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We walk past a bathroom, and it reminds me that I have to pee. “I need to …” I point to the restroom.
He kisses me on my forehead, and I kind of love him doing that in public. When I finish up in the bathroom, I come out and find Hunter reading something on his phone.
“Skylar just sent us the final list,” he says as we start the path toward valet. “Jessica RSVP’d.”
I stop walking. “You invited your fuck buddy to our baby shower?”
Hunter moves to face me fully. “I invited her as my friend, and it was weeks ago. You and I, we hadn’t … Things were different.”
Get it together, Yasmine. Lock it away. “We’re friends, same as always.”
“Right. I know.” He scrubs a hand through his hair. “You’re okay with her coming? Because if you’re not, I’ll rescind her invitation. She’ll understand.”
I roll my lips and think about what he’s offering me and how it will look if I accept his offer to uninvite Jessica. “No. Don’t do that. I’d like to meet her, especially since she’s going to be in Liam’s life.”
Hunter tilts his head as confusion furrows his brows. “She’s not going to be in Liam’s life.”
“I just assumed since, you know, you guys are close.”
“I think you have the wrong idea about Jessica and me. We’re old friends, but I’ve never met her daughters. Nor will I ever. That’s why I didn’t introduce you today. It’s not like that between us.”
“You don’t have to explain. You can be with her however you want.”
Hunter massages the bridge of his nose with both hands. “Do you honestly think I’d still be fucking her—or anyone—while you’re pregnant? Jesus, Yasmine, give me some credit.”
“All I’m saying is that you can do whatever you want.”
“I know that. But I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I know,” I say, relenting. “Can we drop this? I don’t want to do this right now. Especially not here.”
Hunter searches my eyes, and I can tell he doesn’t want to drop this, but I pray he does.
I’m in over my head. I don’t know what to say or how to navigate a friendship with Hunter when falling head over heels in love with him. Forget falling. I’ve landed. I’m in love for the first time in my life.
“Let’s get out of here.” He takes my hand, and we walk to the valet without another word.
In the privacy of his car, we don’t pick up where we left off. We don’t say much of anything to each other. We let the radio fill the silence, and eventually, I drift off to sleep, waking when we arrive at his houseboat.
I pack my things. He offers to fix dinner and send me home with potato salad, but I pass, wanting to get on the road before dark.
“Text me when you get home,” he says, dipping his head inside my car window.
“Thanks for this weekend.”
“Any time.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
We say goodbye with what feels like so many things left unsaid, which is for the best. And when I drive away, Hunter stands in the middle of the road, watching the back of my car with his hands in his pockets and the wind ruffling his hair.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Its moving day. I zip up my suitcase and look around the room I’ll no longer call home.
“What time is he coming?” Jordyn asks, taping up the last box of baby clothes.
I check the time on my phone. “Twenty minutes ago.”
