Page 55

I peek over the back of the couch to the front door. “Maybe just go see who it is first.”

“Okay, ‘cause that won’t make you look like a crazy person. You know we don’t have a peephole.”

“I told you we should have bought that video doorbell thing,” I grumble as I get off the couch and meet her in the hallway.

“You gonna go answer it?” she asks as the bell rings again.

“I don’t know. What if he’s just here to break up with me?”

She shakes her head, giving me a little shove toward the door. “Guys don’t break up in person anymore. If that’s what he was doing, he would have texted you or just ghosted you.”

“Good to know.”

He knocks on the door and I sigh before dragging myself across the foyer, my heart racing as I silently plead to the heavens to not let him dump me. I know we’ve only gone on one real date, but boy do I like him. As I wrap my hand around the doorknob, I suck in a breath and count to three before yanking it open. Lucas glances up at me and surprises me as he flashes me a smile that makes my knees a little weak.

“Hey, you ready?”

I narrow my eyes. “Uh, maybe?”

“Maybe?”

“Um,” I mutter, glancing over my shoulder to where Alice is standing, listening to our every word. “Do you think we could talk outside?”

“Sure.”

We step outside and I shut the door behind me as butterflies flap around in my belly.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“I, uh… I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I didn’t mean to upset you…”

He presses his finger to my lips, silencing me as he takes a step forward, closing the space between us. “Please don’t apologize for what you said. It was essentially what my brothers in the club have been saying to me for years but the way you said it, it stuck with me. I was up all night thinking about it and meeting you has made me realize that I do want a life. Not that I know what I want in that life yet but I do want it.”

“So…” I say, studying him. “We’re good?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” he answers with a nod and I release a breath. “Now, are you and Brooklyn ready to go?”

I glance down at my outfit as I nod absentmindedly. “Just give me like two minutes.”

He nods and follows me as I turn back to the house and step inside. Alice is waiting right where I left her and she shoots me an “I told you so” look as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Shut up,” I whisper as I race past her into the living room where Brooklyn is quietly playing with blocks. “Hey, baby girl. You ready to go?”

She looks up before dropping her block on the floor and reaching for me. Before I can grab her, Lucas laughs at something Alice says and her head whips in the direction of the foyer. She’s off like a bolt of lightning, quickly crawling out of the living room and into the foyer. A squeal greets me as Lucas laughs again and when I step into the hallway, my heart almost seizes at the sight of him holding her in his arms.

God, what is it about a sexy man holding a baby that sends ovaries into overdrive?

“Ready?” he asks and I nod, grabbing my purse off the table.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Y’all have fun now, ya hear?” Alice calls in a smug voice as we walk out of the house and I flip her off behind my back. Her laughter reaches me just before the door closes and I shake my head, fighting back a smile. I hate when Alice is right because that girl can gloat like no one else so I know I’ll be hearing about this for the next month, at least.

“I feel like I need to clear something up,” Lucas says as he climbs behind the wheel of my car after buckling Brooklyn into her car seat.

“What’s that?”

“Earlier, when you thought I was here to break up with you… Well, I just can’t see that happening anytime soon. Or maybe even ever if I’m being honest. We’re taking this slow because that’s what you need not because of the way I’m feeling about you.”