Page 38 of Expecting an Argument
I swallowed and nearly collapsed under the weight of the moment. Olivia merely looked at me—not mocking me, not chastising me for being foolish, not even pitying me, really—but still I felt completely naked as I sat on the kitchen floor.
With little else to lose, I released the last confession I could bear. “…and now I can’t trust anyone. No one but my mom and my finance guy, of all people.”
“I’m sorry,” Olivia softly responded.
“It’s not your fault, I just—” I reflexively opened my hand and closed it, as if I were trying to catch something.
I pursed my lips and gently tapped my closed fist on top of my knee. Fuck, might as well say it.
“I’m sorry that I…disrupted your life,” I said. “I approached you at the reunion because I wanted to mess with you—to get some vengeance after we were so shitty to each other in high school. I never thought we would end up here but…”
Her hands moved over her belly. There they were, real as could be. My babies.
I let out a breath, but then forced myself to look up at her. “I might be the biggest mistake ofyourlife, but you’re not a mistake to me.”
“Beau…”
“I regret how I did it, but I don’t regret what I did.” I chewed on my tongue. God, I sounded like an asshole. “I never thought I would get to be a dad again and…”
“Beau…”
“Thank you,” I said in an exhale. “Thank you for letting me disrupt your life so I can finally be a father.”
Her hands stayed on her belly and she gave me the softest smile. Maybe that meant she accepted my pathetic ramble of anapology.
“OK,” I sighed as I slumped backward against the cabinets. “I’m done. What is it?”
Olivia’s eyes shined with tears. “I feel the babies.”
My heart stopped. “Y-you do?”
She poked near the pocket of her hoodie. “Here.” Then her other hand poked at a lower spot. “And here.”
Now it was my turn to be speechless.
Her face grew serious. “I think it’s obvious that neither of us would have picked the other to have a baby with—much less two of them.”
I nodded.
“But I’ll makeyoua deal this time, Beau Fontaine III.” Her smile returned, but only a little bit. “I can accept your help, but not if you ice me out. You don’t trust me to not hurt you and I can’t trust you to not hurt me, but…”
She flattened her hands against her belly and looked down. “…we have to try.”
“I’ll try if you try,” I promised. “But, hey, the pregnancy will be over before you know it, then everything can go back to normal.”
“Only five months left—law school was longer than that.” Her smile grew bigger. “I’ll get to go back to my apartment and get a new job…and never have to wake up to you shoving a giant yellow tumbler in my face.”
I laughed. “And I’ll never have to dodge flying protein shakes. I’ll finally have my peace and quiet back.”
The earliest glimmers of sunlight streamed in through the kitchen window and stretched across the floor. Slowly, I stood and extended a hand to Olivia. She raised an eyebrow, but finally let me help her up.
As soon as her hand met my palm, a rush of warmth shot up my arm. I blinked and held my breath.
Five months. Five months and then everything goes back to normal.
The instant Olivia was steady on her feet, I let her go and shoved my hand into the pocket of my pajamas.
And then I made her as many pancakes as she could eat.
