Page 57 of Enemy Ex's Secret Baby

“Okay, your turn!” She holds the bitten celery stalk up toward me.

I sneer at the snack. “I’m not biting the part your mom just bit. What if I get cooties?”

“What are cooties?”

“They’re–”

“Axel,” Gillian whispers. “Cooties aren’t a thing anymore.”

I frown. “What?!”

“It’s like…not politically correct.”

I nod slowly. “Oh, I see. Never mind.”

Stella huffs, “What are cooties?! I want to know.”

“No such thing,” I shrug and then take a bite of the celery even though Gillian took a bite already. “Mm! Delicious. You were right!” I’m not tasting a thing, though. My brain is too fired up on thoughts of Gillian and how ill-prepared I am for a life with a child, because I know that by pursuing Gillian, Stella is part of the package. And that doesn’t scare me.

What scares me is that I’d be bad at taking care of her.

Gillian laughs, “See, I told you!”

“Eat the rest!” Stella announces and shoves it toward my mouth.

The rest of the meal, I can’t shake the feeling I had about Gillian. It feels like my body is buzzing. That something has been initiated between us.

I remember this feeling.

I had it seven years ago. Something too scary to speak of exists between us, but I need to follow through. I need to know if on the other side of it is a reality where I can have Gillian. Not just behind closed doors. But for the whole world to know.

Here on the blanket with Stella is a very good start.

19

GILLIAN

We are some of the last people to leave the lot as golden hour sets in upon us. The time has just flown. I can barely believe it. Between Stella running around enjoying games with friends to talking with other parents, I feel like I blinked and almost missed everything.

Not to mention having Axel at my side is…nice.

Not just nice.

I love it.

Despite his enemy status to most of the parents at Seton, he managed to talk them down from skewering him with a pitchfork by telling them about his ideas for a community park. I can barely believe it myself. In fact, I’m a little suspicious he’s just saying things so that he isn’t public enemy number one.

However, as much as I don’t want to admit it, I know Axel. At least pieces of him. I know when he’s being earnest. And the way that he’s talking about the park and explaining what he thinks he might be able to accomplish with it just screams earnest Axel Hitchins.

Still, though, he’s betrayed me before. He’s more than capable of doing it again.

After our picnic is cleaned up, Stella leads us back to Axel’s car, waltzing from side to side, a butterfly painted on each of her cheeks.

“How does she have so much energy?” Axel asks.

“She’s six,” I reply.

He grins at me.

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