Sage: …HELLO?!
* * *
I’d been so distracted by being in Noah’s space and spending time with him, that I’d completely forgotten to text or call Sage last night. My phone had died at some point after my appointment and before I’d gone to bed, and I’d plugged it in to charge overnight.
Before I could finish texting out a reply, my phone rang with an incoming FaceTime—Sage’s name and photo popping up.
I answered it, and Sage’s worried face filled the screen. “Oh good, you’re alive.” She eyed me with suspicion.
“Hey, sorry. My phone died and I’m waking up now,” I answered, feeling guilty for making her worry.
“Where are you? That’s not your room.” Sage leaned in closer, as if she could figure out where I was by taking in all the details.
“Yeah, I crashed at Noah’s last night. The blizzard hit when we were driving home, and we decided it’d be better to get to his place instead of trying to make it all the way to town.”
“Makes sense.” Sage leaned back, appeased by my answer. Her eyes sparked with delight, and she smiled. “So, you spent the night with Noah, huh?”
“In his guestroom,” I corrected, frowning.
“Foolish girl. Should have jumped his bones. You’re delaying the inevitable,” Sage predicted, and I rolled my eyes at her dramatics.
I mean—she was right, I had been delaying the inevitable by trying to resist my attraction to Noah, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“The inevitable already happened.”
“What do you mean?” Sage asked.
“I mean, I did jump his bones last night. I slept in the guestroom after.”
Sage shook her head. “It’s both amusing and concerning that you think sleeping with someone is more intimate than having sex.”
“Because it is,” I insisted. I’d been the queen of casual for so long, and spending the night sleeping beside someone—having their arms around you—that was the opposite of casual.
Then again, so was having a baby with someone. This entire situation with Noah was as far from casual as it could get, and I don’t know why I was even bothering to try to cling to the semblance of casual.
“Whatever,” I said, fighting a yawn. I was too tired to analyze my behaviour. “Is it still snowing?”
“Yup, and it’s supposed to snow all day,” Sage answered. She smiled, as if pleased. “Looks like you’re snowed in with Noah for at least the rest of the day.”
“And?”
“And that means you’ll probably have to have an actual conversation—”
“We have been having conversations,” I interrupted, whispering so that Noah wouldn’t overhear me. “Lots of conversations, actually. He’s great, really understanding of everything. I don’t know why I’m still trying to fight it; I already know I’m screwed.”
“Well, you will be.” Sage giggled.
I sent her an unimpressed look. “I mean I’m dangerously close to feelings, if not already there.”
“That’s not a bad thing, Nell,” Sage said gently. “Anyway, how did the appointment go?”
She must have been able to read the expression on my face, and how I wanted—no, needed—to change the subject.
“It went well. Everything looks okay. Booked the anatomy ultrasound for a couple weeks from now, and we did the DNA test. We should get the results for that in a couple weeks, too.”
“That’s exciting.” Sage’s eyes were shining with elation. “Are you going to find out the gender?”
“Haven’t decided yet.” I shrugged.
