Page 30 of Unsure in Love
She gazed at me with a shuttered expression. I couldn’t gauge what she was thinking but by the way she searched my face, I gathered she was “feeling me out.” I hoped she at least saw that I wasn’t a complete dickbag.
Her shoulders relaxed, and for a moment, she appeared vulnerable. “So, you believe me?”
“Would you lie about a pregnancy?”
“Of course, not. I mean, do you accept that it’s yours by my word alone? It is. I’d been running on about a year-long dry spell before you, and I wasn’t with anyone after.” Her blush deepened after that confession. “It’s just that you don’t know me all that well, and I’d understand if you wanted to make sure the baby is yours. I’d take no offense to a DNA test request or—”
“Cass.” I massaged the bridge of my nose. “Calm down.”
Her lips pursed.
“I believe you, okay? How about we just take this one day at a time? We can talk about everything later.” I was more than willing to take responsibility, but honestly, I was feeling a little overwhelmed.
“So what happens now?”
“Now, I give you your space. We can talk tomorrow since we planned on seeing each other, anyway.”
“Is it really me you want to give space to or do you need it?” she asked, eyes steady on me and filled with challenge.
My jaw clenched. I was always honest, so I breathed, “Me. I’m not angry,” I reassured. “And this isn't me walking away. I just need to—”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
The uncertainty in her eyes bothered me. All I needed was a little time to think. She barely knew me, so she would be doubtful about me showing up tomorrow. I knew nothing I said would reassure her. I simply had to show up. Sighing, I took a step closer. “I’ll see you later, Cass.”
She seemed surprised when I kissed her cheek. Truth was, I couldn’t help making the contact. Her news has done nothing to make me want her any less.
* * *
“Have you ever thought about having children?”
I was met with Ken’s silence. His rounded eyes were fixed on me and his bottle of beer had stopped midair on its way to his mouth.
If I wasn’t feeling so out of sorts, I would have laughed at his horrified expression.
“Have you lost your mind? What kind of question is that, Alvarez?”
I shrugged. “It’s just a question.”
Ken slammed his beer bottle down on the bar and glanced around. Confused, I followed his gaze. We were at one of our favorite spots that we didn’t visit enough because I was always working. It was a bar and lounge down the street from our office building.
Turning back to me, Ken lowered his voice. “Are you feeling alright?”
I lifted an eyebrow. My mind had been in chaos since Cass’s announcement last night, but… “I’m fine.”
“It’s just that you’ve been acting off today,” he explained. “First, you showed up at the office late. You’re never late. In fact, you make the rest of us look like lazy, unambitious slackers the way you work.”
Both of my eyebrows went up at that.
“Then,” he raised one finger, “you ask me if I want to hit the bar and hang out. You, Mr. I-have-no-time-to-socialize-like-normal-people, initiated an outing. Who the hell are you and what have you done with my friend?”
He peered at me through narrowed eyes. After a beat of silence, I chuckled. “Am I really that bad?”
“You’re that bad.” He nodded. “Granted, I’m not mad that you’re a tight-ass workaholic because it’s those qualities that have made us filthy rich—”
I snorted.
“—But I do worry about you. On top of all your weird behavior today, you’re asking me about children. You don’t even like children.”