Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(45)
“So this is about body insecurity.”
“No!”
He gave her a look that made it clear he saw through her. “For what it’s worth, I find you beautiful, or I wouldn’t have taken you to my hotel in the first place.”
“You took me to your hotel because I didn’t have a clue who you were. You liked that. It made you feel safe. Otherwise, you would’ve told me.”
“I might’ve told you if you’d stuck around long enough.”
She ignored that comment. “Besides, I wasn’t pregnant then. I wasn’t throwing up, either. I’d just had a Brazilian, and I was wearing sexy underwear!”
“And you weren’t yesterday? Because I didn’t even notice! By the way, as long as we’re talking about your body, the doctor expressed some concern that you haven’t gained more weight. He was wondering if you’ve been dieting, and that made me nervous, too. You’re not, are you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I’ve been stressed out of my mind by an unexpected pregnancy. That’s all. You think the surprise has been hard on you...”
He frowned at her.
“What?”
“We have to adjust, get you eating more.”
How would he have any part in how she handled her pregnancy? “I’ve got it. No worries. Anyway, I’d rather you didn’t stick around for the ultrasound.”
His shoulders slumped. “Look, I agree that I didn’t react well when you told me about the baby. I feel bad about that. But I knew hardly anything about you. What was I supposed to think?”
“You could’ve heard me out before rushing to judgment!”
“I was upset, okay? You don’t understand how much...” His chest rose as he drew a deep breath. “Never mind. I’ll apologize again. I acted like a complete jerk, and I’m truly sorry. I’m trying to behave better.”
How had their lives become so entangled as the result of one chance meeting? What was she going to do with this six-foot-five-inch quarterback who took up so much space in her hospital room—who’d actually arranged for this hospital room?
Nothing in her life was turning out the way she’d thought it would...
“Are you listening?” he asked. “I’m being very nice, aren’t I?”
Supremely conscious of the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra—and was now feeling well enough to care—she pulled the blankets higher. “Yes, you are. The nurses here are so excited to see you walking the corridors. It’s a thrill for everyone.”
“What do the nurses have to do with anything?”
That he created such a splash wherever he went reminded her that he wasn’t a normal guy, and she didn’t know how to deal with anything else. “You attract too much attention. I’m not comfortable being near you.”
He reared back as if she’d slapped him.
“I don’t mean that personally, of course,” she quickly added. “But I’m someone who’d rather stay out of the limelight. A lot of women love that sort of thing. I’m just not one of them.”
“Sucks for you that this is my baby, then, doesn’t it?”
“Kind of,” she grumbled.
He laughed without mirth. “How ironic.”
“What?”
“I have hordes of women begging to have my baby. You should see the letters and pictures that pour in to my agent’s address. And yet you wish you’d slept with someone else—anyone else.”
She sighed. “That’s putting it too harshly.”
“How would you put it?”
“Your celebrity complicates things!”
“That’s why I can’t be included in the ultrasound? Because people know who I am? Because I play football? May I remind you that football’s my profession and the fame that goes with it isn’t something I can change? That’d be like me saying I can’t tolerate that you wear a lab coat.”
“That isn’t the same thing at all! I can choose not to wear a lab coat. You can’t do anything about the girls who scream when you walk by. And it’s not only that. We don’t have a relationship in the first place, so having you hang around drawing so much attention doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m the one who’s been taking care of you. Isn’t that what a friend does?”
She might’ve died without him—or lost the baby. Either way, he’d come through for her at a critical time. “Yes, and I appreciate your help. I do.”
“And you’ve forgiven me for the motel. You said you would.”
“Yes.” If she was going to hold a grudge against anyone, it’d be Don. None of this would’ve happened without him, without his betrayal. Even so, in certain moments—when she had the objectivity to acknowledge the marriage would’ve been a mistake—she could see that, as conflicted as he was, Don had handled the situation the best way he knew how. He’d always put his own interests first, but most people did. “What happened at the motel is over. I understand why you weren’t pleased by the news. But remember, I thought I was getting married. I thought I’d be honeymooning in the Seychelles, a place I’ve always wanted to see. I wasn’t expecting this any more than you were.”