I feel a streak of embarrassment flush my face. God—the things these kids know and notice these days are crazy. And coming from the mouth of a toddler! I never would have imagined Tris knows what breasts are, let alone that her father was looking at mine. “It’s just an adult versus child misunders
Guilt begins to engulf me as I watch Natalie approach me. I know I’ve done nothing wrong, yet here I am, with red cheeks and an alarm going off in my head. Why do I feel as if I’ve been caught red-handed, like a child’s hand in the cookie jar? “What?” I question her. “Oh, I k
I can hear Derek’s voice next to my ear, but it’s very difficult to focus on it. The world around me is glassy, and I find my head swimming—no pun intended. It’s not until a few seconds have passed that I notice what Derek is shouting. It’s my name. “Esme! Can you hear me?” H
My eyes eventually widen as I realize I’m kissing my boss. This is not what I thought I’d be doing this weekend, let alone ten minutes ago. But I can’t help it. I’m enchanted by this kiss. It’s so romantic and soft, and the way he protects me feels good. Derek’s masculine scent engul
So, without arguing or even saying a thing, I take Derek’s hand to bring me to my feet, and he walks us straight back to the elevator. Standing in Derek’s wet robe while waiting for the elevator to return us to our floors is painstakingly awkward. We just stand next to one another, refusing
Derek sees the panic overtaking me and rests a hand on my shoulder to help calm me. “Esme, breathe, it’s okay.” I look at him like he suddenly grew two more heads. How can he possibly be telling me to remain calm at a time like this? I’m so screwed! “I can’t believe it! I can’t belie
My prayers go unanswered. As I stand in my apartment's bathroom, I stare down at the pregnancy test stick. The plus sign stares back at me. As if to taunt me that the things I’ve wanted were only achievable in this manner. “He walks away from our marriage because I can’t give birth.
Do I want to put a child through all of this? Spending the next several years fighting against Ryan over material things is one thing. But the life of a baby? This is all he’s wanted. Even before marriage, we’d talked about having kids and growing a family together. “I don’t care if
For once in our friendship, my friends don’t pressure me to open up with them. They just protect me. I’m not used to such behavior from my sarcastic, goofy friends. It’s nice, because ever since I left Ryan I’ve felt as if the entire world has demanded answers, even if I’m not ready. It’s not unti
Annie and Lily come over for the first time in a while. It feels so nice to be surrounded with my girls, and their hugs when first arriving feel like something I’ve deprived myself of. “I wish you’d find out the gender,” Annie groans as she stretches herself out on the sofa. “I want to know if I’m
“That’s not—” “You don’t treat me like an underling.” “You’re not one!” “Yes, I am! I’m supposed to be under you! This isn’t a debate that we should be having. We’ve been pushing the envelope on what’s appropriate and what’s not. In the end, we have blurred any lines we had the day I left my h
“And I’ll have those numbers determined once the remainder of the information comes in,” I say into my work phone. “Don’t worry, I know everything is a mess right now but it’s an easy fix.” I sigh and look up, startled to see Derek standing at my open office door. He looks serious and also worried
Bea shoves the item in her hands at me. I take it softly, looking down at what she had. A picture of a beautiful redhead with a bright smile stare back at me. I see two small girls surrounding her. Bea can’t be more than three, and the baby wrapped in blankets held by the woman must be Tris. “Is t
“No. I called you. I couldn’t think of anything else.” I nod. “Call the front desk, security, any friends you might have in the building or complex altogether. Have the pool on lookout, and anywhere else she might feel she can hide.” “Okay,” Derek says, nodding but still clearly distraught. I
My phone starts ringing as I leave the restaurant I’ve just eaten at. Daniel and I had a meeting today to talk about the restraining order and other paperwork. Not only that, but now Daniel knows about Natalie’s claims, as well as our suit against Max. “I really wish I didn’t have these other pr
“Uh, there’s a difference?” He seems more confused than when he walked in now. “Cause I’m just worried about not being able to answer all her questions.” “Well,” I think. “They’ll be showing that health class video soon. Most girls don’t actually hit puberty and get their periods until middle scho
It’s around eight when I hear knocking on my door. I’ve been getting stuff done and cleaning the apartment. But the baby? That has been causing some issues. Even wearing better shoes and making sure I’m taking care of my health and stress; I’m still not having an easy time. And this is still the