Maybe she doesn’t understand.
“I already knew you would keep him. I know
you, Erin, better than you may think.”
I take her hand and invite her to sit with me on
the couch, so that we’re facing each other.
“I couldn’t do it, not after hearing its heartbeat.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “It’s my baby, do you
understand?”
Of course I understand. More than she knows.
“Now I imagine you’ll want to hightail it out of
here.”
I shake my head and take her chin in my
fingers.
“You can’t imagine how wrong you are, Erin.”
“I can’t, don’t you understand? I can’t let you
get close to me, not now, especially not now. Not
knowing that you could leave in any given
moment. I need someone who stays all night and
doesn’t leave the next day. And you, Patrick, are
one who leaves in the middle of the night with the
bed still hot.”
“I could…”
She shuts me up by placing a finger on my lips.
“We both know it’s not because of you. I thank
you for you’re being here and your help, but no.
I’m trying to recover from my break-up with Nate
and I have to get used to all the newness of the
situation, the changes and I don’t have these kinds
of things in mind.”
I have to ask her because my jealousy is slowly