Unfortunately, I’d chosen that moment to take a sip of my drink, and I choke as the Coke goes down my windpipe.
Everyone laughs while I splutter out, “Heck no, Sprout. Tori’s my sister. I’m the baby’s uncle,notits dad.”
Unperturbed, she looks back at her mother. “Will you have another baby, Mama?”
Jesus Christ.
It hits me how much I want Juliet to say yes. I want her to consider having a baby with me. It’s fucking insane considering I’ve only known her for a couple of months and how scared I am of my past repeating itself, but for the first time in my life, I’m thinking I want that future, and I want it with her.
Juliet’s cheeks flush as her gaze flicks to me before settling back on the table. “I don’t know, princess. We’ll see.”
An awkward silence falls around the table, and I’m grateful to Tori when she turns the attention to Emily, asking her about her teaching degree. As they talk about some of the crazy boys she taught on her last placement, I glance at Everett, who’s picking at his food, deep in thought, then try to get Juliet’s attention, but she’s deliberately avoiding me, helping Tinsley pick up noodles with chopsticks.
As if she can feel my heavy gaze on her, she tucks her hair behind her ear and mutters something about the bathroom before pushing back from the table. My heart races, and I force myself to wait five minutes, then follow her to the back of the restaurant, thankfully out of view of our table.
Feeling like a creep, I lean against the wall opposite and wait for her.
Her eyes widen when she sees me, and I tense as she glances towards the restaurant, but when she sees we’re hidden, she relaxes and steps into my arms. The tension leeches out of me as she tilts her face to look at me.
“Hi.”
I grin, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft caress. “Hey, pixie.”
My heart is beating so hard against my ribcage, I’m sure she can feel it between us.
“Thank you for coming,” I murmur, resting my forehead against hers. “I really needed to see you.”
She runs her fingers over my lips. “I needed to see you, too.”
Unable to stop myself, I close the distance between us and kiss her again.
When we pull apart, she releases a shaky breath before meeting my gaze. “We need to talk about where this is going,” she whispers, resting her hands on my chest. “There are some things I need to tell you about mine and Tinsley’s situation, and I get the feeling there might be something you need to tell me as well.”
My stomach twists, but I force myself to nod. “Yeah. We need to talk.”
“What shifts are you on this week?”
I tuck her hair behind her ear and cup her cheek. “Two night shifts, a day off Wednesday, then two day shifts.”
She nods. “Can you come over on Wednesday when you wake up? I’ll have to leave by three to pick up Tinsley.”
“I can do that. But tell me, are we okay?”
Her green eyes meet mine, the uncertainty clear. “We’re okay.”
Reluctantly, I release her, and she steps back. “Can I call you later?”
“Please,” she says, biting her lip to fight her grin.
I nod towards the restaurant for her to head back to the table, while I enter the bathroom.
Moving to the sink, I take in my appearance in the mirror. My eyes are wide and bright, and my lips tug into a grin. She makes me so goddamn happy. I can’t focus on the unknown, on the chance she might run when she finds out about my past. There’s a fierce need deep inside me to protect them both, and all I can do is hope I’ve done enough to prove I’d never intentionally hurt her or Tinsley.
After washing my hands, I return to the table, where everyone is finishing their meals. Juliet’s lips twitch as I take my seat, and I press mine together to hide my grin. She ducks her head, her cheeks tinged pink, and I take a sip of my drink to compose myself.
“Thanks for inviting us to dinner,” Juliet says, gathering her things. “I should get this one home, or she’ll be too tired for school in the morning.”
Tinsley pouts. “No, Mama. Can I stay at Rett’s tonight and he can teach me how to play soccer?”
