Chapter 16
Two days later,Chloe finds herself lying on the cushy bed in Luke’s guest room. Sunlight streams through the window, warming her wherever it brushes her skin. LA isn’t what she thought it was, but she likes it so far. To be fair, she hasn’t seen much of it yet, just Luke’s neighborhood and the little bit on the way to the Chinese restaurant they ordered from last night.
It’s been two days of just Chloe and Luke in this big house, all alone.
She’s spent most of that time hiding out in the guest room.
If Luke has noticed how weird she’s being (she can’t deny it, she is), he hasn’t said anything. And thank God for that! She’s having a hard enough time eating meals with him and being so close without their friends to act as a buffer. She might actually just die if he called her out on it.
She stretches in the bed, just soaking everything in. It’s more restful here than it was on the road. One hand rests gently on her small, but definitely present, baby bump. She rubs it softly with her thumb.
There’s a knock on the door.
‘Yeah?’ Chloe calls, not bothering to sit up. Luke opens the door, and she quirks an eyebrow at him. ‘You know, it is your house. You don’t have to knock.’
Luke leans against the door jamb and shoots her a look. ‘While you’re here, it’s your room. And knocking is only polite.’
‘Wish my parents had the same thought process while I was growing up,’ Chloe says. She pushes herself up until she’s sitting in the plush bed. ‘What’s up?’
The smile on his face is enough to break hearts. ‘Come with me,’ he says. ‘I wanna show you something.’
Luke’s house is big—too big for just one person, in Chloe’s opinion. The ground floor has an open-concept living and dining area big enough to house a family of ten. The second floor is full of rooms, and Luke has apparently found uses for all of them. From a guest room in one, his music room in another and his personal gym in another.
Right now, he leads her down the hall past those rooms to one she hasn’t been inside. The room across from it, she knows, is Luke’s bedroom. But this one, she has no clue.
Luke glances at her, eyes so bright that she needs to look away, and opens the door. The room isn’t really anything. It’s just an empty room, about the size of the guest room Chloe’s been staying in. Wooden floors shine from the sunlight coming in, making the place feel bright and welcoming.
‘It’s…a room,’ Chloe says after a long moment, not quite getting it. Luke snorts, shaking with laughter. He plays like he’s annoyed, but Chloe can see the affection in his eyes.
She has to remind herself that it doesn’t mean what she wants it to mean. It can’t.
‘I was thinking it could be the baby’s nursery,’ Luke explains. He runs a hand through his hair, like a nervous tic. Chloe almost wonders why he might be nervous but?—
Honestly, all she can think of is what the future could look like. ‘The room is right across from mine, so I can take care of the baby during the night, while you rest. ’Cause you’re supposed to sleep when the baby sleeps right, that’s what the books say…’ As Luke rambles on in excitement, Chloe walks through the room slowly. In her mind, she can see it.
The walls, a soft green. A fluffy rug on the wooden floor. A bookshelf on one wall, a toy chest on another. Luke sitting in a rocking chair, softly singing to their little baby.
‘…I know we discussed parents having the crib in the same room, but we should be able to hear the baby clearly since our roo—’ Luke stops suddenly, stumbling over his words.
Chloe’s breath catches in her throat. The image is like everything she ever dreamed, right there in front of her.
‘This would be really nice,’ Chloe says, her throat tight. And if her smile wobbles just a tad—well, she’s sure Luke doesn’t notice.
‘Yeah?’ Luke beams and Chloe’s heart skips a beat. ‘If you want, we could go shopping and start picking out pieces to decorate with. We could look at paint options, too. The book I was reading says green or yellow?—’
Just then, Chloe’s stomach takes the opportunity to absolutely mortify her and growl loud enough to cut Luke off. Her cheeks flush.
‘Sorry,’ she mutters, ‘I should probably eat before all that.’
Luke chuckles. ‘Lunch first, then. There’s a great Thai place not too far, if you’re feeling up to it?’
Chloe tilts her head. ‘Actually, do you think we could do Mexican instead? I would just die for some homemade guacamole right now.’
‘Mexican it is, then,’ Luke says, pivoting easily. He holds out a hand in front of her, a meaningful look on his face. For a brief, butterfly-inducing moment, Chloe thinks he wants to hold her hand. ‘We gotta get that little one whatever food they want, right?’
Chloe nods, her smile frozen on her face. Luke takes it as consent and pats her baby bump softly.
As they head down the stairs and to the car, Chloe chides herself. She’s letting her feelings get the better of her, reading into things when she shouldn’t. Luke told her from the beginning he wants to be a good father for his kid. That’s all this is. Taking her to tour around the country, buying whatever food she’s craving, carrying her bags…All of it is for the baby, not her.
And if Chloe notices the small, aborted motion Luke makes in the car, like he’s almost going to reach for her hand before thinking better of it? Well, that’s just wishful thinking.