I put my glass down and slumped. “Or he’s glad to have his peace and quiet restored.”
She scoffed. “I doubt that. Since he was sending emails at ten o’clock, I’m almost certain he’s at the office.”
I covered my face with my hands. “This isn’t making me feel better. I don’t want to think about him being miserable.”
“All right, fine.” Ray smacked his leg. “No more Elliot talk. It’s not like you can do anything this late at night. Let’s discuss, in fine detail, the date Davida went on last night.”
With a gasp, I raised my head. “A date? You went on a date and didn’t mention it to me? Tell me everything.”
Davida rolled her eyes, acting put upon, but a second later, she spilled every little thing. My serious, no-nonsense friend blushed when describing her good night hug.
Of course, that set off a pang in my stomach because it reminded me of Elliot.
On their way out at midnight, Raymond took me by the shoulders and gave me a long, hard look. “You know I’m still pissed you didn’t ask to stay with me when you were down and out.”
Davida folded her arms. “I am as well.”
I rubbed my lips together, too emotional to handle any sort of confrontation without tearing up.
“I—I didn’t know if we were close enough for me to ask and didn’t want to put you in the position to say no.”
Ray gave me a little shake. “Woman, you’re too much. I saw a baby coming out of your vagina. We’re close.”
My eyes flared. “You said you didn’t look.”
He dropped his chin, brows raised. “Oh, I looked. It’s burned into my brain.” Another gentle shake. “My point is, take a chance on Elliot. You will always have a backup plan.”
Davida nodded. “I have plenty of room for you and the babe, but you’ll never need it.”
Tears of a girl who’d been unwanted for too many years dripped down my cheeks, and Ray swiped them away with his thumbs as quickly as they fell.
I gave them both a wobbly smile. “I love you guys.”
Ray sighed in exasperation. “No kidding. We’re your baby daddies—and not the deadbeat kind like you-know-who.”
Davida dragged him out of my house, making me promise to get some sleep and think about what they’d said.
Thinking wouldn’t be a problem.
Sleeping without my cuddly, warm, grumpy love? Doubtful.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Catherine
We’d had a rough night. Joey had been up and down, cranky as all get-out, and I’d barely slept for more than an hour straight.
By seven, we were up and dressed, Joey in her car seat, ready to go.
It was too early for this, but I couldn’t make myself wait another second to go see Elliot and find out where his head was.
He and I had done a lot. Said even more. But on this topic, our communication had really failed.
We were both coming from places of hurt and insecurity. I could be the brave one, though. I could put myself out there and tell him what I really wanted.
If he didn’t want the same, at least I would know. I could figure out what my next step was then, but I couldn’t skip this one.
This step was the most important.
“Okay, my love. Let’s go see our Elliot.”
I put the car seat down to sling my diaper bag over my shoulder and open the door. It was a good thing too. Otherwise, I would have dropped her.
Elliot was here.
Standing on my porch, his fist raised to knock on my door.
“Catherine?” His utter disbelief at my sudden appearance echoed my own feelings, except he was the one at my house.
He’d come for me. I knew that down to my bones.
“Elliot.”
Dropping my bag to the ground, I launched myself at him, and he caught me just in time, only losing a step or two. His arms trembled from how tight they locked around me, the breaths he squeezed out of me shuddering and ragged with relief.
“I was coming for you,” I whispered against his ear.
“You were?”
“Mmhmm. A minute later, and we would have missed each other.”
“Good thing I’m never late.”
Joey got tired of being inside the house on her own and let out a cry of indignation. I laughed, and Elliot took my face in his hands and kissed me hard and fast, then pushed the door open the rest of the way to reveal my waiting baby.
He chuffed. “You really were coming for me.”
“Yeah.” I leaned my head against his shoulder. “There are some things I should have said yesterday but didn’t.”