Players, Bumps and Cocktail Sausages (Silence #3)(60)

“It’s okay, stay calm,” I said as her voice got louder the more frustrated she got.

“Sorry. I just hate seeing him drift like this.”

I could relate to that. I’d hated watching Jasper get drunk almost every night and walk around like he’d checked out long ago.

“He gets frustrated at me getting frustrated. I think he resents that I know what I’m doing and what I want, and I resent that he makes me feel bad for it. I work really hard to get where I am, and I’ll continue doing that. We’re just so different.”

“I think he’ll be the same when he gets a job he likes,” Li said.

Amy threw her hands up.

“Me too! He talks about it with such enthusiasm. I seriously fall in love with him all over again when he gets that passionate; it’s really cute. But then, nothing. I don’t want to push but at the same time I do because his moods are driving a wedge between us.”

“You need to be sneaky about this. If you suggest something, he won’t listen, or it’ll be a bad idea. You need to plan it, so he thinks he thought of it all along,” I said.

“That what you do with Jasper?”

“No, he’s usually a step ahead of me anyway,” I replied and frowned. “He thinks everything through to death.”

Amy sighed dreamily. “Ah that would be nice.”

“You’ll be fine. Hey, why don’t you do a bit of research and see what’s around the area where you’re going? Maybe you’ll find some inspiration,” Li said.

“That’s actually a good idea,” Amy replied. “Right, this weekend we’re getting things sorted out.”

I nodded, wishing I could be that decisive so quickly.

“Now that’s done. Tell us about lover boy!”

Groaning, I threw my arm over my head and laid back in the sofa. “There’s nothing to tell. We’re friends, and we’re having a baby.”

“And you’re in love with him,” Li said.

I dropped my arm. “Not love. I just like him an unhealthy amount.”

Amy laughed. “Li’s right. You love him.”

My heart leapt. “Oh. I do, don’t I?”

The both nodded, laughing.

“Damn.”





Chapter Twenty-Six


“Your next scan is October 11th at eleven, right?” Jasper asked for the millionth time. He was panicking about being so far away from us now I was back at uni. All the way in the car as he prepared to drop me off he’d been memorising dates, or trying to, he’d get stressed and muddle them up.

“Yes. I’ll be home Thursday evening though. You know this, stop stressing.”

He gave me a tight smile. “What time are you getting back Thursday?”

“I’ll leave as soon as I’m done so I’ll be back around five or six.”

“Want to get dinner when you’re back then? I mean; I wouldn’t have seen my bump in a couple weeks,” he said, running his hand over my flat belly.

I loved him even more knowing how much he loved our child.

“Sure,” I whispered, finding it hard to resist the urge to push up on my feet and kiss him. “Nothing spicy though. She doesn’t like spicy.”

“We’re so going to be screwed if we have a boy,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.

“Why? You don’t want a boy?”

“No, I don’t care what it is, but we always say she. You’ve only ever looked at girl stuff or thought of girl names. The poor boy will be called Annie.”

“I’m not sure I like Annie so much now.”

“Okay, well whatever we decide. Where do you want these?” he asked, holding up one of my thongs.

I gasped and grabbed it from his hand. “I hate you! God if I wasn’t pregnant I’d jump on you right now.”

“Hey, you can still do that,” he replied, laughing and dodging my hand as I tried to slap him. “The midwife said sex in pregnancy is perfectly safe.”

“I didn’t mean that kind of jumping on you!”

He sighed. “Oh well, we’re almost at the horny month.”

He’d been going on about this for a while. Apparently he’d seen on TV that month four was when your hormones went crazy, and you were turned on a lot.

“Hmm, but you’ll be back home, and I’ll be here, surrounded by plenty of good-looking men,” I teased.

He froze on the spot, face falling.

“Hey! As if I’m going to sleep with anyone else while I’m carrying your baby. I’m not that kind of girl,” I said. That hurt.

“I know you’re not.”

“Then why the face?”

“Nothing. You want me to move that wardrobe over?”

He walked to the end of my room and looked either side of the wardrobe. The look wasn’t ‘nothing’. I didn’t want to even say it in my head in case I’d got the wrong idea but… jealousy? The idea that he could be jealous over me gave me a thrill. But I still wasn’t going to push it. I wanted us to be together, but I wanted him to make the first move, so I was sure it was what he really wanted.

“Sure. I’d do it myself but…” I rubbed my belly.