“Do you think he told the cops?” I ask Evan as I pick up the newspaper and read the article.

Samantha got life in prison. Pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.

James pleaded guilty to his charges as well. But he hasn’t been sentenced yet. It’s rumored that he gave up information to cut a deal. He’ll be out of jail in a year or less according to what the rumor mills are saying. The dealer got off scot-free and now people are saying he skipped town in case more evidence comes in. It pisses me off that he didn’t get what he had coming to him, but Evan seems to think the past will catch up to him.

“Told them what exactly?” Evan asks me as he takes a picture frame off the wall of his parents’ dining room. He considers it for a moment before grabbing a handful of bubble wrap to package it like he has the others.

The moving company is going to be here tomorrow, but Evan wanted to box up the pictures and a few other things himself.

“That you were there,” I say the words quietly, as if it’s a dark secret no one can ever know. “With Tony,” I add.

Evan shrugs. “He didn’t have any proof since we swiped the photos,” he says and looks me in the eyes, gauging my reaction as he lowers the wrapped picture into the box. “And no reason to say anything. He wanted Samantha to go down, and we made that happen.” His lips are pressed into a thin line as he makes his way around the table to pull out the chair next to mine.

“You really want to talk about this?” he asks me.

I glance between the article and him, swallowing my words and not knowing how to feel. The entire situation makes me uncomfortable. Worse than that … dreadful.

“I want to know it’s going to be okay,” I tell him the truth. “I want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”

Evan smirks at me and then leans forward, kissing the tip of my nose, which makes me close my eyes. “You’re cute, you know that?” he says.

I reach up quickly to grab his hand and keep him close to me. “I’m serious,” I say as I look him in the eyes.

“Baby, I told you there’s nothing to worry about,” he says as he brushes his hand against my cheek. He pinches my chin between his thumb and forefinger and stares into my eyes. There’s a look there that makes me all warm and fuzzy. He’s always been able to do that and I love him for it.

“You promise?” I ask him softly and he pecks my lips once then goes in for a deeper one before answering me.

“Well, we do have a baby coming,” he says, still staring at my lips. “So I’m sure we’ve got some things to be worried about, but that mess is over.”

The stir of desire drifts away slowly as I peek back down at the article. The picture they chose is one of Samantha giving James a death stare as she was arrested. The papers paint her as a villain and I couldn’t be happier.

“And you got that package too,” Evan says, bringing my attention back to him. My heart flickers once, then twice as I bite my lip and shrug.

“It was real nice of him,” Evan says and I feel the need to smack his arm playfully as he stands up to keep packing.

I place my hand on my belly and tell him, “It was a goodbye and good luck gift from a friend.”

“A friend you kissed,” Evan reminds me.

“A friend who was there for me when you weren’t,” I remind him.

His shoulders stiffen a little as he stops midway from taking another photo off the wall. “I know,” he says beneath his breath.

“It was a nice gift though, wasn’t it?” I ask him.

Evan looks at me with an eyebrow raised and I have to laugh.

“He doesn’t have our new address anyway and he didn’t put his on the package either.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Evan says.

“I really like it.” I shrug my shoulders and remember the gift. It’s a baby book, called I’ll Love You Forever. I can’t read it without crying.

“It was nice of him, but it better be the last of him,” Evan warns me jokingly. I love the trace of a smile on his lips. He knows I’m all his.

I lean back in the chair, and a yawn escapes before I can stop it. I’m halfway to telling him off in some way or another, but the words are stopped.

“You ready to go home?” he asks me and I nod my head but add, “Only if you’re all done.”

He takes a look around the half-packed house and shakes his head. I have to admit watching him cleaning up his father’s place makes my heart hurt.

“You know our baby is going to be tough, right?” he tells me when I start to let the emotions get the best of me.

I rub my swollen bump in smooth circles and pray our baby is okay in there and doesn’t know how sad I am in this moment. I just want love for him.

“I hope so,” I whisper as Evan comes back over to me. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me into his chest. I’m more than grateful as I wrap my arms around him and let my cheek press against his shirt.

“It’s true. When a mom goes through hell during pregnancy and handles it as well as you have, the baby can handle anything, you know?”

I let out a sad but genuine laugh into his shirt and try to calm myself down as he rubs my back.

“I hope our baby isn’t as emotional as me,” I tell him.

“I’m pretty sure you have good reasons, babe,” he says and then kisses my hair.

I peek up at him and smile as his lips touch mine.

“And now everything’s behind us,” he adds.

I feel the need to remind him, “There’s good behind us too, isn’t there?”

“So much good,” he says and then kisses me again before splaying his hand on my belly. “And so much more to come.”