Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3)(98)

‘Oh, it’s definitely funny, babe,’ he said on a chuckle. ‘See you soon.’

We hung up and I glared at Hannah. ‘You could have let me know you were there.’

Her eyes twinkled mercilessly. ‘I could have, but then I wouldn’t have overheard your delightful conversation.’

I narrowed my eyes on her as I moved to brush past her. ‘One day, Hannah Nichols, you’re going to meet a guy who makes you so gooey you’ll end up doing and saying things you never imagined, and then who’ll be laughing?’

Hannah’s pretty smile widened. ‘Hopefully we’ll all be laughing.’

‘You have a good answer for everything, don’t you?’

‘I like to think so.’

Chuckling, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her with me. ‘Come on, we’ve got a house to get in order.’

Eighteen months later

I glanced at the bathroom door, thinking of the thing I’d left in there.

Okay.

I had to tell Nate.

After a moment I sighed heavily. I glanced at him, then at the movie he was watching, then back to him.

Here goes.

‘Whatcha watching?’

I was such a coward!

Nate gave me a look. ‘The same movie I’ve been sitting here watching with you for the past half hour. You okay?’

Tell him.

I shrugged. ‘I completely zoned out. Sorry.’

Seeming to accept my weirdness, Nate turned back to the movie and we sat and watched it in companionable silence. Well, he watched. I stewed.

Just a little over a year ago, Nate gave up his apartment in Marchmont to move into my tiny little apartment on Jamaica Lane. That day after he’d shown me the tattoo he’d had Cole design for him, we’d worked through everything together. My dad, Jo, Cam, and Nate’s parents were particularly happy for us. I’d go as far to say that Nathan and Sylvie were grateful to me. But they weren’t the ones who should be grateful.

Although he wasn’t perfect – but who was, right? – Nate had tried his hardest to assure me that he was completely and deeply in love with me. He didn’t need to try so hard. When I said the tattoo and his speech did it for him, I really meant it. From that moment on, things with us fell back into their usual beautiful pattern. That included Nate spending a lot of time at my apartment. I think if we both hadn’t been scared about pushing the other too quickly, Nate would have moved in with me right away, but we didn’t broach the subject until six months into our new relationship.

The move didn’t just make us happy; it made our parents extremely happy. Because of my insistence – and also because of the heart attack scare – Nate and I visited his parents in Longniddry as much as possible, driving out there at least once a month to spend the night with them. Nathan and Sylvie thought I hung the moon. As for my dad, well, he would always be overprotective, but he’d eased up since Nate moved in with me, especially since Nate had made it clear that he felt it was now his job to be overprotective. And boy, did he do that job well.

I wasn’t even going to pretend to find it annoying.

I was an independent, capable, strong woman … but God, I loved it when Nate got all protective and possessive, because it was usually followed by sexy time.

Sexy time … that had led us to our current situation …

I was unconsciously staring at his handsome profile, the light from the screen flickering over his features as he watched a prison break.

‘What would you prefer?’ he suddenly asked. ‘Life in a maximum-security prison or trapped in Jurassic Park?’

Tilting my head to the side, I pondered his question. ‘Do I have a social standing in this prison?’

‘No. You’re just an average Joe.’

I heaved a dramatic sigh as if my decision weighed heavy on me. ‘Then I guess I have to go with Jurassic Park.’

Nate smiled at the TV. ‘Why?’

‘Well, I’ll have constant fresh air, for a start, and also if I’m going to be anyone’s prey, I’m going to be the prey of an animal that’s acting out of instinct rather than psychopathy.’

His laughter filled our apartment and my chest with its warm richness. ‘Good answer, babe. As always.’

‘You?’

He shrugged casually. ‘If you’re in Jurassic Park, I’m in Jurassic Park.’

There were moments, like this moment, when sometimes what I felt for him completely and utterly overwhelmed me. ‘I love you so much – you know that, right?’

Turning his head on the couch, his expression adoring. ‘Love you too, babe.’

We smiled at each other, then turned back to the movie.

The perfect contentment of the moment was broken by the silent taunting of the object in the bathroom.

I swallowed hard. ‘So … what would you prefer? A two-bed in New Town or a three-bed farther out of the city?’

Confusion lit Nate’s eyes at my unexpected question. ‘Why would we want either? We love this place.’

My heart began to thump, thump, thump in my chest, and I could swear he would see my pulse throbbing in my neck. ‘Okay.’ I took a shaky breath. ‘I’ll be clearer. What would you prefer? A boy … or a girl?’

His entire body locked. Frozen.