me.

“Fran, you won’t know how this whole thing is going to play out until it plays out. Sure, you two could get together now and realize that it’s just not going to work, or you could get together and realize that maybe… it was meant to be.” She shrugs.

“I guess you’re right.” I pick up the drink the bartender places in front of me and take a sip. I haven’t had the desire to drink alcohol since I found out I was pregnant, but tonight, I really wish I could have something stronger than the sparkling water with lime Molly ordered for me. “He kissed me today.”

“You say it like it’s the first time that’s happened.”

“Because it is. I mean, besides the first night that we met, we haven’t kissed.”

“That’s shocking. There was enough sexual tension flying around in the car on the way over here that I was afraid I might get pregnant,” she says, and I laugh. “You’re telling me that just started today?”

“No. I mean… it’s always kind of been like that, but before, it was always just… an undercurrent of tension.” I chance a glance at where I left him, but he’s no longer standing near my mom nor Billy. Scanning the room, I spot him talking to my dad and a couple of other men, all of them laughing. The relief I feel that he and my dad get along is almost overwhelming. I just hope that doesn’t change after I tell my dad that he’s going to be the grandfather of Dayton’s son or daughter.

Like he can feel me looking at him, Dayton’s gaze finds mine, and he gives me a soft smile that erases all my earlier anxiety.

“I think it’s safe to say that he likes you, Fran.”

“I like him too—a lot, actually, which is scary.”

“So just take it one day at a time.” She nudges her shoulder into mine, then does it again to urge me toward a standing table away from the bar and looks around. “Okay, now we need to find someone who looks like a Christen and pretend like we’re old friends.”

Laughing, I peer around the room along with her and find a woman standing alone in a dark corner. As I start to point her out to Molly, I halt when I realize that I recognize her as the woman who was sitting outside Dayton’s office the day I told him I was pregnant.

His assistant and the woman Billy is—or was—having an affair with.

Also, the person who Dayton is supposed to be fake dating.

Though, if that is still the case, it would be obvious to anyone paying attention that they are not together. Molly and I arrived here with Dayton, not her, and even though he and I have spent most of the evening apart, I haven’t once seen the two of them talking.

As I take a sip of my drink, I study her over the rim of the glass. She’s very pretty. She also looks totally uncomfortable.

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