"Did you"¦did you follow me to the bathroom?" I stammer out, not quite sure what else to say to my boss. "When you run out of your office to the bathroom and disappear for ten minutes, then it makes sense that I’m going to worry about my employee." "What?" I feel so confused after the whole bath
Ryan The rain is finally letting up as I cross the street. I avoid the streetlamps as to stay out of sight, my hoodie up and concealing my face. Once I finally reach the building, I hit the button like I was told. A few seconds pass before a loud beep sounds, unlocking the door. Truth be told,
Esme Derek and the girls stand on the other side of my front door, all smiling at me eagerly. “Come on in, girls,” I instruct, waving them in. “Sammy’s over by the couch.” Bea and Tris run in, cooing at Sammy as Derek walks past, allowing me to shut the door. I get a whiff of what might be c
“So, you’re just going to go through life like you’re not growing another human being inside of you?” he questions. With a shrug, I reply, “For as long as I can, yeah.” My boss chuckles. “Esme.” “What?” “I won’t tell anyone about the baby. But this can’t be hidden. If it comes out you purpos
“I’ve got to leave a few hours early today,” I say, my head popped into Derek’s office around ten. “I needed a doctor’s appointment, and this was the only time they could squeeze me in.” He lifts his head to look at me. He seems tired today, a steaming cup of coffee sitting beside him on the desk.
I crack a smile, accepting defeat. “Fine. My office at three.” “Now, was that so hard?” Rolling my eyes, I make my way out of the office. “See you later, boss.” Derek ends up driving us to the appointment together in his car. “I’ll bring you back to work tomorrow,” Derek tells me. “Since I k
“It was so cute!” I can’t help but squeal as Derek and I head back to our apartments. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen an ultrasound of a baby.” “Really?” “You’re the only person in my life with kids,” I state plainly. “I’ve never even been pregnant before.” “Well, that part was easier to
My stomach flips over again, and I want to ask him if there’s something between us. But the thought is absolutely silly. How can I expect my boss to reciprocate feelings for me when I’ve built him up in my head already? As we pull into the parking lot of the apartments and Derek kills the engine,
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