Page 73 of The Billionaire's Most Unexpected Triplets

“I… I don’t know,” I say.

It’s an annoying question, but she has a point.

“And what about you?” She stops pushing the cart and turns to face me straight on. “I know you want a family, Leah. A real partner. If you and Jack start hanging out, how will that make you feel, being so close to something you want but can’t have?”

My heart sinks. She’s right, of course. Being in close proximity to Jack, especially as we start preparing for the arrival of the triplets, is only going to make things more complicated. But I can’t help the way I feel. I can’t help the way my heart races whenever he’s near me, or the way my skin tingles when he touches me.

“I don’t know,” I finally admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

Taylor puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I get that this is hard. And I’m not saying you should cut Jack out of your life completely. But you need to be careful. You can’t keep hoping for something that may never happen. It’s not fair to you or the babies.”

I nod slowly, knowing that she’s right. I need to be realistic about my expectations, even if it means putting some distance between Jack and me. As much as I hate to admit it, Taylor is the voice of reason that I desperately need right now.

We finish up at the hardware store, and I feel like I might need to throw up despite the fact that I haven’t had morning sickness for months.

In the parking lot, we walk to Taylor’s car with our hands full of things to redo my new house with. When she suggested the run, I thought it would be a fun project.

Now I just feel sorry for myself. I like home projects, but it would feel nice to have a man around to put a shelf up for me every once in a while.

“Hey.” Taylor stops before she opens her car door. “I’m sorry if I was too harsh. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. I’m just concerned.”

I force a smile. “I know you are, and it’s all right. I’m gonna talk to him.”

“When?”

I gulp. “How do you feel about taking a quick detour?”

Pulling out my phone, I send Jack a text asking if we can speak in person. He responds, saying that he’s home wrapping up some things for the week, and I’m welcome to stop by.

My insides twist up. I haven’t been to his house since that one and only fateful night. While I’m not eager to return, I’ll feel better once I get this conversation over with.

Responding that I’ll be there in twenty minutes, I give Taylor the address and we take off.

“Want me to come in with you?” she asks as Jack’s security guard lets us through the front gate.

I shake my head. “I’ll be okay, thanks. This will be quick.”

She stops at the top of the driveway, and I climb out with shaking legs. As much as I know I need to do this, I’m not looking forward to it. But time with Jack is a guilty pleasure that needs to be cut from my life.

I make my way to the front door, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Jack opens the door, and I nearly fall over at the sight of him.

God, he looks so good. So strong. So fucking sexy. And he smells amazing, too. Fresh, like he just stepped out of a shower.

“Hey.” His gaze drifts over my shoulder. “Is that Taylor?”

“Yeah, she’s waiting in the car for me. I’ll only be a few minutes.” I cross my arms, and his lips turn down as he picks up on my mood.

“Would you like to come inside?” he asks.

I draw a deep breath. That doesn’t seem like the best idea. There are too many memories of that blissful night in his house.

“Out here is fine, thank you,” I say.

He nods once, his face still and expressionless. “What did you want to talk about?”

I swallow hard. I can do this. I have to do this.

“I can’t keep doing this, Jack.”

---