“It’s a little self-centered.” I smirk.
“Whatever. Can you honestly say that you’re sad to have some company? And sue me for wanting to go to all the appointments with you and learning all things baby.”
“Of course not. I’m two seconds away from creating voices in my head and creating some drama just for my entertainment. And you’re very adorable with all this baby stuff,” I mumble.
“See, I’m saving you from a life filled with multiple personalities, who will inevitably pick on all your perceived weaknesses and misery, while you sit here with nothing else to do.”
“Wow, that really escalated.”
“I’m bad at this.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair.
“Bad at what exactly?”
“Talking to you. Getting to know you as Claire. Flirting. Take your pick.”
“This is flirting?” My eyebrows shoot up.
“See?” He holds his hands out. “Very, very bad at this.”
“So what’s the plan, other than keeping my sanity?”
“Talk. Learn about each other. Plan for this kid. Whatever you want,” he offers. There’s a genuineness in not only his words, but also his eyes that tell me we could do anything I wanted and he would make it happen.
The difference between Adam and Chris is like night and day if you’re really looking. I have a feeling that a lot of what I know about him is true to some extent, but this version of him, the real version, is something I’m completely unprepared for. And his love for this baby already? How am I supposed to resist him?
“But I’m still stuck here, correct? You’re able to leave and go to the city, but I’m stuck in this town?” The thought sucks the wind out of my sails.
Sure, having Adam for company isn’t a hardship, but it’s still a prison. He can come and go, but I’m just … trapped. I know it’s mostly my fault. I could go out downtown and meet everyone, but I just … can’t.
“It won’t be forever.” He at least has the decency to look guilty.
“But no one knows exactly how long.” I sigh and plop onto the couch.
“Okay …” He sits next to me. “What if we work on the problem? What if you and I look into all this Cano shit and see if we can find anything else? Some magic ticket that will give us all the answers?”
“That’s too optimistic for my blood,” I grump.
“Mine too.” He winces. “But would it hurt to look over things? We’ve gotten a bunch of new information, and I can make sure I clear it with Woodcroft so it’s all on the up and up.”
“So, I’ll be working for free.” I try to hide my grin as his face drops.
“No! I can talk to him about that too,” Adam rushes.
“I was just kidding. I don’t have anything else to do since the blog is pretty self-sustaining at the moment, so might as well work on it.”
“Man, I’m cashing out on all accounts with you, aren’t I?”
“Nah, I’m just not great at people-ing anymore. It’s not you. I don’t really know how to just be Claire anymore, so I deflect and use sarcasm to throw you off.” Did I mention I’ve had a ton of time to think about every single aspect of my life? Yeah, being self-aware isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
“I … don’t know how to respond to that.”
“Join the club.” I sigh. “Okay, fill me in.”
“Maybe we should just take the day. Eat, talk, and get more comfortable around each other.”
“That’s probably wise.” I tilt my head to look at him. “You can totally tell me when I’m being a menace. The only person I’ve had regular contact with in six months is Lex, and he doesn’t really talk about anything other than looking at pictures.”
“You’re not being a menace. You’re trying to navigate an impossible situation. I’m completely fine if you take that out on me. It’s my fault to begin with.”
