Page 61 of Of Flesh & Bone

Panic!

"No, Adam.Why would you even ask that?"

"What's your plan, Eve?You've been in therapy for two years and you still can't be in a room with more than four people, including yourself.Do you want to live like this?"He pauses, giving me time to answer, but I don't.Instead, I glare back at him.

"What do you want to do after college?"

Sidestepping his actual question, I choose to respond with, "I'm going to be a mathematical engineer."

His eyes narrow, jaw clenching, as he rubs a hand down the stubble on his face.

"That's not what I asked you now, is it?"

I should've known better.I'm not prepared to lie to him, but I had hoped not to bring this up yet.It's time to mentally prepare myself for the fires that his roadrunner-like escape is about to make.Just say it.

"I want to be a mom.I want to stay home and devote my time and my energy to my kids.I want to adopt at least two kids from the system, and I want to be pregnant at least once.That's what I want to do after college."

Adam's eyes flair with...something but he doesn't run.He doesn't do anything for 10 seconds...30 seconds...1 minute.Finally, he walks toward me and grabs me by the nape of the neck, leaning down to brush the stubble on his cheek along the soft skin of my face.

"That's what I want too.Let's do that."

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I bury my face in his chest, inhaling him.The scent of this man is something like coffee, cinnamon, and danger.I could make a hobby of breathing him in.He grips me back tightly as though he thinks it's me who might escape."There'll be games, birthday parties, school plays, and PTA meetings.You're going to have to meet lots of new people and get more comfortable in a crowd.I love you, so I'll help you push yourself."

Before I can filter through his words, he picks me up and slings me over his shoulder just as he's done before.

"Adam!If you don't put me down RIGHT NOW, I'm going to fill you with candy and take a bat to your face!"

Adam begins walking leisurely out of the room, behaving as though I'm not punching his ass and flailing my legs wildly.He clamps his arm down across my legs, subsequently immobilizing them as he slaps me hard on the ass with the other.His go-to move.

"Ouch!Damn it, Adam!You better sleep with one eye open because I'm going to make sure you can't father children!"

"You can keep fighting, or we can do this the easy way."

"All I've got left is fight, so glove the fuck up, asshat!"

I can feel him descending the stairs before I see the first step.

"Do you realize how abrasive you are?"

"First of all, I'm a peach!Second of all, you're the fuck nugget who has AGAIN taken me against my will!"

"Fuck nugget?And do you really want to keep reminding me of the time that you left me?"

I immediately realize that, no, I do not want to do that.

"I hope your dick itches and your eyelid twitches for the rest of your unholy life!"

The room erupts into male laughter.Fuck.Me.Sideways.Adam sits me down with a devilish grin on his face.

"You made quite the scene, love."

Hiding behind his larger body, I give a quick wave to the guffawing crowd over his shoulder.Turning his head and speaking softly so only I can hear him, he says, "C'mon.This will be good for you."

"Yeah.Good for me like a root canal."

Various men shout to Adam with, "She's got you by the balls, bro" and "You had better watch out for that one, Captain", or "She's chaos in a can.You better think twice before you pop that top, Cap."

Everybody's a damn comedian.Meanwhile, my heart is racing, and my palms are sweating.How do palms even sweat?Why is it palms?Why isn't elbow sweat a stress response?People don't ask to shake your elbows.Holy hell, will they want to shake my hands?I can't feel my hands.If I just leave my hands here, will they leave me alone?

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