The more he did, the more she started calming down. That is until she was no longer in the clutches of a panic attack, and then the scales tipped and embarrassment consumed her. She’d freaked out. Niko had seen it. And now AJ was saving the day. Again.
Poppy hadneverbeen a damsel-in-distress, but for some reason, she kept being cast in that role, and AJ kept being her knight in shining armor, saving the day. It was embarrassing but also terrifying. Mainly because of what would happen when he stopped riding in on his white horse to save her? What then?
“You don’t have to do this just because I’m pregnant,” she snapped rudely. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
She could hear the defensive tone in her voice, she knew what she was doing,preemptive abandonment, but she couldn’t stop it.
A ‘thank you’ would have been sufficient,she told herself.
AJ didn’t have any reaction to her snippy comment. He simply replied, “I know,” and continued taking measurements.
For some reason, his non-reaction only irritated her more. She actuallywantedto pick a fight with him. What in the drama-inciting-toxic-energy was that? She didn’t even recognize herself.
She needed to figure her shit out, and she needed to do it fast.
The television light flickered across Poppy’s face as she watched what AJ now knew was the Salt Lake City Housewives arguing about something. He sat beside her on the couch wondering if his overnight privileges were going to be revoked tonight or tomorrow.
Technically, she was in the clear from her concussion now. Tomorrow she was returning back to regular duties as a nanny. Despite knowing that physically she was up to the tasks, he still felt very protective of her. If it were up to him, he’d spend the next thirty-two weeks not letting her out of his sight, making sure she had everything she needed twenty-four-seven.
Living next door was close, but for him it wasn’t close enough.
Ever since they’d come home from the house today, she’d been quiet. Too quiet. He knew something was bothering her, but he wasn’t sure what it was or how to fix it. It was highly probable it had something to do with him and the house, but he’d seen the panic in her eyes. He’d also seen the state the house was in. Luckily, Niko was right, it had good bones, but the rest needed work, work he would do because then he knew it would be done right. He couldn’t do it all himself, but the work he wasn’t capable of alone, he would hire out and if he oversaw the trades, then he knew those would be done right as well.
Was that what upset her? That he’d taken over? Should he have asked her if she wanted his help? If he did that, she would have said no. She didn’t want people to help her. She didn’t even want people to know she was pregnant. When was she going to tell people? When would she let people be there for her?
“What?” she asked without taking her eyes from the screen.
“Nothing,” he responded.
She turned toward him. “What? What were you thinking?”
Since she asked, he felt like he had to tell her. “When are you going to tell people?”
She looked down at her belly, placing her hand over it, then looked back up at AJ. “Why?”
AJ didn’t know how to communicate what he wanted to say. He’d never been good at communicating. Instead of trying to overthink it or not say the wrong thing, like he worried about with other people, he just said what he was thinking.
“You don’t have to go through this alone.”
He watched as Poppy’s eyes filled with tears, and he immediately apologized. “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t meant to upset her, in fact, that was the last thing he wanted to do.
She started to shake her head, but before she could respond, a loud knock sounded at the door, and AJ stood. Poppy also stood, her eyes wide. When he moved to go answer the door, she shoved his chest, trying to push him back to sit down on the couch. He remained standing.
“Stay here,” she whispered.
“Why are you whispering?” he asked.
“What if it’s my mom?”
Right. She didn’t want her mom to think anything was going on between them, like they were having a baby. He lowered back down onto the couch and tried not to take the fact that she was horrified about anyone finding out he was at her place personally.
When the door opened, he immediately knew it wasnother mom. It was a male voice asking her if she was okay.
“Yeah, fine.”
“I just saw the security footage.”
Security footage?This was clearly Deacon St. Claire. Despite being warned to stay out of sight, AJ stood and walked to the doorway and took his place behind Poppy.
