Page 153 of The Baby Bargain

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I am hungry.

I need nourishment. And space. And a lock for my heart.

Men are just—

They're too difficult and untrustworthy.

"He's not the same without you," Chase says.

"Free?" Finally able to screw his hot boss.

He shakes his head. "Miserable."

I bite my lip. That can't be possible. It can't.

Chase holds my gaze. "I can show you."

Maybe. I want to know, but it's a bad idea. I should move forward, not backward. "Only if I can show you Grace."

His face goes white.

"You want her to be happy, right?"

His voice is uncertain. "I think so." His shoulders tense. His jaw cricks. All of a sudden, he's the picture of discomfort. "You follow her?"

I twirl noodles around my fork. "Her Instagram is public."

He swallows hard.

"If you don't want to know—"

"Do you?"

Maybe. I think so. "I'll jump if you will."

Chapter Thirty

Chase

My heart is in my throat.

Do I want to know if my ex-girlfriend is happy?

Do I want to see the visual evidence that I added to her pain?

Do I want to know, with certainty, that everyone I've ever loved does better without me?

My fingers curl into my fork. I try to move the noodles to my mouth, but my hand stays in place.

It's ridiculous. I'm starving. And this dish is delicious.

Chewy noodles. Crunchy vegetables. Tender meat.

All that love Ariel poured into it. The love that's still with Phillip. The love she's forming for her future child.

It could be there.

She could be pregnant right now.

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