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What did I say? How on Earth could I explain that I didn’t lie? I just didn’t know. Once more, I couldn’t find the words. He continued in this happy world where we were both parents, but never entangled. If it wasn’t his, it was fine.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother, Chloe. I’m sorry if I… upset you or made you feel any other way. And you don’t have to come ride a baby tomorrow. You don’t have to come at all.”

I could have cried. Inside, I was screaming to tell him. Outside, my words didn’t come.

I nodded. “I know. But this is Piper’s horse in the end. If you want my opinion, I want to give it, Cole. For Piper.”

“Thanks, Chloe. It means the world.”

“I know. Because Piper is the world.”

“And this baby will be yours. Well, shit. We need to feed you actual food. What is your pregnancy craving?”

“I’m sorry… what?” I laughed.

“Well, you must want to eat something. The least I could do is take you to get food.”

I shrugged. “Uh, I’m really into cheese fries. There is this place on the way up to WEC that has some good ones. It’s not too far from the house.”

“Well, let’s go!” Cole said. “I’m down if you are.”

I put the car in gear and left, not sure what to think. I felt like shit for lying. I also enjoyed the comfort of having Cole with me right now. If I couldn’t tell him I was having his baby, couldn’t I at least let him buy me comfort food that would stay down? It’s not like anyone else was clamoring to take care of me.

* * *

COLE

Sitting in a car with two boats of cheese fries, I couldn’t help but wonder why Chloe lied to me about her pursuit of fertility treatment. I thought we were closer than that. Or, at least, for a blip in time, it felt like that. I’d read it all wrong. In the end, I thought it mattered more than it did. Now, I realized we were what people referred to as “friends with benefits” eating cheese fries in her dually. There was nothing more to it than that—minus maybe some good sex.

“Where am I dropping you?” Chloe asked after taking a last sip of her lemonade and swirling the ice around.

All gone.

“Oh… I don’t have plans. I came down because Riley said we were off bright and early. And, either way, I was already on vacation. I leave in two days to see Piper in Germany.”

“Right. I just meant, after this, where are you staying?”

I didn’t want her to drop me and leave. She seemed to be in a hurry to do just that, and she had every right to feel that way. She was busy with writing, pregnancy, and horse-related tasks. Why would she want to spend more time with me? After all, we weren’t more than friends.

“Are you staying at our house?” She followed.

“No,” I said. “God, that would be awkward. Shit. I… no, I’m staying at a hotel.”

“It wouldn’t be. I mean, so many people come in and out. And Cole, need I remind you… I let you live in my carriage house?”

I blushed. “I just meant… it would have been stupid of me to proposition you a minute ago if I was staying with you, right? And either way, we don’t share a roof at home. Here… I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

She cocked her head. “Why?”

“Isn’t it sort of… obvious?” I asked.

“What now?”

“Chloe, it’s fine that this isn’t serious and that we had fun, but… damn I cannot help myself. Proof of that is me just coming onto you and insisting you go with me to dinner. I feel terrible about that, but it’s not like I would be able to just flat out ignore you until Thursday morning.”

I sipped my pop nervously.

“Well, thankfully, I think we are past that point, so I can drop you at your hotel and you don’t need to worry about that,” Chloe said flatly.