The sound of Spencer’s voice distracts me from the strange ache in my chest, causing me to reluctantly turn my attention away from Jasper.
“What bottles did you get? Because babies can be picky. Did you get a monitor? They have cameras now, so you can be anywhere in the house and see her,” Spencer asks, his excitement bubbling over as he becomes a fountain of baby knowledge.
I tilt my head and look up at my friend, who blushes.
“Can I hold her?”
“Yeah, of course.” I stand up, letting Spencer take my place on the couch before setting Mazie in his arms.
Finn and Spencer lock eyes with identical beaming smiles.
“I’m going to grab a cup of coffee, or I’ll never survive the night,” I say and make my way over to the coffee station, taking a moment to breathe.
Mentally, I go through the list of things I need to accomplish this weekend and what I need to rearrange now that I have Mazie.
Ugh, I was not prepared for this.
For a moment, my lungs lose precious air when I sense his presence behind me. Let’s be real, I could feel Jasper’s presence the second I entered the cafe. Every time he’s near, my body wants to react. My hair’s standing on end, my skin heating from his gaze, and my cock thickening at his scent.
“Are you okay?” he asks in a soft tone, the remaining silence between us heavy with unspoken emotions… at least on my end.
Sometimes it’s jarring the way the softness of his voice is always at odds with the constant movement of his mind and body.
“I’m fine,” I say, clearing my throat, hoping to hide the break in my voice, trying not to give away how overwhelmed I feel. “Jaxon was right. I’m not the best qualified to take care of a baby…I don’t know what I’m doing, Jasper.” The words echo like a strangled whisper, still unable to turn around and face him.
“Nobody expects you to know what you’re doing, but you have all of us willing to help you figure it out,” Jasper says, his tone gentle and comforting.
“And you? Do I have you?”
The silence is telling, and my heart sinks a little more. I’m a fool for hoping he felt something, too. I just wish I knew why he did it.
Mazie lets out a loud cry. “She’s probably hungry. I should go feed her.”
I move to leave, but Jasper catches my arm. That’s when I finally meet his gaze.Those searching eyes are back.
What does he see? Can he tell I’m too afraid to look at him? Did he peek over the brick wall with that kiss and now he knows my feelings have been more than friendship all along?
He scrunches his brow together in confusion. “Always.”
What does that mean?
I nod my head and give him a small smile before making my way over to a crying baby.
“Hey, Mazie girl. Are you hungry?” I coo, taking her from Spencer’s arms. “I just need to get warm water.”
“Here, let me get it,” Spencer says, kneeling down to dig through the diaper bag. Well, my backpack. Pulling out a bottle.
“There’s a pre-measured container of formula in there. If you just hand me the…”
“No, sit. I’ve got this.”
“Uhhh, okay? Are you sure you know what to do?” I ask, and Spencer waves me off. A reassuring smile accompanies his dismissive gesture as he makes his way to the kitchen. I glance over at Finn and cock a brow. He smiles sheepishly before getting up and following Spencer.
I can’t be the only one to see this, right? Like, there’s something weird happening with those two. I scan the room, but all eyes are still on me.
Jules comes over and sits on the edge of the couch with her purple pixie cut all a mess.
“Are you doing okay, Olly?” she asks, rubbing my back.
