Page 90 of Before You Go

I feel Dayton come up from behind me, and Matthew eyes move to over my shoulder.

“This is why you said it was serious between you two.”

“No, I said it’s serious because I’m in love with him.” I tell him quietly and his expression fills with pain.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re pregnant?”

“Because you and I aren’t exactly involved in each other’s lives anymore. And I kind of assumed that your mom would share the news with you.”

“She didn’t.”

“I see that now.” I agree softly.

“I still love you,” he says and Dayton makes a noise in the back of his throat.

“I’m sorry, Matthew, I’ll always care about you, but I don’t feel the same.”

“Fuck.” He tips his head back to the sky then drops his gaze back to me. “I should go.” I don’t reply, because honestly I don’t even know what to say.

“You okay?” Dayton asks when he’s pulling away a minute later.

“Yeah,” I tip my head back to look up at him. “I feel bad that in his head there was still a shot at us working out, but he had to know in his gut that that was never going to happen.”

“Hope springs eternal, baby.”

“I guess so.”

“You sure you’re okay?” His eyes search mine.

“I don’t want to sound callous, but it feels like I’ve lived a thousand lives since he and I were together if that makes sense.”

“I can understand that.” He wraps his arm around me and starts leading me towards my apartment.

“Hopefully he’ll find someone who makes him happy.” I lean into his side.

“Only time will tell.”

“Yeah, only time will tell,” I agree. I just hope if it does happen, he realizes what he has before it’s too late.

Coming awake it takes me a second to realize that the sense of being alone I feel is because Dayton isn’t with me in bed. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up without him unless it’s after he’s left for work, but even then, he always kisses me goodbye before he goes. Lifting my head off my pillow I look towards the bathroom and find the door open but the light off, so he’s not in there. Reaching over to the side of the bed for my phone on the nightstand, I pick it up and check the screen. It’s a little after three in the morning, which is way too early for him to be up for work or out with PJ who also seems to be missing.

Tossing back the blanket, it takes me a minute to get up, the weight of the baby on my full bladder making it uncomfortable to move or even sit up. Once I finally get my feet on the floor I quickly go and use the restroom then leave the bedroom in search of Dayton. It doesn’t take me long to find him in what was his guest room until a couple of weeks ago when my brother and his all showed up and got everything moved to a storage locker. Stopping in the bedroom door, I lean against the jamb and feel my chest get warm as I watch my guy wearing nothing but a pair of plaid sleep pants with his glasses on reading an instruction manual with a few pieces of the baby bed he bought on the floor in front of him, and some other pieces already put together leaning against the wall.

Okay maybe this look on him tops them all.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asks, and I focus on him.

“Just thinking that this is my favorite look on you. Sexy soon-to-be dad putting together furniture.” I watch him smile.

“What was your favorite look before?”

“It was a tossup between hot professor and sexy athletic guy.”

“Is that so?” He grins as I walk to him. Once I’m standing in front of him, he cups my belly in both his hands and presses a kiss to it before he pulls me down to sit on his lap. “You should be sleeping.”

“Your son woke me up sitting on my bladder.” I pet PJ when he wanders over to me to say hi with his tail wagging.

“I’ll have a talk with him.” He leans down to my stomach. “Hey kid, you need to be kind to your mom while you’re living in there.”

---