Page 88 of Heated Takeover

“Are you for real?! You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!”

“I’m not anyone. I’m me. Your other unofficial best friend. And for what it’s worth, when Dyl told me you shacked up with him that night, it was the best gossip I’d had since the 2nd season of the Kardashians,” Charlie says, and I sigh.

“It’s fine. Just…keep it on the down low,” I say. “No one else knows.”

“About the night or about–” Charlie says, but I cut him off before he says Jamie’s name.

“All of it,” I say, stopping at my car.

“You still haven’t told him everything?” Dylan asks.

“I started to,” I say. “I told him I lied about Jamie’s father. Then Tuck called about Janice before I could finish.”

“So he knows there’s more,” Charlie says.

I grip the steering wheel tighter. “Yes. And I promised I would tell him the rest. I will. I’m just afraid of what he might do.”

“You mean like love you and your son who is also his son and give you the lavish life most single moms only dream of while they lie awake at night?” Dylan says and Charlie howls in a laugh.

“Jamie and I live a perfectly comfortable life,” I say, and it gets no response. “And what if he doesn’t?”

“Have money? Intend to spoil you? I have my doubts,” Charlie says.

“No! What if he doesn’t love us? What if he doesn’t love me? What if he gets angry that I never told him? It’s not like I didn’t know who he was or that Jamie was his. What if he fights for custody? What if–”

“That is a lot of concerning what-ifs over a man who clearly cares about you and your child, Natalie,” Dylan says more seriously.

“Yep,” Charlie nods. “I agree with her. That man is smitten. With both of you.”

“It doesn’t mean he won’t be angry,” I say.

“It also doesn’t mean he’s just going to walk away…” Dylan says, and I study her before looking at Charlie, who offers half a shrug and a hopeful look.

I think about what they said all the way home. It’s not like I haven’t thought about what they’re saying before. Of course, I’d like to think that Marcus would be accepting of it all. That what we have could be more. More between him and me. More between Jamie and him. More for all of us…

I clear my throat and blink back any threat of tears. My hands are tight on the steering wheel.

I shouldn’t be entertaining these kinds of thoughts. Not with everything that’s going on. The company is in jeopardy, for God’s sake!

No. I need to focus on work. On serious things. I can’t let the memories I have with him…on the Ferris wheel and with Jamie in the pool and in bed, falling asleep when no words were needed…take up much needed space in my mind right now.

I take a deep breath as I come to a red light. Home is less than five minutes away, and I am not going to walk into my condo looking like a hot mess. I count down with the crosswalk signal on the adjacent corner, trying to ease my nerves, as it counts closer.

Five, four, three, two, and…

The light turns green, and just as I am about to take my foot off the brake, two cop cars fly past me. Then two more.

Well. Someone is having a harder night than I am.

The car behind me honks, and I toss a dirty look into the mirror.

“I’m going, I’m going,” I mutter as I head towards the street leading into my neighborhood. The red and blue lights disappear in front of me and then reappear as I take the first turn.

Hmm. Must be someone in my neighborhood.

It suddenly occurs to me that the text I sent Brittany, letting her know that the party was finally over, was never responded to. Usually, she sends me a thumbs-up or a recap on bedtime with a “take your time…” message in response.

This time, nothing. I pull out my phone while keeping an eye on the road and pull up the text stream. Nothing. And what’s even more peculiar…it was never read.