Chapter 27 Jude
JUDE
“Ithink we should move in together.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear that with you still inside me. What?” Arden deadpans, her chest heaving, her tits round and full, her hair falling over her shoulders. She’s fucking gorgeous, her belly growing every day right along with our little girl.
I didn’t mean to bring it up quite like this, but there’s no way I’m taking it back either.
“I think we should move in together.”
“Jude, we are not,” she huffs when I grab her hips and hold her on top of me, her efforts to get off my lap thwarted, “moving in together just because of the baby.”
“Okay, how about because we’re really good together and I’m over here more than I am at my house anyway.”
“That is not why you move in with someone.”
“Yeah, but if I tell you how much I care about you and want to move our relationship forward, you’re going to freak out.”
“I am not,” she says even as she wiggles on top of me, a mess now covering us both.
“Stop that,” I grunt, hating the stickiness that’s all over my thigh.
“You stop that.”
“Arden, seriously, what is the matter with you?” Growling, I move us to the side of the bed where I can swing my legs over and push myself to stand with her in my arms.
“You move in with someone you’re in love with, and there’s no way you can be in love with me.”
“Says you,” I retort, walking into the bathroom and setting her on the vanity.
“Jude. You’re not in love with me. It hasn’t been that long.”
“Pretty sure people fall in less time.”
Turning the shower on, I stare at her, but she’s not looking at my face. She’s staring at my body, the scars that cover my left leg, and I let her. The memories don’t haunt me as much anymore but there was a time.
“I’m thinkin’ of going back to physical therapy,” I tell her softly, the idea something I’d been thinking about since learning about the baby.
I’d done enough to get by just being me but I want to be better for Arden and our daughter.
I want to be able to chase her around the yard and teach her how to ride a bike.
And even though I have no illusions that it’ll be a complete fix, it can’t hurt to try.
“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Her gaze feels like a caress, like she’s using her hands and not just her eyes. She makes me feel powerful and not like an eighty-year-old when I get up in the morning. And if nothing else, I never want there to come a day that I can’t carry her.
She deserves that and so much more.
“They’ll probably make me do yoga or that other stretching thing. Maybe you can do it with me when we move in together,” I say casually as I step under the spray.
She laughs. “Not gonna happen, Country Rhodes.”
We’ll see, baby, we’ll see.
ARDEN
“He wants to move in together. Can you believe it?” I tell Ellison as we eat at her kitchen table, plates piled high with pancakes.
“So?”
“So?!” I practically choke out before washing my bite down with orange juice I know will give me heartburn but still tastes so good. “What is wrong with you? I can’t just move in with Jude because we’re having a baby.”
“Okay, well, it’s been months and you obviously have feelings for him.
He’s definitely in love with you according to the guys from the night of the bonfire, because and I quote ‘we can tell.’ So why are you making it into this totally outrageous thing?
I would literally crawl into Montana’s pocket if I could fit. ”
“Yeah, but you have dependency issues,” I tease but she just shrugs.
“I do and he loves that about me. When I first moved back here, I threw rocks at his window because I hated being alone at the rental.”
“You threw rocks?”
“I wanted to crawl through his window.”
“And did you?”
“No, he was grouchy and made me use the front door. God forbid a woman try and be romantic.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“It’s my superpower,” she says before taking a sip of water and putting her glass back on the table. “So are you going to tell me if I’m getting a niece or nephew?”
“But you’re not finding out what you’re having. How is that fair?”
“Oh, it’s not; I just like to know.”
“But then how do you pick out names or decorate?” Ellison shrugs and even though we truly haven’t known each other long, I can’t remember ever seeing her so relaxed. “Are you the only woman on the planet who mellows out getting pregnant?”
“I mean, I was some kind of sassy in the beginning, but I’ve just really enjoyed being pregnant, and finding out feels like I’m taking away part of the magic.” Pointing her finger at me, she adds, “That’s strictly for me. I need to know what you’re having.”
“It’s a girl.” I laugh when she squeals as she does a little dance in her seat and slaps her palms on the table like a drum roll.
“Are you excited? Is Jude excited?”
“I had this feeling it was a girl, and it feels so good to have that validation. We’re still working on a first name, but her middle name will be Harmony after his mom.”
Ellison’s eyes well up with tears as she snatches up a napkin and wipes at her cheeks. “That is so damn beautiful and I take back all the nice things I said about pregnancy. This crying shit is for the birds.”
“So eloquently put.”
“Amen, sister.” She blows me a kiss, and I shake my head. “Guess that just leaves your mom and our dad to talk about.”
“Do we have to?” I whine because I think I’d rather deal with morning sickness again.
“Yep, let me whip up the meanest virgin mimosa you’ve ever had and we can talk.”
“You’re not selling this.”
“I’m really not because we’re out of anything with carbonation,” she says, poking around the pantry.
“Can you at least put the rest of my orange juice in a fancy glass? Then I can pretend this isn’t going to be the most painful conversation ever.”
“Oh, and the girls want to talk about picking a date for our baby shower.”
“I stand corrected,” I sigh as she hands me a new glass. “Now it’s the most painful conversation ever.”
“Buckle up, Buttercup, and just trust the process.”
“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”
“Careful or I’ll tell them you want to do all the awkward shower games.” She looks at me pointedly until I fall back against the chair.
“Fine, let’s get this over with.”
“That’s my girl.”