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“Nah. It’s all right. Honestly, I’d rather forget about work because the longer I’m here, the more desperate I am to get back to you and our little firefly.”
“Where did firefly come from?”
He’s silent for a beat before answering. “I like that better than bean, peanut, or nugget. According to the internet, she’s the size of a small banana right now, but calling her a banana felt wrong too.”
Laughter pours out of me. “I’d have to say I agree with that.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Good.” I move my hand over my bump, stroking the small basketball that is quickly growing beneath my shirt. “Full now. Owen brought Melvin’s earlier, and I was told to rate his delivery service five stars or he’d lose his big-brother card.”
Easton clears his throat. “That’s right.”
“It was sweet of you to have him bring me food and check on me, though, Easton.”
He grows quiet again. “Wow. No argument about how I didn’t need to do that?”
“Nope. I’m growing up.” Smiling proudly, I lean back further into the corner of the couch, propping up my feet on the pillows on the other end.
Easton laughs. “I guess so. I thought for sure I would have received a scathing phone call—or at least a text—about how I didn’t need to send my brother to check on you.”
Drawing circles around my belly button through my shirt, I shrug. “I guess I’m just getting used to being taken care of, and maybe it turns out that I like it. I—I’ve never had someone do that for me before.”
“That’s a damn shame, but I’m glad I’m the one who gets to do it for you now.”
“Me too.”
All I can think about is everything else I want to say, but I don’t want to tell him over the phone. He deserves to hear those words while I look him in the eye and see my future staring back at me.
His next words surprise me though. “What’s changed for you, Lennon?” My heart beats louder in my ears. “Why did you finally let your walls down with me?”
Be honest, Lennon. Tell him where you are without saying the three words on the tip of your tongue.
“I—I thought about what you said the night we had dinner with your mom—how I was the one who could choose to look at you differently. I guess…I guess I had to give myself permission.”
“And is that what you’re doing then?” he asks. “Looking at me differently?”
There’s a vulnerability in my voice I barely recognize. “I haven’t stopped since that night, Easton. It started before then. I was just too stubborn to admit it.”
A sigh full of relief and longing filters through the phone. “Lennon, everything shifted for me the moment I put that ring on your finger. I’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”
“I’m getting there, faster than I realized I could.”
He groans. “Christ, baby, I wish I was there right now. I want to kiss you so fucking bad, fuck you long and deep until we both fall apart.”
My thighs clench together. “Hmmm, I want that too.”
“I promise when I get home and we go out of town this weekend, I’ll make up for these five days apart. I’m fucking aching for you.”
“I feel the same, Easton.” Even though all I can do is fantasize about feeling this man inside of me right now, his comment makes me remember the other thing I wanted to talk to him about. “Um, speaking of this weekend, I spoke to Elodie earlier and she has a show in Nashville Saturday night with Tyler Ford. She can get us tickets if you’re interested…”
“Is that what you want to do for our trip?”
“I mean, I think it would be really cool to see her perform, and I can’t remember the last time I went to a concert. Plus, there’s tons to do in Nashville.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Really?”
