“And you had the gall to lecture me on painting my toenails?” I cocked a brow. “You should think about quitting.”
“I’m quitting an awful lot of stuff lately. Give me something to cling to, will ya?” came his smart-ass response, as he leaned out my window. “Do you think they’re still downstairs with your folks?”
Yes. I shrugged. “I haven’t heard the front door slam.”
“The hell are they talking about?” he muttered, looking stressed and on edge. “I don’t like this, Molloy.”
Neither do I. “It’ll be okay, Joe.”
“You’re right.” Inhaling a deep drag, he leaned out the window to expel the smoke from his lungs before adding, “It’ll be grand. If the kid is as persuasive as his mother and can throw a punch like his father, then we’re golden.”
I arched a brow. “He?”
“He. She.” He waved a hand around aimlessly. “Whatever.”
“Do you want to find out?”
“Find out what?”
“The gender.”
“Tomorrow?” He turned to frown at me, lips pursed around his cigarette. “Because they can’t tell this early, Molloy.” He leaned back out the window to exhale another cloud of smoke before adding, “You’ll need to wait for the anomaly scan.”
“Anomaly scan?” I gaped at him. “What the hell is that and why does it sound like it’s going to be painful?”
“Jesus, you’re all drama,” he chuckled, rubbing his jaw. “It’s not painful, it’s a detailed ultrasound they give you around the twenty-week mark.”
“Where?” My eyes widened in fear. “Because I saw this really horrible documentary where this doctor guy put a condom on this giant dildo-shaped camera and literally rammed it up this poor girl’s fanny—”
“They scan your stomach,” he laughed, cutting me off. “Come on, Molloy. You’re a girl. How do you not know this stuff?”
“Well, I’m sorry, baby whisperer,” I shot back huffily. “We don’t all come from families that rival the size of a football team. We’re not all acquainted with the harrowing throes of pregnancy.”
“Well, you better get acquainted and fast,” Joey replied, exhaling another cloud of smoke. “Because it’s coming.”
“Jesus.” A full body shudder rolled through me. “Hey, Joe?”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to still want me when I’m the size of a whale?”
“Molloy.” He chuckled under his breath. “For fuck’s sake.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are.” With a shake of his head, he tossed the cigarette butt away and climbed back inside. “You’re not going to be the size of a whale.”
“But if I am?”
“You won’t be.”
“I might be.”
“You’re having a baby, Molloy, not inhaling a town.”
“But say it happens.”
“Jesus Christ.” He rolled his eyes to the heavens. “Yes, I’m still going to want you.”
“How?”
“How?” His brows furrowed in confusion as he closed the space between us. “What do you mean how?”
“How are you going to still find me sexy when I’m big and round and swollen?” I gestured to my body and sighed. “Look at me, Joe. Won’t you miss this body?”
He threw his head back and laughed.
“Hey – don’t laugh at me, asshole.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m feeling vulnerable here.”
“You are the vainest girl I’ve ever met.”
“It’s not vanity when it’s true,” I sniped. “Then it’s just plain honesty.”
Still chuckling, he shook his head, clearly amused. “Christ, I love you.” Grinning, he flopped down on the mattress beside me and stretched his arm out for me to join him. As soon as I snuggled into the crook of his arm, he pulled me close and released a contented sigh. “Don’t ever lose it, Molloy.”
“Lose what?”
“That spark of fire that makes you so incredibly you,” he replied, tightening his arm around me. “It doesn’t matter how your body changes, because I’m always going to keep coming back to you. Because I might enjoy touching all of this,” he explained, fingers trailing over my body until he reached my face and gently tapped my temple. “But I’m hooked on this.”
“My mind?” I asked, tone incredulous. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true,” he coaxed. “Nobody else can fuck with my head quite like you can, and that has nothing to do with your body, Molloy.”
“Okay,” I conceded with a lopsided grin. Twisting onto my side, I slid my hand under his shirt to rest on the bare skin of his stomach. “That was ridiculously smooth.”
“I’m known to have my moments,” he laughed, rolling onto his side, mirroring me. “When I’m not fucking up.”
“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we, Joe?” I heard myself ask.
“Aren’t we always?”
“I’m serious.” I reached up to stroke his cheek. “Everything is moving way too fast.”
“Yeah.” He grimaced. “Shit has a habit of going that way when I’m around.”
“Seriously, Joe, my head is spinning from all of the twists and turns.”
“I have no idea how all of this is going to pan out,” he admitted truthfully. “But whatever way it goes, I’ve got your back.”
“And I’ve got yours.”
“Then we’ll be okay,” he replied with a small nod.
“Yeah?” I breathed, watching him closely.
His green eyes burned with sincerity when he whispered, “Yeah.”
A knock on my bedroom door sounded then, and I watched as Joey’s entire frame stiffened before he reluctantly slid his arm out from beneath me and sat on the edge of my bed.
“Come in,” I croaked out, really not wanting anything or anyone from the outside world to come into this room and burst our bubble.
I only wanted to be with him.
All alone.
Just us.
“Joey’s parents are gone,” Mam announced when she walked into my room, gaze sweeping over us both, no doubt to see if we were behaving ourselves. “Are you alright?”
“You shouldn’t have done that, Mam,” I heard myself say, sitting upright now. “Brought them over here? Ambushing us like that?”
“I didn’t,” Mam was quick to correct, gaze flicking between us. “Your father wanted to talk to Joey’s father.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure you’ve realized by now that there’s no talking to him,” Joey replied with a sigh. “He only hears what he wants, Trish.”
“Yes,” Mam agreed sadly. “Listen, Joey, if we’ve made it worse for you at home…”
“It’s grand,” my boyfriend was quick to dismiss. “I understand why ye had to talk to my parents. I get it.” Standing up, he moved to where his bag was resting against my wardrobe and quickly bundled his uniform inside. “I meant what I said,” he added, zipping it closed and hoisting it onto his back. “I’m not him, Trish.”