“How was your day?” I ask.

“Good, yours?”

“Not the best,” I say, not looking up at her. She positions herself on my lap, letting the towel hang open. I open my eyes to watch her. Belle tosses the towel down, sneaking her hands up my chest under my shirt.

“Belle,” I say sternly.

“Paxton,” she comes back, lacing her words with pure need.

“Belle, we need to get ready before company shows up.” I watch as her eyes glance over at the clock and back to me.

Licking her lips, she says, “We’ve got time. Didn’t you miss me today?” cupping her breasts in her hands.

I swallow before speaking. “I did, you know that.”

“No, I don’t, but you could show me.”

“You’re ruthless, you know that,” I say, gently rolling her off me and onto her back. She positions her legs wide for me. Waiting and ready for what she wants.

“I do, but so are you.”

“Oh really, and why do you say that.”

“Because I know you resisted getting in that shower with me. I was hoping you’d take me the way you did last night.”

I don’t respond to her. I know she’s trying to drive me nuts, and it’s working. With one look at her, my cock’s rock hard. We don’t have time for me to pleasure her first, not that I need to as she’s always ready and waiting for me. I turn her on her side, allowing her to get comfortable in this position as I lift her leg, opening her entrance for me. One swift move, I thrust in, earning an “Ahh...” from her lips. It’s not rough, as I don’t want to hurt her; it’s just enough to say get ready. Thrust after thrust Belle arches her back, giving me more of herself. Handing everything she has over to me. She grips my forearm as she calls out my name, riding out her orgasm. Satisfied that she’s reached hers I let go, not taking long to join in on the roller coaster that I call Belle. Sinking my weight into the mattress next to her, I reach around resting my hand on her stomach. It doesn’t take long before I’m amazed by the thump of the skin that hits my palm.

“Was that the baby?”

“It was, apparently it approves of Mommy being happy and sexually sedated.”

“Wow, does it hurt?”

“No, it gets a little uncomfortable,” she says as I move my hand around more on her flesh. She’s been feeling the kicks for some time. For that matter, everyone except for me has felt my child move. The moment Belle will place my hand there, it stops. When I say stops, I mean for hours it will not flutter, kick, or even hiccup.

“I need to go shower before we start cooking,” I say as I don’t want to move from this position.

“Okay,” Belle snickers, causing me to stop in my tracks. She’s been up to something; I just don’t know what yet. A part of me is glad that she’s in a good mood, because later when I break my news to her she’s not going to be. It’s the reason I went to her office today after lunch looking for her. “I’ll be back in a few,” I say before walking away from her, and I hear a soft, “Yes, you will.”

The moment I walk in through the front door where I share space with Jace, I regret leaving her like I just did.

“Hey, man, you find Belle?”

“I did, going to shower really quick and if you want we can all go over and start cooking.”

“I already prepped the patties, and for the life of me, I don’t understand how she can still crave them. Have you told her what’s in them?”

“Nope, and I don’t plan on it. You’ll ruin the time she has left.”

I can’t help but laugh at the fact that if Belle knew what was in them, she might not enjoy them as much. It’s not bad, it’s just a little on the healthy side for her. Jace tries to be vegan at times, but not a hundred percent devoted. His famous burgers consist of hamburger meat, garbanzo beans, brown rice, and salt and pepper. When you hear the ingredients you instantly turn your nose up. It all changes when you take that first bite. I’ll give it to him, I’m pretty addicted to them too. He’s figured out the perfect amount of each ingredient to make it seem gourmet.

“True, but I can’t wait to see her face when I tell her.”

“Just make sure I’m around for that, okay,” I say, stepping inside my room. I notice it’s bare. I mean my bed’s there and made, but everything else is gone.

“Jace, where’s my shit, man?”

“Don’t know,” he yells back, but I can hear Brodie laugh from the living room. I walk back out and again ask, “What happened to my shit?”

“It’s next door at Belle’s. She highjacked your shit and ran. Well, actually, she instructed the two of us, and we played along with her plan.”

“She moved me in?” I say this like I’m surprised, but in reality, I’m not. Belle was never fond of me living two doors down. Not that I really slept here, but my stuff was here.

“Sure did, now can I have my key back? One of you having it is enough for me.”

“Sure, yeah… Okay,” I say, running my hands through my hair before digging my set of keys back out of my pocket. I roll the brass around the ring, getting it off, and toss it toward Jace who catches it in mid-air.

“I’m going to go shower and see you two in a few, alright?”

“Sounds good, we’re starving.”

Just like that, I’m back inside Belle’s apartment where I find her smiling up at me from the sofa.

“Back so soon, Mr. West?”

“Seems that way. Apparently, someone took all my clothes and soap. I’ve been robbed.”

“Oh no, we might need to call the cops. You just can’t trust people like we used to. Sticky fingers they have.”

“Sticky something is right.” I grab her around the waist, pulling her to me while I look down at her.

“Is this your way of asking me to live with you?”

“You’ve always lived here with me, I just had to nudge you back.”

“I like your nudge,” I say, giving her a kiss but break apart before it can get out of hand.

“Jace and Brodie will be here soon to help.”

“Go, get ready and I’ll entertain myself I guess.”

I notice that she’s been surfing the internet as I walk by the back of the sofa and see her laptop open to a baby store. In a few days, she’ll have her shower, and afterward, I plan to take her shopping for anything she wants. Whatever we don’t get at the shower, I’ll order it and have it shipped from Japan if I have to. The only problem is I might not be here to do that with her. Rubbing the back of my neck I feel the knot forming at the base, and I try to release the tension that’s building up, but it’s stuck. The imploding news that could have Belle changing her mind about moving me back in has to be revealed tonight.

---

It’s not long before our guests arrive. Jace and Brodie are in the kitchen explaining how to do a catwalk. Brooke and Miranda are watching with eyes wide as they do their best impression of it. Julie slides up next to me. “My sister seems happy this evening, I take it you haven’t told her yet.”

“Nope, I’ve been trying to since this afternoon.”

“She’s going to kill you, you know this.”

“I do, but what choice do I have, Julie?”

“You don’t; hell, neither of us do.”

“You might want to tell her soon as my mother plans to call this evening. I had to break it to her that I won’t be at the baby shower this weekend. As you know our mother finds out everything once you let the cat out of the bag.”

“This I’m very aware of.”

“You know if you rip that bandage off now, we’re all here to protect you.”

“I don’t think that’s the best way to go about this. I’ll tell her once you guys all leave.”

“What are you two over here talking about?” Belle questions as she wraps her arms around my waist.

“Nothing, other than I need to practice this catwalk thing they’re doing,” Julie says as she walks over to join the others. My arms wrap around Belle a little tighter, bringing her closer to my body. In this moment, I want to memorize everything about her. The way her forest-green eyes light up when they stare back at mine. The way the crease above her brows deepens when she laughs. The way her heart loves me and our friends.

The buzzer from the oven beeps at the same moment Belle’s phone rings. Before I can stop her, she’s answering as she holds up a finger and heads to our room. My eyes lock with Julie’s. We both know what’s coming next.

Do I run to her?

Do I stand here and wait for what’s to come?

I’m begging Julie to give me a sign on what to do. The exact moment she does, out walks a crying Belle.

“Shit,” I mumble as I head over to her.

“Don’t you dare. When were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?” I hear come from Brooke. I turn and notice that Julie is telling the others as I try to get Belle to listen to me.

“Come on, Belle, let’s go talk.”

“No, this is our family and friends and since I already know, why don’t you tell them how you’re leaving again. How long have you known?”

“We found out this morning. I’ve been trying to tell you all day, but someone stayed home without telling me. Not to mention, when I got here things happened and I was hoping to get the chance to explain before your mother called.” I cut my eyes in Julie’s direction, wishing she would have given me time to tell Belle first.

“Why can’t someone else go? Howard knows you need to be here.”

“He does, and there’s no one else to do this. Not to mention, we can’t send Julie out alone. I swear, Belle, I’ll be back before you know it.”

“That’s what you always say. Then one week turns into two, and before I know it it’ll be months before I see you again.”

“Come here.” I open my arms to her and wait for her to come to me. She drags her teeth over her bottom lip, debating if she wants to enter my embrace. Finally, she gives in and comes to me. “Pax, what if you’re not back before the baby comes?” She cries into my chest, causing my heart to break a little more.

“I promise I’ll be back before then. I’m not going to miss this.”

“I hope so, I can’t do this without you.”

“You won’t. I promise we’ll talk as much as we can. I’m going to show Julie how it works, get the shots, and back home I come. Howard knows that this is it.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

I’m not sure how Belle pulled herself together after that, but she did. Everyone offered to give us time alone and to take a raincheck on dinner. I left that ball in her corner. Belle being herself blew their comments off and marched forward with our evening plans. The atmosphere shifted after that call. There was no way of going back. All I could do at this point was complete the job and pray I was back sooner rather than later.

With Belle curled into my side, I rub my hands along the length of her arm. Trying my best to soothe her. She’s not spoken much since dinner, but neither have I. With us leaving in a few hours, I don’t want to sleep, but she needs her rest. Her body against mine, I’m capturing it so I don’t forget what it feels like while I’m away. This is us… This is our luck, and the only way we’ve known life to be for so long. Howard understands that I’m gone if something happens or the baby comes early. I spoke with Jace, Brooke, and Miranda before leaving, and each one of them has agreed to watch her. She’ll start out sulking, moving to being more pissed off than she is right now, and before she can reach the I’m really pissed mode I should be back. Well, that’s what I’m praying for at least. We’ve made it this far, what’s a few more weeks apart going to hurt?