“Me?” She reared back and glowered at me, but the sparkle in her eye ruined the effect she was going for. “I think we need to worry about you, not me.”
I hugged her close. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She climbed off me and headed for the bathroom. “I’m going to go in here for a minute, and then you’re going to cook for me.”
“Is that all you want me for?” I rolled onto my stomach and grinned. “Food and sex?”
Her head poked out of the bathroom. “And booze.”
“Brat,” I called out.
She shut the door in my face and I laughed. When I stood up, I stretched my arms high over my head and made my way to the trash can to get rid of the condom. I couldn’t believe she’d forgiven me. Given me a chance to prove to her how much I could be trusted. Life couldn’t get any better than this.
After I stepped into my shorts, I heard my phone buzz. Padding across the room, I bent down and picked it up. I’d apparently missed a call earlier, and had a voicemail notification. When I recognized the number, I sank onto the bed and swallowed hard. This couldn’t be good news. I just knew it. Could feel it in my gut.
I hit the play message button, then listened to the brief but life-changing message. When it ended, I let my hand fall to my side. Fuck. This wasn’t going to be good, and it was going to make Carrie cry. I didn’t want to make her cry ever again.
But I couldn’t hide the truth from her. Not again.
The door opened and she came out wearing my favorite red shirt. The same one she’d worn twice already. I tossed my phone aside and plastered on a smile. “Damn, babe, you look better in that than I do.”
“You think?” She posed in the doorway, bending one perfect leg and shooting me a come get me smile. “I might just keep it. It smells like you.”
I stood up and swept her into my arms, hugging her as tightly as I could. “If you want it, it’s yours. Anything you want.”
“Well, then.” She lifted her face and smiled up at me, her eyes shining with tears. Happy tears. “All I want is you.”
I swallowed hard. “You got me.”
“I did,” she whispered, rising up on tiptoes and kissing me. “And now you need to feed me.”
She skipped toward the kitchen, and I followed her with a smile. After dinner, I would fill her in. Give her the news. But we could be blissfully happy for a few hours, right? Because right now, I was too busy being f**king happy that I’d gotten the girl of my dreams. The girl I loved, and who also loved me.
Imagine that.