Page 13 of I Replaced His Husband
Hey, sweetie. How are you doing? Everything okay?
My dad was the only person I’d told about this strange arrangement. He understood me better than anyone, and he’d always been the person I trusted most. He’d never judged me, not once.
It’s tough. I’ll call you later and explain. For now, we’ve reached some kind of compromise.
He replied almost instantly.
I felt like you were upset. I’ll wait for your call. Love U!
???
Around 2 pm, Adam knocked on my door while I was still in my new room, tweaking the code Nathaniel had given me.
He looked kind of sheepish, like he was about to suggest something totally out there. Adam could be a bit obnoxious at times; still, I kinda liked him. My ex-husband couldn't standAdam, though. He’d always call him an ‘annoying beta’ or even a ‘fake-ass leech’. He thought he was manipulative and whiny. But I strangely didn’t mind his insecurities, and he was funny in his own way and weirdly attached to me. Back in college, we shared rooms, and I got used to his constant dramas with boyfriends and how much weed he smoked.
"Hey, so I was thinking… you could take this tray to Kay, if you want," he said, hesitating. "Might give you a chance to spend a little time around him, without seeming like you were imposing."
Adam gave me that typical mischievous slash lost-puppy look when he glanced up.
I raised an eyebrow and set my laptop aside. "I thought the whole point was no contact beyond sex."
He hesitated, then put the tray down on my nightstand. He walked over to the window and stared out like he was wrestling with something. Since he was clearly working things out in his head, I didn’t push. I just waited.
"Look, call me crazy, or pushy, but I’ve got hopes that don’t exactly line up with Kay’s."
"What do you mean?"
Adam turned to face me, and his expression was unexpectedly serious.
"I know you’re a good guy, Rain. And I think Kay will require more than just physical stuff. He might not see it now, but I think he needs some kind of… bond. I’m just trying to anticipate that. Because the truth is brutal, Mauriceisn’tcoming back. Ever. And Kay’s about to be a dad. He needs to start healing. He needs someone to help him through that. And truthfully, he’s a lot like you, more of a ‘relationship type’. Maurice was the only guy he ever had."
"Wait… what are you really saying, Adam?" I asked suspiciously.
He chewed on his lower lip, eyes down. "I hope he warms up to you. That’s why I think you should try to connect with him outside of just sex. Do little things. Let him feel your presence. Be someone he can lean on."
There was a pause. I was still trying to figure out what exactly he wanted from me. "Adam… are you asking me tocourthim? You want me to start an actual relationship with your brother?"
My friend met my gaze directly, and yeah, I already knew. He was dead serious.
A wave of frustration surged up, and I snapped, "Really? Come on, Adam! What the fuck? Just four days ago, you were begging me to help with this ‘emergency’. You said it was something temporary, just until the cravings passed and the pregnancy wasn’t at risk. Now you’re saying this whole thing… You’veplannedit?"
Adam’s lips trembled a little. He looked even more timid, almost scared.
"You don’t understand—"
"Then explain, will you?"
Adam’s cheeks flushed.
"Kay’s not like what you’re seeing now, Rain! Broken, or bitter, or hostile. He used to be sweet and kind, though always a little guarded… because of his… looks. He often said his beauty was a curse. It made him suspicious and kept him from bonding easily. He worried constantly that people had an agenda. One would think being a runway model would have given him easy confidence, but he only became more careful because of it."
"Adam, you’re rambling, stalling…"
Adam snorted. "But know this, he wasn’t always like this, full of anger. I think you could get to know the real him, the guy behind all those walls. And maybe even…like him, perhaps… more."
I stared at him, stunned. "Are you playing matchmaker? Some kind of Cupid wannabe?"
"No…"
