“What’s on your mind?” she asks.
I stop staring at the top of the baby’s head and glance up at Lyla. “I don’t even know how to talk about it.”
“Well, let me know if you do,” she says, then adds, “Is it about Finn?”
“Baby, do you want…” Lachlan begins to interrupt, but stops short and looks at me. “What about Finn?”
I bristle. “I don’t want to tell you.”
“Why not?” He frowns as he sits down in the chair beside his wife and smiles at the baby.
“Because you’ll make a big fuss.”
“If you tell Lyla about it, I’ll make her tell me, and the outcome will be the same,” he says, setting a cloth on his shoulder and taking the baby from Lyla’s chest to start burping her.
“You’ve already said too much. You know how nosey he is,” Lyla says, rolling her eyes.
“Fine, but don’t say anything to him,” I say, shooting a pointed look at Lachlan, who looks too excited to be in on the gossip. “I was on the computer doing homework and an email of his popped up. I would have ignored it, but my name was on the subject line.”
“What did it say?” Lyla asks, eyes narrowed.
“There are endless candid pictures of me from a PI that go backover a year.”
Rosa’s burp was the only reaction I got out of the three of them.
“Hello?” I say, my wide eyes jumping between them. “He was stalking me for over a year!”
“That’s what’s bothering you?” Lachlan asks, frowning.
“I mean, yeah, shouldn’t it bother me?”
“I’m sorry.” Lyla laughs. “We’re the wrong crowd for this. Lachlan stalked the fuck out of me.”
“And I’d do it again,” he says, grinning at her as he taps Rosa’s back.
“I don’t mean sneaky social media stalking. I mean legit stalking, with a PI,” I clarify again.
“I tried to get people to use facial recognition on some guy she went on a date with once,” Lachlan says, like it’s something he’s proud of.
“And we weren’t even together,” Lyla adds. Lachlan shoots her an annoyed look.
My jaw drops for a moment. “That isnotnormal.”
Lachlan frowns. “Who wants normal?”
“Right? Is it even love if there’s no stalking involved?” Lyla asks in a deadpan tone and smiles at Lachlan when he smirks at her. She shakes her head and looks at me again. “Have you spoken to him about it?”
“No. I just found out a couple of hours ago.”
“Is it a make it or break it kind of thing?” Lyla asks.
Even as I’m frowning, I’m shaking my head, which only further proves how far gone I am for this man. It bothers me, yes, but I know I won’t leave him because of it. Crazy as it may be—and itiscrazy—I trust him.
“I have to be honest,” Lachlan says, standing up and putting Rosa James in her bassinet near Lyla’s side of the bed. “I’m kind of surprised Finn would do this.”
“Because he’s so reserved?” Lyla asks.
“I guess. And I’ve never even seen him look at the same woman twice. Definitely not after they hook up.” He flinches a little. “Sorry, Joss.”
