“Well, I’m honored. I’m going to be an aunt!” she squealed excitedly.
“Love you, Gabs. Thanks for listening.”
“Love you, too, Sadie. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up and smiled down at my phone. Despite the circumstances, her excitement made my worry ease a little. I was still terrified of what was to come. My life was messy. Not exactly ideal for bringing a baby into the world, but I knew I had good friends who would be behind me. That was all I needed.
Well, a new, cheaper apartment too.
And probably a new job.
And enough money to pay off my debtandprepare for a baby.
I sighed. I would have to figure it out soon. My stomach grumbled, signaling that it was dinnertime. I pushed off from the wall and turned the corner toward the lobby doors. I greeted the doorman and strode through the lobby with my head down, not wanting to catch a possible sighting of Jeremiah. But when the elevator doors opened and I step off, I stopped in my tracks.
There he was, in the same fitted blue suit from today, leaning against the wall next to my door. It was almost annoying how put together he looked, even after the day we had had. There wasn’t one hair out of place. Just once, I’d love to see him sloppy or lose his composure. Even in Dallas, hammered from a bottle of wine, he was still dreamy. Damn him for being so handsome.
I swallowed hard as I debated fleeing, but then his piercing blue eyes found mine. The storm from earlier had cleared, and there was something else in them now as they looked at me. Remorse. This little glimpse of humanity had me walking toward him.
He pushed off the wall at my approach, his hands still tucked in his pockets. “Can we talk?” he asked softly.
“We have nothing to talk about,” I said coolly as I rummaged through my purse for my keys.
“Sadie, please…”
“I’m really not in the mood to be bulldozed.” I pulled my keys from my purse and inserted them into the lock. Before I could turn them, Jeremiah placed his hand on mine. I looked up at him sharply, trying to keep my icy composure.
“Please, let’s go inside. I just want to talk. I want to apologize.”
I arched a brow and scoffed. “You? Say sorry?”
“Look, despite what you might think about me, I am capable of feeling remorse. And I’m not too proud to say sorry when I’ve screwed up.”
I gazed up at him a moment longer, lost in his blue eyes and lost in his words that seemed genuine. With his hand still on mine, I turned the key in the door and pushed it open. I nodded for him to come inside.
I set my purse on the small entryway table and strode to the couch. Jeremiah hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should join me where I sat with my back straight and my chin turnedup. I may have let him in, but my feelings were still a jumbled mess of anger and confusion.
He took a deep breath and joined me on the couch, making sure to put a good few feet between us. Even with the small amount of distance, I breathed in his rich cologne and tried not to melt under its aroma. Damn him for being handsome. And damn him for smelling so good.
“I spent all day thinking about how I treated you,” he said softly. “I was an asshole.”
“That’s an understatement,” I muttered.
He ignored my snide remark and continued. “I got so scared when you told me you were pregnant that I immediately went into defense mode. When you’re in my…position, it’s hard to trust people. It’s hard to know what theyreallywant from you. It’s probably why I do tend to hide behind my work. It’s more black and white.”
“That’s a sad way to live,” I said softly.
He shrugged. “It’s the only way I really know.”
I nodded, a gesture to let him know I accepted his apology. I would never understand what it was to be a billionaire or a person in power, but I tried to put myself in his shoes. It was true what they said—it was lonely at the top.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
I shrugged. “The same. I don’t know. I guess this explains those bouts of nausea I was having.”
He nodded before looking out the window behind me. Darkness had settled in, leaving the city lights to compete against the stars. He looked like he was deep in thought before turning back to me.
“What do you need from me?” he asked.
