My house is way too quiet. There’s no possible way you can sleep in all this screaming...silence. I can’t help being scared about letting Michael stay. It was stupid, but the truth is, I don’t want him to leave. If I’m being entirely honest, I’m hoping that I can keep him this time. How pathetic is that? It’s the truth though. I can admit it—at least to myself. I rub my stomach gently.

“Mommy is hopeless, baby girl,” I whisper. Maggie pushes against my hand in response—probably in agreement.

“Are you okay?” Michael asks, opening up my door.

“I’m fine,” I sigh. “What are you doing in here?”

“I thought I heard voices. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I was talking to Maggie.”

“Do you think she can hear you?” he asks. “I swore Annabelle could. I always wished I had talked to her more during Jan’s pregnancy…but I…it wasn’t the best of situations.”

“Maggie always moves and reacts. I like talking to her,” I respond cautiously. When he talks about Annabelle and his life from the past it touches me deeply. I can feel his hurt and regret. This is new. In North Carolina, Michael wouldn’t even begin to talk about his past. Until that horrible night, I didn’t even realize Annabelle was his daughter. I watch as he turns around. The pale light shining through the hallway bounces off of him, displaying his scars. To me he is beautiful. I sigh. I should let him go, and yet somehow, I can’t stop my big mouth from opening. “It’s four in the morning. How are you even operating? You just admitted earlier tonight you had been up all night and then today too.”

“I’ll rest tomorrow when Devil watches over you and Maggie. I don’t want to risk sleeping and not hearing you call if you need me.”

“Michael that’s crazy. Go use the spare room and sleep. I’m fine. I’ll scream loudly if I need you.”

“Stop worrying about me, Beauty. I told you I’m fine.”

“I thought I asked you to stop calling me that,” I mutter.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “I’ll just be outside,” he says, going to the door again and I feel like an ass. I don’t know why, but I think I hurt his feelings. Before I can second guess myself, I reach over and turn on the bedside lamp.

“I can’t sleep,” I confess, sitting up in bed, pulling the sheet up to my chest. “Today was surreal. I think maybe I’m a magnet for trouble, Michael.” He stops and turns back to me. With the light on, I can see him clearer. His hair is long and unkempt, as always—but sexy, like a lover’s hair that you’ve roamed your hands in over and over while he…. Okay. Best not to go there. I haven’t had a problem with my hormones the last two months, I thought that part of pregnancy had worn off, especially since I’m as big as the side of a house. Apparently it only takes being within two feet of Michael. He doesn’t help matters, wearing those jeans that hug him just right, a well-worn black t-shirt that clings to his muscles…God.

“You do seem to get into trouble from time to time,” he almost laughs, walking towards me slowly and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Thank you for putting that nicely,” I grumble and I watch as his lips slide into an unconscious smile.

“You need to rest, for Maggie’s sake as well as your own,” he says uncomfortably, as if he doesn’t know how to talk to me one on one. I hate that we have this awkwardness between us now. I don’t want it—I just have no idea what to do about it.

“The house is too quiet. I’m used to Clive’s snoring,” I say, just to have something to say. In response Michael grunts.

“I don’t want to hear that shit.”

“What?” I ask and I’m probably completely clueless because I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“I don’t like the idea of you living with someone else, Hayden. I sure as fuck don’t want to hear about it.”

“We didn’t…but…Good Lord! You’re insane. I didn’t live with Clive, not like that.”

“He cooked dinner for you, he lived in the same house as you—alone, for over a month,” Michael replies.

“You are a moron. We’re friends. He was hired to watch over me and I never would have met him if you hadn’t forgotten to take your meds that night in the loft,” I huff in return. Just when I was starting to soften to the big jerk, he has to remind me he’s an idiot. Michael lets out a growl that would likely wake up my neighbors. I’ll probably get complaints from the housing association.

“I’m not arguing with you at five in the morning, Hayden,” he barks, getting up.

“It’s four in the morning and if you’d stop being an idiot, we wouldn’t,” I respond in my own barking voice—which is nowhere as good as Michael’s, but that’s beside the point.

Michael rubs the bridge of his nose, holding his head down. “Why do women have to be so damn complicated?”

“It’s one of life’s mysteries. Just like me wondering why men have to be so pig-headed and stupid…Ow!” I end my mini tirade on a cry of pain.

“Are you okay, sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Michael asks, his anger immediately gone as he turns to me at the head of the bed and kneels down so he can see my face.

I sit completely still for a minute. I won’t lie, that was an intense pain. It was in my back and it only lasted a couple of seconds, but it felt like someone was stabbing a hot knife into me. It was so bad that it took my breath away. I wait and nothing else happens.

“I think I’m okay. My back has been bothering me for a few days. Maybe I moved too fast or something,” I tell him, trying to brush off his concerns and my own.

“I was worried you were going into labor, or something,” he sighs, still looking concerned.

I rub my hand over my stomach and do my best to laugh it off. “Nope doodlebug isn’t quite ready yet,” I smile. Maggie picks that moment to push against my stomach around my belly button. “Whoa,” I laugh as even the sheet moves.

“What is it?” Michael asks and without thought, I lower the sheet and grab his hand bringing it to my stomach where you can feel Maggie move the most. Maggie can feel the added weight of his hand because she kicks out harder. I laugh and look up at Michael’s face. His eyes are warm with emotion and his face is etched in surprise. “She’s strong,” he said his voice thick and grainy.

“She is,” I agree. I know I’m insane. I do. I should be panicking. Yet, right now in my bedroom with Michael beside me, Maggie moving under our combined touch I feel happy again. The kind of happy I haven’t felt since that day on the lake with Michael. Michael. It’s always…Michael. I let my thumb brush against the deep indented scar on his hand and in that moment I accept the inevitable. I will always love Michael Jameson.