Page 209 of The Perfect Spiral
Delilah rushes over to hug him and pinch his cheeks. “You’re blushing, Knox! When did you tell her?” She asks him as if I’m not even in the room.
“On the plane ride over. She kind of forced it out of me. We were teasing each other, and she wanted to know who the girl was... So I told her it was my best friend’s sister.
“It was funny because she thought it was Sam first, then Maddie—”
“What?” Delilah whips her head around to look at me, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her face. I press my lips together, forming a tight line.
“Yeah, it took her a while to figure it out. So I asked her out. She said yes, and we had dinner at the Empire State Building, followed by a photography lesson after her talk.
“She looked beautiful, so I took her home with me, and we went to sleep. The end. Can I go now?” He rushes through a simplified version of our date, reaching for the door handle.
His account of our date is brief, but they don’t need to know all the details. It’s between him and me, and I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want to jinx anything.
I have to admit, I’m looking forward to our next date. Hopefully, he remembers he asked me out again.
“Wait! One more question! A very important one... Did you guys kiss?” Sam points at him as he grips the door handle.
He rolls his eyes and catches my gaze. “You’re such girls, you know that! Yes, we did. Are we done now? The guys are going to start wondering where I am.” We wave him out, and he sends me a smile that makes my heart flutter.
I clear my throat, trying to hide my embarrassment, and he pops his head back in. “Oh, and let’s keep this between us for now. I don’t know about you, baby doll, but I’d rather Kyle didn’t find out just yet...”
I nod in agreement, as does everyone else in the room. The door closes behind him, leaving us in silence. A moment later, another round of squeals fills the room. They sound like a bunch of strangled cats.
“Oh, Alex! He’s head over heels for you! You can see it in his—”
“Mom, it was just one date. He can’t be smitten after one date! Let’s not rush things. We’re just seeing where it goes.” I hold up my hands in surrender, trying to temper her enthusiasm.
She’s always been quick to jump to conclusions, even more so than Andy. A few seconds later, Cole comes in to fetch my mom and Delilah to help with the kids.
Before they leave, they shoot me a knowing wink. I roll my eyes, leaving me alone with Andy, Hannah, and Sam.
Let the girl talk commence.
“So, you two went on a date, huh?” Andy’s smugness is evident in her tone. I smile down at the floor and nod. “Did you guys have sex?”
“Andy!” Hannah slaps her, and they all burst into laughter. But they notice my silence, and their laughter turns into screams.
“You guys seriously need to stop doing that!” I scowl at them, my ears ringing from their shrieks.
“When? Where? How? What was it like—” Sam tries to get my attention.
“Last night. And that’s all I’m telling you. It’s none of your business! I don’t pry into your dating lives or sex lives, so stay out of mine, please...” I plead with them.
I bite my lower lip, praying they’ll keep this to themselves, especially Andy. I can’t afford for them to talk about this when the boys are around.
Kyle would kill Knox if he found out he’d touched me like that. Everyone knows that. They agree to keep quiet until I know for sure where things are headed.
“Okay, one more question, then we’ll leave it to our imaginations... is he a grinder or a pumper?”
“Jesus, Andy!” I clutch my sides, laughing, but she’s actually waiting for an answer.
She’s blocking the door, her back pressed against it and her armsfolded over her chest, making her boobs look even bigger.
I huff and roll my eyes. “Not a word!... he’s both.” The room erupts with screams and I see Andy thrusting her hips at me.
“Yes, yes, yes! Get it, Alex!”
I push them out the door, earning glances from the nurses at their stations. We all wave and apologize, telling them we’re just so excited about the baby. Like they believe us.
