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Amanecer. I’ll get there first and order for you.

You don’t know what I want.

Croquetas, the green salad you’ll ignore, and whatever I’m having.

He’s not wrong, which is the annoying part. Something flutters in my stomach. For once, I can’t tell if it’s the baby or me.

I love spending time with him. He makes me feel safe. He’s been so good to me and the baby. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

Twelve days of living with him have been a challenge, but also a blessing. There’s been tension and awkward silences. He leaves the cutting board in the sink overnight, and apparently I’ve been loading the dishwasher wrong my entire life.

But we’ve also had fun and laughed a lot. We’ve learned to respect each other’s boundaries, and to support each other’s goals.

I actually think this could work. We’re friends and we’ll be great co-parents. I’m certain of it.

I grab my purse and stop at Mom’s office on my way out.

“Going to Amanecer,” I tell her. “Want me to bring you something to eat?”

“No, but thanks for asking,” she says. “I’m good.”

“Okay. If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I will. Say hi to Raul for me.”

“I will,” I say. “See you later, Mom.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

The parking lot is half empty. I’m ten steps from my car when I freeze. Someone is leaning against it.

“Alycia,” Declan says, smiling. He’s wearing a suit and a tie, which means he’s either just come from his lawyer or is on his way to one. He looks as handsome as ever. But I’m not fooled.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, keeping my distance.

“I just wanted to talk to you. To see how you are.”

“I’m fine,” I say. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”

He sighs. “Okay. I came to apologize. For everything. For the things I’ve said and done and the mess I created. I’m sorry, Alycia. I love you and I want you back.”

My eyes go wide. Is he serious? Does he really think I’m that stupid?

“Are you insane?” I ask. “Do you really think I would ever take you back after what you did? For fuck’s sake, Declan. You’re delusional. You think this is somehow going to save you from the league investigation and the consequences of everything you did?”

I notice the way his eyes harden and his jaw clenches. I can see what he really is underneath. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before. By the time I blink, it’s gone, and the familiar charming smile is back on his face.

“Alycia, please,” he says, reaching for my hand.

The aftershave reaches me before he does. The one I picked out in Rome on our honeymoon. Five years of it on every pillow I owned.

I step back out of his reach. “Don’t. Don’t touch me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t ever come near me again. We’re over, Declan. You made sure of that. Now leave, before I call security.”

“Are you really going to throw away everything we were? Everything we built? You’re really going to walk away from this?”

“Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me. You’re the one who threw everything away. And now you’re just grasping at straws.”

He glances at my belly and frowns. “It’s not like you were a saint, Alycia. You got knocked up by some guy you picked up in a hotel bar. Yeah, I heard the story. You’re no better than me.”