He paused, as though reminded of something. “One time, one of my college buddies took me to a food truck when we were in the Caribbean. It was fantastic. We went back for seconds. Only, once we got back to our rooms later that night, we had the worst food poisoning ever. So bad, in fact, that I didn’t think I’d make it to the next day. We survived, but we had to spend a few days in the hospital, getting IVs. That experience ruined small restaurants for me ever since.”
“Now, that sounds horrible,” I murmured.
We sat in silence for a minute as Jonah finally took a bite of his food. He chewed and chewed while Evie and I watched … with bated breath.
He swallowed, and Evie and I exhaled in unison.
“He likes it,” Evie announced, and I laughed.
“I think so too,” I whispered back to her while Jonah tried to keep his face impassive. “But he’s never going to admit it, Evie.”
Jonah coughed. “It was decent,” he said, but took his next bite more readily.
Evie and I high-fived and did a finger-squiggly thing while Jonah shook his head at us.
“We would’ve been heartbroken if you hadn’t liked it,” I said, putting my hands dramatically on my chest while Evie nodded.
“Well, I’ll let you know for sure, based on the number of visits I make to the bathroom later tonight.”
“Mind you, if it’s just the bathroom and not the hospital, we’ll count it as a win.” I winked while Jonah shuddered.
An hour later,the three of us walked back home. Evie enjoyed skipping ahead of us while Jonah and I talked softly.
“Tell me something,” he said, as we walked. I leaned my head on his shoulder as we walked, his arm curving around my waist, pulling me close. This comfort with each other was something new, different from the passion we’d shared during sex.
“What does Dylan want?”
“I’m not sure,” I said with a sad smile. “After I left with Evie, he never chased me. He agreed that we should lead our separate lives.” I drew in a deep breath. “But now he’s back, saying he wants a relationship with me again. That he wants us to be a family.”
I shook my head, stupefied at how Dylan could even think it was possible.
“Are you interested in a relationship with Dylan?” Jonah asked.
Heat flashed across my cheeks as I considered it. I shook my head. “I’m not in the least bit interested in him. I left him around three years ago, and I still don’t consider him a reliable partner.”
My gaze dropped to my hands, and I sighed. “Growing up, things at home weren’t really stable. Dylan and I were in high school together, and we went to college together too. I felt Dylan was dependable in a way my mom hadn’t been. I convinced myself that he was there for me, in ways my Mom hadn’t been. But while that was true in some ways, I was glaringly wrong about the kind of person he really was.”
I swallowed hard. Dylan had been someone different than what I’d expected. “Dylan isolated me from my friends when I got to college. He wanted my life to revolve around him, and I went along with it. For a long time.”
We slowed down to watch Evie pick up a stone from the sidewalk. In a minute, she resumed walking, stone clutched firmly in her hand.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I continued. “Until I got pregnant. Dylan was initially supportive. We moved to a two-bedroom apartment from our studio, and he took two jobs. He gave up on college, but continued to work nearby, and we managed. But once Evie was born and I longed to meet someone, anyone, to talk to, Dylan forbade it outright.”
My voice tightened. “The last straw was when I couldn’t even meet my mom.”
Thinking about those days made me resent Dylan and his actions even now. I’d been so naive and foolish to believe everything he said.
Evie turned around to check in on us, before resuming her walk. She knew the way home and didn’t need me to lead.
“So, anyway, once I realized he’d lied to me about the birth control, I found the courage to stand up for myself, and I walked out on him.”
I could see the concern in his eyes as my heart raced. I’d confessed things to him that I’d never even told Sasha, and I couldn’t understand why he looked so troubled.
“That’s really horrible of him, Lexi,” he said at last, but the concern in his eyes didn’t go away.
His hands pulled me closer as he brushed a quick kiss to my lips. I closed my eyes as the kiss swept over my skin.
“I’ll never take anything away from you, Lexi,” he said. “Not Evie or your friends or your job. That’s a promise.”
