Page 55 of Unexpected Kisses

AJ visibly relaxes and he smiles at me. “We don’t do this very often. I would say they invited us to stay for dinner because they like you.”

My cheeks heat and my tummy flips. “Really?”

“Yeah. Why are you so surprised?”

Should I tell him about my worries before we arrived?

Oh, what the hell, I decide to be honest. I drop my eyes to the floor between us, too embarrassed. “It was important to me that your sister and Lisa liked me. I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t good enough and I was worried they’d stop you from helping me. If I get pregnant—”

“Okay, I need to interrupt you there.” He steps into my space, using his fingers to gently tip my chin up, so I can’t hide. “I have a couple of issues with your thoughts. First, what’s not to like? You’re a great person, Sarah. Second, it’s not up to anyone but me whether or not I help you.” He raises an eyebrow and I try to interrupt, but he shakes his head. “Third, it’s notif, it’swhenyou get pregnant,” AJ states firmly as if it’s a sure thing I’ll get pregnant. I hope he’s right.

I smile and roll my eyes. “Okay.WhenI get pregnant, I imagine there will be times when we get together so the kids have regular contact with each other. I wanted those times to be comfortable, so it was important to me that Hayley and Lisa liked me.”

He leans in close and kisses my forehead. “As I said. What’s not to like? You’re a great person, Sarah, and they would have worked that out very quickly.”

CHAPTER22

–aj–

I haven’t seennor heard from Sarah since we shared dinner with Hayley and Lisa, apart from her brief responses to my daily texts to check on her. Some days, all I get is a thumbs up, as though she can’t even be bothered to type a few words. Every time I think I’m moving forward with the woman, she steps back inside her fortress and slams the damn door. I’ve constantly run over our conversation from that day and can’t figure out what I said or did wrong to make her withdraw from me.

I check the app on my phone which tracks her cycle. She’s due to get her period today if she’s not pregnant. I’m tempted to skip the message and turn up on her doorstep after work. I huff out a breath.

“What’s up, man?” Dylan asks as he leans around his monitor to look at me, creases across his forehead. “You’ve been huffing and puffing and checking your phone all morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this agitated.”

“Nothing.”

“If you say so. It doesn’t seem like nothing to me, though.” He stands. “I’m making a fresh coffee. You want one?”

“Yes, please.”

I glance back at my phone and spin it around on the smooth surface of my desk. What to do? It’s not like I haven’t been to her place before. My lips lift at the corners as I remember her expression when I turned up unannounced after she didn’t respond to my messages. She actually took it pretty well that I’d used my skills to find out where she lives.

I give in and unlock my phone.

Me:How are you feeling today?

Same message every single day. Let’s see how long it takes for her to respond. I’m not sure how I’m expected to concentrate while I wait for her answer. Dylan steps back into the office with two cups, placing mine next to me.

“Here ya go.” He takes a careful sip of his hot drink and sits at his desk. “So, how are things going with Sarah? I’m assuming she’s why you’re so bothered.”

I blow out a long breath. If I can’t talk to my best friend about her, who can I talk to? “I dunno, man. I feel like I take two steps forward with her and five steps back again.”

“What do you mean? You’re only trying to get her pregnant, right?” The confusion on his face would be comical if it didn’t match mine.

“Yeah, that’s how it started and what was supposed to happen, but … we’ve spent a bit of time together and I … well, I really like her. I’d maybe like to see where things could go between us.”

“Right. Well, that’s unexpected.”

“I know. It wasn’t the original plan. I thought I’d get a few months of guaranteed sex, but it hasn’t been like that. I don’t want to share too much because it’s personal, but I’ve developed strong feelings for her … and we haven’t actually … uh been intimate.”

Dylan begins coughing; choking on the coffee he just swallowed. “Shit, man. Give a guy some warning.” He wipes his mouth. “So, how in the hell are you supposed to knock her up?”

“We’ve been doing it like they would at the clinic. It’s all been very clinical so far. And as much as I want to help her have a baby and fulfill her dream, I don’t want her to be pregnant yet, because I need more time with her.” I pause, shaking my head. “Fuck, I’m an asshole.”

Dylan rolls his chair around to my side of the desk. “You like her that much?” I nod. “Have you told her?”

I shake my head. “I can’t tell her. She has so many damn walls up, that it’s almost impossible to break through. Every time I think I’ve made progress, she throws up another wall and I feel as though I’m back at the beginning.”

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