Chapter 13
Thirteen
Charlie
By the time I finished my shower and got dressed, Axel was already downstairs as the smell of food cooking floated up to the bedroom.
My stomach growled as I pulled on the hoodie he’d lent me.
It was loose but pulled so tightly over my swollen stomach that it barely covered it without riding up.
I headed down the stairs, pausing for a moment when I heard voices.
It was hard always expecting the worst to happen and never knowing when the people I was running from would find me. I held my breath and listened the best I could without giving it away that I was there, only releasing the breath once I realized it was just Jo.
I walked into the kitchen and smiled as they stood at the metal island in the middle, looking through bags, then looked up when they noticed me.
“The hoodie looks nice on you,” Axel said, a look of pride flashing across his face as he took me in wearing his clothes. I tried not to let the compliment get to me as I struggled to keep the blush off my face.
“Thank you. I got a little cold, so I took you up on your offer to borrow it. I hope that’s still okay,” I said nervously as I tugged at the bottom.
“Of course. You can take whatever you want. Whatever is mine is yours,” he replied quickly, missing the way Jo was staring at him with her eyebrows lifted.
She turned her gaze to me, and I felt another blush spread across my cheeks as if I had just gotten caught by my mother, though I hadn’t done anything wrong.
Maybe I was just overthinking things and assuming she knew something had happened between us.
Or even worse, maybe I was getting in my own head by allowing myself to consider the possibility that he had enjoyed it as much as I did.
“Axel called and said that you were feeling a little uncomfortable this morning,” Jo said, ignoring the awkward silence that had briefly settled over the room. “I talked to Dr. Foster, and she had some stuff from her last pregnancy that she didn’t need anymore and asked me to bring them over.”
“What kind of stuff?” I asked as I walked over and stood beside her.
“Some clothes, which I think might be a little too big for you, but at least they’ll be loose. She also had some belly bands that really helped her, so she insisted that you use them. How is the cut feeling?”
“Better. I’ve been applying the ointment as often as I can. It doesn’t hurt as badly as it did, and most of the time, I don’t even notice it,” I said as I lifted my shirt and the hoodie to show her. She leaned in and took a good look, nodding before she handed me a band.
I held it in the air, unsure of what I was supposed to do with it.
“Here, step into it,” Jo said, with a laugh as she took it from me. She bent down and held it at my feet as I balanced myself with the island and stepped into it.
She pulled the stretchy fabric up my legs before positioning it under my belly, then bringing it up and over it. Instantly, I felt a sense of relief as the weight shifted.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, staring down at the band in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’s a total game changer from what I hear,” Jo said, smiling at me. “I take it by the look on your face that it does what it’s supposed to.”
I smoothed my hand over my stomach and nodded.
“I haven’t felt this kind of relief in—I don’t know how long,” I admitted, letting out a deep breath and noticing that it didn’t feel as labored as it had this morning. This baby was so high up, I was surprised her little foot wasn’t peeking out of my mouth.
“You can also have Axel lift your stomach and hold it for you,” Jo said, a smirk gracing her lips as his head whipped in her direction.
What had they been talking about before I came in? Had he told her about the kiss? She was acting differently, but then again, so was I, so it was possible I was imagining things.
“If you’re going to be staying with him, then you should take advantage of his help. He can stand behind you and wrap his arms around the front, lifting your stomach to give you some relief. Just be mindful of the cut and stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort.”
“Oh, no... he doesn’t need to worry about that.
I’m sure this will be just fine on its own, but thank you,” I rushed out, making sure he didn’t feel like he needed to do anything more than he was already doing for me by letting me stay there.
The last thing I wanted was to feel like I was a burden or to make more work for him.
“I don’t mind,” he said, meeting my eyes.
The heat I had seen in his gaze after we kissed was back in his eyes as he watched me. I swallowed hard, trying not to say something stupid because in that moment, I wanted nothing more than for him to keep looking at me the way he was.
“You hear that? Axel doesn’t mind,” Jo said, lifting her eyebrows as high as the pitch in her voice as she watched me. “I’m sure there’s plenty he could help you with.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from talking because the last thing I needed was to make myself look like an idiot by misreading anything.