The bright light from the sun hits Tinley as soon as she steps past the automatic doors. Watching her sister deliver a tiny human was both amazing and disgusting. Her hand instinctively gravitates toward her own abdomen, and she can’t imagine doing the same thing in just a few short months. All she did was hold Tara’s hand and cheer her through the process, but her sister was the ultimate rock star. She may have screamed and cried a few times, but she kept pushing and worked her ass off until that little bundle of joy came out. The instant love all over her face was like a hit of the best drug ever. It was like she completely forgot the previous day and how much pain she had been in. The thought of childbirth stills scares the shit out of Tinley, but the idea of being a mom? That’s something she can’t deny wanting more than anything. It’s not something she ever thought of wanting until the moment she heard the words that she was pregnant.

Tinley stops dead in her tracks. She looks behind her and then back again in front of her. She blinks multiple times questioning the fact that one of her dreams is coming to life right in front of her in the hospital parking lot. Marek stands there and he’s too far away for her to make out the expression on his face.

The fact that he’s here is surprising in itself, but that’s not all that’s giving her pause. Seeing his legs crossed and his back leaning against the car behind him, she’s absolutely stunned. The bright cherry red 80s Porsche and his cute sweater vest are giving off serious Jake Ryan vibes. Her heart rate speeds up, and the tingling in her nether regions is enough for her to jump him right here in the parking lot—damn pregnancy hormones making her horny like a pubescent teenage boy. No matter how gross she feels or how many times she throws up, the one thing constantly on her mind is sex. More specifically sex with Marek.

He jogs toward her across the parking lot, and she can’t help but feel like she just stepped foot into one of her favorite movies. Sure, her sister just had a baby rather than getting married, but the similarities make her smile. When Marek stops right in front of her, she asks, “What are you doing here?”

An ambulance sounds in the distance and Tinley’s hair whips in her face as the wind suddenly picks up around them. She tucks a thick strand of hair behind her ear and when the wind blows it right back into her face, she tugs a hair tie off her wrist to pull her hair up.

“Waiting for you.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

He nibbles on his bottom lip and looks past her, pausing before responding. “Your sister told me you were here.”

“Tara?” She can’t hide the shock on her face as she turns around and looks back toward the hospital. “When did she find the time between pushing a baby out and sleeping?”

“You’d have to ask her that.”

“And the car?” she asks as she motions behind him.

“She may have added that you’ve been binge-watching John Hughes movies at her house this week. You look absolutely exhausted right now. Can I take you home?”

She knows her sister means well, but her meddling really pisses Tinley off. She will tell Marek everything when she is good and ready to do it and won’t be pressured into it by anybody. Also, she wasn’t kidding—she seriously wants to know when she found the time to call him. Even though she’s upset with her sister, she’s partially in awe too. If she thought she was rock star before, she’s like Wonder Woman in her eyes now.

She looks down at the phone in her hand remembering that she was about ready to call Dakota to come and get her. She called her roommate yesterday once Tara was checked in, but her best friend had zero interest in coming to the hospital. Just the thought of babies gives her the heeby-jeebies. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

Marek’s fists become tight balls down by his side and his nostrils flare with each release of air. “Tinley, don’t be stubborn. You look exhausted. I know you’ve been here since last night, and I doubt you’ve gotten any sleep. Just let me take you home and take care of you.”

He’s right. She doesn’t have the energy to make a phone call, let alone argue with him about driving her home. The only thing she wants right now is to crash in her bed. Maybe at some point, she’ll get in a long hot shower and have some food, but her bed is the only thing on her mind at the moment. Feeling defeated, she nods and allows him to lead her into the mystery car. Part of her wants to ask him about it again, but even opening her mouth to talk sounds like too much work, so she doesn’t. Instead, she sinks right down into the buttery leather seats and closes her eyes. The familiar click of her seatbelt going into place registers in her mind. She probably should have done that herself, but oh well—too late now. She’s buckled in, and that’s all that matters. She sinks deeper into the seat and finally lets her body relax. Resting her eyes for a bit sounds wonderful.

“Tinley…Tinley, wake up.”

Her body gently rocks from side to side and the deep sleep she was under dissipates. She nods her head, and her eyes slowly flutter open. The sudden brightness overwhelms her senses and she blinks a few times to adjust to the sudden change. It takes her a minute to remember where she’s at and who she’s with, but as her head flips to the side and she looks out the window, it all starts flooding back—the hospital, the baby, Marek pulling a Jake Ryan in the parking lot. Looking up, she sees they’re in front of her apartment complex. She must have been seriously out of it to sleep the entire way from the hospital to here, it’s a good forty-five minute drive and since she doesn’t even remember leaving there she must have really been exhausted. Glancing over at Marek, she sees him looking at her so expectantly and feels horrible for what she has to do.

Rather than looking over at him, she turns her focus out the window watching the traffic pass them by. A little girl giggles as she blows bubbles at her jumping dog and a teenager busies himself under the hood of his car with the stereo blaring. “Thank you for picking me up and bringing me home.”

The gentle caress of Marek’s hand against hers almost causes her to turn around and look at him. But she holds her resolve and forces herself to keep her focus elsewhere. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“Wait, I’m not finished.” She holds her hand out to him and he nods his head then Tinley continues. “I know you want to talk to me, but I’m just not ready yet. I need more time. I don’t know when I’ll be ready, but can you do that for me?”

He keeps his mouth shut, no doubt waiting for her to say she’s done talking. Turning away from the window to finally face him, she nods her head so he’ll answer her.

“I don’t—”

Tinley’s head falls into her hands and she tries to hold back her tears. She can feel herself weakening, but she keeps repeating to herself to stay strong. Swallowing down her emotions and lifts up and looks him in the eyes. “Please. Can you do that for me?”

He closes his mouth and his jaw clenches. She can tell how much he’s suppressing what he really wants to say to her, and she sighs with relief as he slowly nods his head.

“Thank you and please don’t run off and cheat on me with the copy girl. We’re on a break, I’m not saying we’re broken up.”

The tension in the car lightens up a little at her joke as they both break out laughing. It’s still slightly forced and not complete happiness, but it’s something.

Marek picks up her hand and kisses it while looking into her eyes. “Tinley, I love you. I don’t see anyone but you. I will wait for you forever if I have to.”

When he says things like that she almost wants to give up on being angry with him. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, but she’s being pulled in two different directions and she doesn’t know how to handle it. She gets out of the car and heads toward her apartment door without a backward glance. She’s grateful that he didn’t push her further to talk because she’s too exhausted to fight it at this point. She probably would have given in and let him come inside with her, but she knows that’s not something she’s ready for right now. Her head and her heart are still way too conflicted to make a rational decision, but that is something she needs to do, and soon. She just doesn’t know how she’s going to do it.