Chapter 24 – Molly
The boys headed back to the house while the girls and I went to the store for a few random things I needed, including a new air mattress for Liam.
It took a lot of convincing, but I promised him I’d be fine going to the hardware store for ten minutes.
Plus, I’d have Cassie and Ellie with me, both of whom were a hell of a shot with a pistol, which Liam made them carry in their purses.
Where he managed to come up with two random pistols, I’d never know.
I hadn’t shot a gun since I was a teenager.
I made a mental note to convince someone to take me to the shooting range soon so I could dust off my skills. Now seemed as good a time as any to brush up on them.
We scanned the contents of our shopping cart—batteries, cleaning supplies, some of my random pregnancy cravings, and trash bags.
“Alright, I think that’ll do it,” I said, pushing the cart toward the checkout.
“We better hurry and check out before Liam sends the cavalry,” Cassie joked.
“No, literally,” Ellie said, glancing down at her watch. “He gave us a thirty-minute max to be gone, and with driving time added in, we’re going to get there right at curfew. I’m not about to see what it’s like to be on Liam’s bad side.” She shivered dramatically.
“Can we talk about that kiss?” Cassie said, smiling. “He blocked the whole thing. We didn’t even get to see,” she added, fake-pouting.
“He was trying to be a gentleman,” Ellie said, defending Liam’s decision to twist me out of sight when he kissed me.
“What does this mean now? For the two of you?” Cassie asked as we set everything onto the black conveyor belt.
“I mean, I definitely think it puts us beyond co-parents. I’m not sure… co-parents that kiss? Is that a thing?”
“Yeah,” Cassie teased. “It’s called lovers.”
I shook my head and laughed. “I don’t know if we’re to the point of lovers, but we definitely have some things to talk about, at the very least,” I said playfully, but more confused than ever.
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As we pulled into the driveway, Liam stood on the front porch, looking down at his watch. Even from the car, his worried expression was obvious.
I climbed out, checking the time on my phone.
“We made it back right at curfew,” I said. “Please don’t ground me,” I teased.
“One minute past curfew, actually,” he said, a smile tugging at his mouth. “So yes, you are, in fact, grounded.”
“Are you gonna cuff me to the bed?” I winked, knowing everyone could hear us, and his cheeks turned pink.
He ignored me, just as I expected he would, and hopped off the porch to grab the grocery bags from Ellie’s trunk.
“Where’s the air mattress?” he asked, scanning our purchases.
“They were sold out,” I said, shrugging.
Ellie and Cassie glanced at me with matching smirks, knowing good and well the store had plenty in stock. I was a big, fat liar, and I could repent for my sins later… after I committed a couple more.
“Oh,” Liam said, the reality of what that meant showing on his face.
I walked off nonchalantly as if it didn’t mean anything at all.
As Liam set the grocery bags on the counter, everyone said their goodbyes and left. He pulled out the contents of one bag stuffed full of my pregnancy cravings.
“Pickles,” he said, holding up the jar. “Sour gummy worms, deli sushi, Oreos, and Hot Cheetos,” he continued, pulling each item out one by one.
“I have no self-control, and I’m willing to admit that,” I said, giving him a sheepish smile.
He shook his head, a small grin tugging at his lips. “You’re growing an entire human, Molls. I think you’re allowed to eat whatever you want.”
“I’m about to be in the third trimester in a few more weeks. I’ve heard that one’s the hardest of them all.”
“How so?”
“Back pain, getting up to pee twelve times a night, waddling everywhere I go—stuff like that.”
“Well,” Liam said, nonchalantly, “until we figure out who’s trying to get to you, I’ll be here to help with anything you need. And I don’t want you picking up any of these heavy boxes we moved in here today. If you need one moved to a specific room, just tell me and I’ll do it.”
His kindness only made everything between us more confusing.
Why did I kiss him goodnight? Why did he kiss me on the dance floor? Why did I lie about the air mattress?
Who was I kidding? I knew exactly why. I wanted a reason for the man standing in front of me to lie next to me at night, to pull me in and hold me close.
Actually, I wanted him to do way more than that.
But part of me felt like I was backing Liam into a corner—again. The last time I did, he froze like a deer in headlights and ran for the hills.
I was an overly hormonal pregnant woman who needed to get her urges under control—before they left her heartbroken all over again.
Our kisses meant nothing. They were just playful banter. I had to convince myself of that before I got my heart broken in both my old house and this one.
“So, about the sleeping arrangement,” Liam started, “I think it would be best if I slept on the couch tonight. I can handle it, I promise. I’ve slept on way worse during my time overseas.
I can drive into Great Falls tomorrow and find a new air mattress—one that won’t pop as soon as I lie down on it,” he added with a laugh, clearly remembering yesterday.
Disappointment seeped through my body, but I couldn’t let it show.
“No, I agree. I think it’s what’s best,” I said, even though every bone in my body told me to disagree with him. “I’m gonna go shower and get ready for bed,” I said, making sure to grab a couple of the snacks I’d purchased so I could get a snack in before bedtime.
“Yell if you need anything,” Liam said as he settled onto the couch—his new sleeping spot for the night. Fuck me.
In the shower, I stood under the hot water for a ridiculous amount of time because it made my back feel so much better. Afterward, I stepped out and wrapped a fluffy towel around myself. It barely fit all the way around. It wouldn’t be long before it didn’t.
I dug through my moving boxes until I found my comfiest sleeping bottoms. They were extra loose, not clinging too tightly to my newly widened pregnancy hips.
I paired them with a vintage country-music tee that had softened over the years from being worn so much.
It was also two sizes too big—perfect for sleeping in.
Standing in front of the mirror, I rubbed cocoa butter over my belly, studying my reflection. So much about my body had changed since I’d gotten pregnant. I had curves in places I’d never had before. Even my chest looked fuller than usual.
And though everything was changing, I loved every bit of it—because every change meant our baby was growing, getting bigger and stronger each day. He was almost ready to come into this wild, wild world. I just hoped Liam could figure out who was trying to hurt me before that happened.
As I pulled back the comforter, sliding into my fresh sheets, my phone buzzed against the nightstand.
Ellie: Are you two snuggled in together yet?
Cassie: I bet she doesn’t even see this text. Probably too busy making out with Liam.
Molly: No kissing will be taking place tonight. He’s sleeping on the couch.
Ellie: What the heck? Why??
Cassie: What happened??
Molly: He said he should probably sleep on the couch. That he’d be fine for one night. And I was too chicken to tell him I thought it was the worst idea on the planet.
Cassie: Go tell him the truth.
Molly: The thought of doing that makes me want to throw up.
Ellie: Just walk in there and word-vomit on him like you always say you do to him.
I set my phone down in my lap, tearing open the sour gummy worms and popping two into my mouth.
Usually when I word-vomited, it was accidental—not intentional.
If I walked in there right now, I’d probably freeze up, stare at him awkwardly, and walk right back into this room, making everything worse.
I picked my phone back up, unlocking it.
Molly: Whenever I word-vomit all over him, it’s by accident.
So what should I do? I can’t just walk in there and say, “Hey, Liam, I think you sleeping on the couch is the stupidest idea ever, and you should come lie next to me, and while you’re at it, pull me close, and maybe kiss me or more, because honestly, my purple vibrator isn’t cutting it anymore.
” Can I? Swell idea, guys. When he says he doesn’t want me in that way, I’ll die of embarrassment. No thanks.
Baby Daddy: I definitely want you in that way.
I let out an audible gasp before launching my phone across the bed.
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
There was no way I had just sent that text to him. No, it wasn’t possible. I had to be hallucinating. Someone spiked my gummy worms. That had to be it.
I leaned forward, holding my phone out in front of me, slowly turning it upright like it was some kind of bomb ready to detonate at any second.
I kept one eye open as I reread the screen.
Baby Daddy was very clearly at the top of the text thread.
I had, without a doubt, texted Liam instead of Cassie and Ellie.
I was actually going to die of embarrassment.
Good thing Liam had made the master bedroom so nice, because I was never coming out of it for as long as I lived.