When Love Is Unexpected: A Sweet Fake Relationship Friends To Lovers Romance

6. Chapter 6

After dinner, Laila drives me back to Loren”s house.

”Do you want to come in?” I ask.

”Of course I do,” she says. ”I”ll make us some coffee.”

”So, you”ve told your family we”re together?” Laila asks as soon as we sit on the couch.

”Yes,” I say. ”As far as they”re concerned, you and I are in a long-distance relationship. We were friends when I left. We missed each other and realized our feelings were stronger than we thought.”

”All of that is true,” she says, ”except for the relationship.”

”You have stronger feelings for me?” I ask.

”I missed you,” she says. ”I was inconsolable for weeks.”

”You never said anything when we spoke on the phone.”

”What was I supposed to say?” she asks. ”You chose to leave.”

”One word from you would have made me stay.”

”Well, I didn”t know the magic word,” she says. ”Because you left, so fill me in. What word were you looking for exactly?”

”You”re getting upset,” I say.

”Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” she says.

”I”m sorry,” I say. ”You were having more and more arguments with Eric the longer I stayed. You were going to have to choose between the two of us sooner or later.”

”I would”ve chosen you,” she says. ”I would”ve chosen you.”

”He was your boyfriend, Laila. I was just a friend, remember?”

”You know you”re much more than a friend,” she says but doesn”t elaborate, and I don”t push it.

I get up and go to the kitchen to pour each of us a cup of coffee.

”A girlfriend should know everything about her boyfriend,” she says when I hand her a cup.

”Okay,” I say. ”How well do you think you know me?”

”I think I know you pretty well,” she says, putting her cup on the coffee table, ”Go ahead, ask me anything.”

”What”s my favorite color?” I ask, putting my cup down next to hers.

”Yellow,” she says. ”You think it”s the happiest color in a rainbow.”

”Favorite movie?”

”One Flew Over the Cuckoo”s Nest,” she says. ”You made me watch it with you, remember?”

I nod. ”Favorite actor?”

”It”s a toss-up between Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. The Godfather is in your top ten favorite movies.”

”Well done,” I say. ”Favorite sport and favorite team?”

”Basketball,” she says. ”Los Angeles Lakers. You played basketball for UCLA and chose a career in computer science over a possible career in the NBA, much to the disappointment of your family and friends.”

”Wow, you do listen,” I say. ”Favorite TV Show?”

”Six Feet Under. You said it had the best ending ever.”

”We still have to watch it together,” I say.

”Yeah, well, you left, remember?” she says, half joking and half accusing me of abandonment.

”Come here,” I say, reaching for her.

She scoots over to me on the couch, nestling next to me and resting her head on my shoulder.

”What”s my favorite show?” she asks.

”That”s easy,” I say. ”ER, and while half the female population on the planet was smitten with Clooney”s character, you had a crush on John Carter, played by Noah Wyle. You grew up watching the show with your parents, and it inspired you to become a doctor.”

”Wow,” she says. ”That”s impressive. I can”t believe you remember that.”

”Very little gets past me,” I say.

”Well, you know nothing gets past me,” she says. ”So, let”s talk about your tattoo.”

She hasn’t forgotten.

”Where is it, Sam?” she asks.

”It”s a small one,” I say. ”No big deal.”

”Let me see it,” she says.

I sit up straight and start unbuttoning my shirt.

She”s looking at me, her eyes growing wider and greener, like an ocean filled with emerald gems.

When the last button is undone, she reaches with both hands and opens the front of my shirt, revealing the two-inch tattoo on the left side of my chest, right where my heart beats.

”What is it?” she asks, lightly touching the word with her fingertips. I gently take her hand, move it away, and then button my shirt back up.

”What is it?” she asks again.

”It”s private,” I say.

”You”re not going to tell me?”

”I”m not,” I say.

”It looks like a word,” she says. ”Maybe in a different language.”

”Does it?” I ask.

”Okay,” she says. ”Let”s talk about something else.”

”Okay, good,” I say.

”You said you had two serious relationships in Greece. Does your family know about them? What were their names again?”

”I never mentioned them by name,” I say.

”Oh, that”s right, you didn”t, but did you mention them to your family?”

”No,” I say. ”My family doesn”t know.”

”Then they weren”t that serious, were they?”

”Why don”t you ask me what you want to know?”

”I want to be prepared,” she says. ”If your mom mentions some woman”s name, I want to know what she”s talking about. That”s all.”

”I promise,” I say. ”No one will mention the women I knew in Greece. Are you satisfied now?”

”Maybe,” she says.

”You”re incorrigible,” I say.

”Honestly,” she says, ”I don”t know how you put up with me.”

When she scoots back on the couch and sinks into a pillow, I rest my arm above her head and fix my gaze on her. She”s so close, I could kiss her right now.

”Do it,” she says, as if reading my thoughts.

”Do what?” I ask.

”I know that look, Sam.”

”You know nothing, young lady.” I say, ”Here, let me help you up. It”s getting late, and I”m still jet lagged.”

”You”re asking me to leave?” she asks, taking my hand.

”You can stay as long as you want, but I have to go to bed. Otherwise, I”ll be useless to you tomorrow.”

”Okay,” she says. ”Walk me to the door.”

”Goodnight, Laila.”

”Goodnight,” she says before hugging me, ”I”ll see you in the morning?”

I try to stay in bed as long as possible, but I”m up by six. After doing some work on my laptop, I go for a short run, I”m in the kitchen making some breakfast when the doorbell rings. I look at my phone but it”s only ten, so it”s not Laila.

”Hi, Sam,” Loren says as soon as I open the door.

”Loren!” I exclaim, ”Come in, come in. I”m frying some eggs.”

I run back to the stove and slide my eggs onto a plate.

”Do you want some breakfast?” I ask.

”No, I had breakfast with Christina and Holly.”

”It”s so good to see you,” I say, taking her hand and twirling her slowly.

She lets out a giggle and then opens her arms to hug me, her baby bump gently pressing between us.

”Sit down,” I say, leading her to the table.

”Do you want some coffee? Can you have coffee?”

”Yes, I”ll take a cup, thank you.”

I pour each of us some coffee and then join Loren at the table with my eggs and bacon.

”You look beautiful, Loren,” I say before taking a bite.

”Thank you,” she says, rubbing her very pregnant belly.

”So, you”re due in a couple of months?”

”Five weeks,” she says, ”I don”t know if this baby can wait that long.”

”Where”s Holly?” I ask.

”She”s with Christina. I dropped them off at her house and then went home and took a nap.”

”So, you”re back for good?” I ask.

”Yes,” she says, ”We want to be here when the baby”s born.”

”Do you know what you”re having?”

”No. We”re waiting to find out. We want to be surprised.”

”You”re radiating happiness.”

”Am I?” she asks, smiling and blushing a bit, ”Sam, my life is full of everything I thought I”d lost forever. You were there to see my struggle with guilt, insecurities, and fear.”

”I remember,” I say, ”But once you let go of the ghosts and allowed yourself to fall in love, you became a different person.”

”Who I am now is the real me—the person I was before losing Justin. As cliche as it sounds, I”m able to live my life to the fullest again. I”m able to laugh without feeling guilty for being happy, and I”m able to love again without reserve or fear.”

”So, Aaron makes you happy?”

”Aaron is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He”s the love of my life. He”s a wonderful man, an incredible human being, the best dad, and the most loving husband. Sam, Aaron gives me butterflies every time he looks at me.”

”I remember you saying that in your wedding vows.”

”You remember!” she exclaims.

”Of course I do,” I say. ”It was one of the best weddings I”ve ever been to. Watching the two of you exchange your wedding vows was so touching. There wasn”t a dry eye in the room.”

”Thank you,” she says.

”Is he excited about the baby?”

”Oh my gosh, yes! He talks to my belly every day. He helped Holly write a little jingle that she sings to the baby every night. It”s part of her bedtime routine. She says her prayers and then sings this little song to her brother or sister. It”s so cute.”

”That”s great, Loren. I”m so happy for you.”

”I”m happy for me, too,” she says. ”What about you? You”re in the States to attend your sister”s wedding, right?”

”Yes,” I say, ”that”s next weekend. But I also came to see Laila. I miss her.”

”You two belong together,” she says. ”And I know what you”re going to say, ”She”s taken,” but I don”t think she and Eric will end up together.”

”They broke up,” I say.

”They did? When?”

”The day before I got here.”

”Sam, you need to let her know how you feel.”

”She”s moving to Boston in three months,” I say. ”She has a one-track mind, and her residency is the only thing that matters to her right now. I would only be in her way.”

”She was heartbroken when you left,” she says. ”You matter to her. I”ve never seen my sister like that before.”

”If she doesn”t feel the same way,” I say. ”I”ll lose her friendship. I”m not willing to put that on the line—never.”

She gives me a slight smile.

”I”m glad you”re staying here,” she says, changing the subject. ”This is your home.”

”I appreciate that, Loren. You”ve been such a wonderful friend to me.”

”We”re family,” she says, reaching for my hand. ”Have you seen Laila?”

”Yes,” I say. ”She should be here soon.

”Is she going to San Diego with you?”

”Yes,” I say. ”We leave on Saturday.”

”Take advantage of this time,” she says. ”Figure out exactly where you”re both at. You hear me?”

I nod but decide to change the subject, ”Do you have names picked out for the baby?”

”Yes,” she says, her face lighting up, ”If it”s a girl, her name is Elizabeth.”

”Elizabeth is your middle name, right?”

”Yes,” she says, ”Elizabeth is my paternal grandmother”s name. If it”s a boy, his name is Peter, after Aaron”s dad.”

When the doorbell rings, I get up to answer it.

”It”s probably Laila,” I say.

”Loren!” Laila”s squeal fills the room as soon as I open the door.

She runs inside as Loren gets up slowly from her chair.

”Oh my gosh!” Laila says. ”You”re huge!”

”Thanks,” says a giggling Loren.

Laila is wearing blue jeans, a yellow belted top, and brown boots with heels. Her hair is in a sleek ponytail with loose curls cascading down her back. Today, she is wearing makeup.

”When did you get in?” Laila asks.

”A few hours ago,” Loren says.

”Baby Baldwin is doing good?”

”Yes,” says Loren. ”Kicking me more and more every day. I don”t think I”ll make it for five more weeks.”

”Of course you will,” says Laila. ”He”s gotta finish baking. Keep him in there as long as possible.”

”Yes, Dr. Linder,” says Loren.

”Everyone”s at the house. You want to go see them?”

”Yes, of course!” says Loren. “I have to go pick up Holly. She”s at Christina”s.”

”Call and invite her over,” Laila says, ”The more, the merrier.”

”It was so good to see you, Loren,” I say, walking over to hug her before they leave.

”You”re coming with us,” says Laila. ”You have to see Holly and give her the barrette you made her. Do you have it?”

”You made her a barrette?” asks Loren. ”How sweet.”

”I”ll meet you there,” I say.

”I have to go back to the house to get my purse,” says Loren. ”I”ll be right back.”

When Loren walks out, Laila shuts the door behind her.

”What”s wrong?” she asks, looking back at me.

”Laila, this is a family gathering,” I say. ”I have no business being there.”

”Sam, I want you there,” she says. ”Everyone does.”

When she looks at me and smiles, my heart melts. I can”t say no to this woman.

One word would have kept me from leaving. I would”ve never left if she had just said, ”Stay.”