Page 26 of Hold Us Close
“Thanks for letting me stay, Corin. It’s been kind of nice being here. In Spain, with Landen always out of town for work, I was alone a lot.”
“Um, he was obviouslyin townat some point,” Corin says nodding to my belly. “And you’re welcome.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “So, any chance you’re going to give me some details about you and Skylar? Has he beenin townyet?”
“God, pregnancy makes you such a perv.” She swats me with a napkin.
“Uh huh. Three years, Corin. You’ve beenI don’t like labels but we’re togetherfor three years.” I drag out the last word to make my point.
“I’m focusing on school. It’s not easy getting into law school, you know? Skylar knows that. We have an understanding.”
“Uh,youprobably have an understanding. Skylar probably has an on-going relationship with blue balls.”
“Layla Flaherty! I cannot believe you just said that. What the hell are they doing to you in Spain? Where did my sweet little Georgia go?” She gapes at me and I laugh, but a sharp pang in my mid-section stops my laughter in my throat.
“Oh, ouch.” I rub one hand across my stomach and the other on my lower back until it subsides.
“Are you okay?” Her green eyes are wide and filled with fear. “Do I need to call someone?”
I snort. “No. Just growing pains. I’m fine.”
“Hey, um, Lay? I know you don’t want to hear this, but have you thought about alternate living arrangements? I mean, it’s something you should probably consider.”
“You’re right,” I tell Corin as we set the table for dinner in her small apartment. “I don’t want to hear that.”
“Layla,” she huffs out my name on an exasperated sigh. “I know you love him and I know we all want to believe that this place is going to be the answer to our prayers. But—”
“But what?” I ask, folding my arms over the small bump that’s begun to jut out between my hips.
“But what if it’s not? What if it would be better for you and for the baby to stay here?”
“Here as in…”
“Well of course you’re welcome to stay here as in right here in this apartment for as long as you like. But I mean here as in California. You’re all caught up on your correspondence classes, right? So why not just finish up the rest of them here and walk at graduation? Maybe get an apartment in this building. We could be neighbors. I could babysit.” The hopeful expression she wears makes it impossible to be irritated by her suggestion.
Thankfully the doorbell rings and the Chinese food we ordered is here. Sitting at the kitchen table as she pays the deliveryman, I imagine what it would be like. Me, on my own. Raising my child, mine and Landen’s child, alone. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, if Landen can’t get control of his anger and his temper, then Corin might be right. But he can do this. I know he can. Just the fact that he went to the Axis Center proves he’s a better man than his father could ever be. Because he wants to be more than anything.
Corin brings the food in and we’re quiet throughout dinner, which is unusual for us. The light jovial mood from earlier has been replaced with tension that thickens the air between us. Finally Skylar stops by to drop off some notes from a class Corin missed, and I excuse myself to go lie down.
The sound of a baby crying startles me and I jolt upright. I’m in bed. Something beside me is ringing. But there’s no baby. For a few seconds, I’m disoriented. Sitting up and noticing the plum-colored walls, I realize I’m in Corin’s guest room. The light from beside me catches my attention. My phone.
Glancing over I see Landen’s smiling face.
“Hey,” I greet him, knowing he’ll hear the heavy sound of sleep in my voice.
“Did I wake you?”
“Not really. I just woke up from a nap.” Cradling the phone to my ear, I prop myself up on my pillows. Well, Corin’s pillows. “How was today?”
He’s quiet and I can tell something’s wrong.
“Landen?”
“Fine, babe. It was fine. Just long is all.”
“Same here. You want to talk about it?” I trace the ivy pattern of Corin’s comforter with my free hand.
“Nah. I just needed to hear your voice.” He’s quiet for a moment. “Layla?”
