Ally’s [POV]


    Seth pushed his way back into the kitchen. “What’s taking you so long? Your pancakes are going to be ice-cold.”


    I looked up at him.


    “Hey. Are you okay?” He rushed forward and slid his hand along my hip.


    “Fine. Just gotta get the bacon.”


    He frowned down at me. “I know that fake smile. That’s the one you give Patty Duncan when she’s gossiping.”


    “It’s nothing.”


    His gaze slid down to the counter. “I forgot, I was going to mention that to you. I wasn’t sure if they were forwarding mail to your new ce. I gave Jill your new address, but I wasn’t sure if you got the invite.” He stroked his thumb over the raised type on the card. “I’m excited to see people.”


    “Yeah.” My voice was t, and I had to tamp down my astonishedugh. No way did I want to go back and see those people.


    The high school held a lot of crappy memories for me. My mom was sick on and off, along with generally just felt as if I didn’t fit in. I’d never reallye to terms with being the best friend of one of the most popr guys in school. Not that Seth tried to win over people. He just attracted them without effort.


    He was the anti-me in so many ways.


    He picked up the bacon. “Yeah, Brad and JT texted me. They’reing in from California. The Three Musketeers ride again. Come on, let’s eat.”


    “Right.” I followed him and tried to shake off the dread filling my chest.


    Seth set the bacon down as he filched another piece. “Hey, Munchkin. Did I ever tell you that Ally and I went to school together?”


    Laurie was nibbling around a misshapen pancake on her fork. A ring of chocte stained her lips. “Mmm. Big kid’s school? Or like me.”From N?velDrama.Org.


    “Half-day pre-K is almost big kid’s school.” I smiled. “We went


    to high school together. You’ll go to high school in about forty years.”


    Laurie’s mouth rounded and Iughed.


    “Not quite forty, but close. Don’t want you to grow up too fast, munchkin.” He took a bite from his te and popped another piece of bacon in his mouth. “These are good.” Then he pushed his chair in so he could round the table to go to the hutch.


    My stomach dropped as he licked his fingers and pulled out the yearbook standing beside his senior picture. He still loved looking back on those glory days.


    “God, you still have that?”


    He grinned and sat down at the table. He pushed tes out of the way and flipped pages. “Of course I do.” He spun the book to show his daughter. “Do you remember Daddy’s friends? Brad and JT?”


    Laurie cocked her head. “I do think so.”


    He was grinning down at the picture of thecrosse team. I remembered how amazing he looked on the field. All those muscles and aggression wrapped in a boy bing a man.


    And now he was so much more than the cocky kid on the field.


    And me?


    Not at all.


    I was stuck in the same time as if ten years hadn’t gone by at all. Before I could stop it, I blurted out my disbelief. “You want to see those people again? All those judgy people.”


    Heughed and looked up from the pages. “Well, most of them are still in town with us. Not like it’s a big deal. Besides, I have everything I could want.” He swiped his hand over Laurie’s head and then tickled behind her ear.


    Laurie grinned around a slice of banana.


    I stabbed at my pancake and forced down a few bites. Of course, he did. All the things he wanted were right in front of him.


    And me? I was looking in on the world again. The almost family behind ss. I was good enough to make a baby with him and to help take care of his daughter, but I wasn’t part of them. Not really.


    He flipped the page. “Oh, man. Remember those letters we had to write to our future selves? God. I don’t even remember what I wrote.”


    I certainly did and it made everything worse.


    I pushed back from the table and picked up empty tes. I’d barely eaten, but my stomach was twisting so much I couldn’t choke down anymore. “Done, sweetie?”


    Laurie was poking at the banana on her te instead of eating. She set her fork on her te with a nod.


    Seth didn’t look up from the glossy pages. “I got it. You cooked. I can clean up.”


    I nodded. “Okay. I need to go upstairs and get dressed.”


    “What?” He stood, closing the book. “Why? I thought we were going to hang out today.”


    “I didn’t agree to that. I have to work. As it is, I’ll probably catch him-um, heck-for beingte.”


    He nced down at his watch. “You don’t usually go in until ten.”


    I swallowed. I couldn’t be around him right now. Too many memories were bumping into my pathetic reality. “I need a shower and to go home and get dressed.”


    He sighed. “Are you sure you can’t call in?”


    “Some of us don’t have that kind of luxury.”


    Seth blew out a breath. “Dammit, you know I didn’t mean it that way.”


    “Dor to the swear jar!” Laurie chirped happily.


    I wiped my fingers on my napkin and pressed a kiss on top of Laurie’s head. “You tell him, kiddo. Thanks for helping me cook this morning.”


    She grinned up at me with chocte smeared all over her face. “Thanks, Ally.”


    “Daddy will wash your face.” I gave him a pointed look and escaped.


    Not that I got too much of a head start. Five minutester, he was bounding upstairs with The Care Bears ring from the living room.


    I’d slipped into my dress from the night before. Hello, walk of shame.


    “Do you have to go?”


    “I do.” I didn’t want to turn and look at him. He was too good at making me forget just what this was between us. I had to remind myself that we weren’t a happy little family.


    No matter how much I wanted it to be so.


    He crossed to me. “Can youe back tonight?”


    “I’m tired, Seth.”


    He tugged me into his arms and linked his arms to my lower back. “We have babymaking to aplish.”


    One more reminder. Thanks, buddy. I pushed out of his arms. “Can we take tonight off?”


    “Is everything okay?” He slid his fingers into my hair and turned me toward him.


    “Fine. I’m just tired. Someone didn’t let me sleepst night.” Please don’t see my fake smile. Just let me get out of here.


    “I’d like to not let you sleep again tonight.” He tipped up my head and pressed a kiss on my lips.


    I closed my eyes and let him kiss me. I almost let myself slide back into him. Back into the status quo, we found without skipping a beat.


    I cupped his face and ended the kiss. “Tomorrow, okay?”


    He sighed and pressed his forehead to mine. “All right. I have a ton of meetings tomorrow anyway. I guess I should get ready for them. The birthday party kind of took over.”


    “See? Perfect.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat and stepped back. “I’ll text youter.”


    He frowned and twisted his fingers around mine. “All right.”


    Grabbing my purse, I strode out of the room and jogged downstairs. I didn’t wait for him. I couldn’t.


    Not if I wanted to leave.


    I stopped in and said goodbye to Laurie, but she barely looked away from the screen. The Care Bears were far too enthralling.


    He followed me to the door and dragged me back before I could go down the front porch steps. The kiss was hot and heavy and the lump in my throat grew evenrger. So much that I thought I was going to choke.


    I wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t his fault I didn’t know how to keep up with how things were supposed to be.


    I wasn’t supposed to want more.


    I pulled back and smiled. “I’ll see ya.”


    His smile was soft and sweet and it took everything inside me not to let the tears brim over. “See ya tomorrow.”


    “Sure.” I turned to leave and he snagged my hand.


    “Hey. The munchkin’s graduation?”


    God, I’d almost forgotten. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”


    “Are you okay?” His eyebrows lowered.


    “Yes. Just can’t believe she’s growing so fast.” I sniffed. At least these tears made sense as far as Seth was concerned. Right now I was more than willing to hide my face in his shoulder. “She’s getting to be such a big girl.”


    Heughed. “I’m so d I’m not the only one freaking out.”


    “Not just you.” But if I didn’t get out of there I was going to melt down and that wouldn’t work. He’d never believe it was just Laurie growing up on us.


    Him.


    Me. Sort of.


    God, what a damn mess. I stepped back again. “I’ve got to work.”


    “All right. But hey, wear something extra pretty. Not that you’re ever anything else of course.” He kissed my temple. “But I want to show off my girls.”


    “I’ll do my best.” There was no way I was going to be able to hold off all the emotions running amok in my damn head. I ran down the driveway to my car. I turned to wave at him. As soon as he went back inside, they fell. I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted to.