Page 29 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Chapter 15

Maya awoke gasping, sitting upright so fast she made herself dizzy. It was quiet. Finally. She’d slept fitfully for most of the night, mostly because the woman whose name she now knew was Melanie had screamed for hours. Not that Maya blamed her. She couldn’t imagine giving birth.

Finally, the apartment and the attached clinic were silent, which unnerved Maya.

“Stuart?” she whispered in the darkness. They’d left the door open at her insistence. Stu had taken the couch.

Seconds later, a shadow filled the doorway, but it wasn’t Stuart. It was Advic. She recognized him by his height. He hesitated a moment and then came to her side and sat on the edge of the bed, not touching her.

“Stuart’s asleep on the couch. Why is he in the living room instead of in here with you?”

She frowned at him, her eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. “I don’t think his woman would like it if he slept with me.”

Advic flinched. “His woman?”

“Yes. Ariel.”

“I thought you were his woman?”

Maya frowned deeper and finally reached for Advic’s forearm. She tugged until he gave her his hand. “No. I’ve never been with Stu. He’s a friend. What made you think we were a thing?” She winced. “Is that why you went hunting for him? Because you thought he and I were together?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You kept murmuring his name in your sleep. A lot. If he’s not your man, then I’m guessing you wish he was.”

She shook her head. “No. Like I said, that’s never been the case. Not in all the years I’ve known him. I’m not anyone’s woman. By design. I don’t want to be. But I’ve never even looked at him like that. There was a time when I wished I could. It would have been convenient for me to have romantic inclinations toward him, but it never happened.”

Advic’s chest rose and fell. She couldn’t quite make out his expression, but she thought his brows were furrowed. Deep lines formed between his eyes. Suddenly, he kicked off his shoes, swung around, and lay down alongside her, propping himself on one elbow.

He threaded his fingers with hers and set their combined hands on her stomach in the same way he’d done the night he stretched out next to her in the hospital bed. The night he disappeared while she’d slept. To go find Stuart.

“Do you know why you call out to him while you sleep?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Advic cleared his throat. “Can you tell me about it?”

“No.” She couldn’t and she wouldn’t. She never wanted to discuss that dark time ever again, though she suspected he knew more than she would want him to. She’d obviously mumbled a lot in her sleep while she’d been feverish.

He dropped his head down on the pillow next to her with a sigh.

“Is the baby okay?” she asked tentatively.

“Yes. It’s a boy.”

“He’s so quiet,” she pointed out.

“Finally, right? Mom and baby are asleep.”

“Did her dad calm down? He worries me. It didn’t sound like he wanted to add a baby to his family.”

“Yeah. He wasn’t pleased, especially because his daughter won’t tell him who the father is. But the moment he saw that little cherub, he softened. The baby is sleeping on his chest right now.”

“Oh good.” Maya smiled.

“I assume you don’t have any kids?” Advic asked.

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