“Our apartment,” I corrected immediately. “And who says we can’t do that if you’re pregnant or if we have a kid?”
“Have you never seen babies?” she countered. “They’re nature’s condoms.”
I snorted at that. “I think that’s the exact opposite of what they are.”
“They puke and pee and…” She shuddered.
Concern filled me.
“Don’t you want kids?” I tried to imagine her going to the doctor to ‘sort out’ this potential situation, and shuddered in turn. I hated the very idea, but the truth was, Jessica had had too much forced on her in her life. The very last thing I wanted was for us to start this next phase in our relationship together with her feeling like she was being coerced into something.
“Y-Yeah, I guess. I just… somewhere down the line, you know?”
“So, you wouldn’t want to keep it?”
The blunt question seemed to stagger her. She jerked back. “What? Why would you even ask me that? Would you want me to have an abortion if I was pregnant?”
I blinked at her; how the hell had she turned that around on me? “No. I wouldn’t want you to have an abortion, but it’s your choice.”
“Why is it? You have a say. You’re the father.”
I chuckled at that. Maybe it was inappropriate timing but she said it so belligerently I couldn’t stop myself. She’d been the one arguing and now she was getting ballsy. “I know I am. But I never want you to feel like you have to do anything.”
That had her frowning. “That’s a funny way to look at things.”
“Is it?” I shrugged, then ceased looming over her and pressed my ass to the side of the bed. She was half-kneeling on the mattress, her calves scooped under her, but she wasn’t sitting straight. My change in position had her thighs touching mine. I liked the connection and deepened it by pressing my hand to her knee. “You’re free to do whatever you want now, Jessica.”
“I-I am?”
“Yes. What else is all my money for if not to make us happy?”
She stilled. “Does working at Avalon make you happy?”
I shot her a swift grin. “Hell, yeah.” That seemed to calm her down, her shoulders seemed less stiff. “I’d have sold out years ago if not. I love it. I love everything about it. But…” I shrugged. “I highly doubt temping is what you figured you’d be doing all those years ago.”
“No, I guess not,” she said, her tone pensive.
“Did you want to be an attorney?” I’d seen her resume. Contract law. She’d specialized; that meant she’d wanted to do something, hadn’t just wandered aimlessly as so many of the kids had when I’d been in college.
“I suppose.” She blew out a breath that made the hair that had flopped over her forehead gust up. “This is a really weird time to be having this conversation.”
“Is it? Seems like the perfect time to me. We’re talking about the future, aren’t we? Where we want to be, what we want to do. Not just if you’re pregnant, but in general.”
She shot me a look. “You’re taking this better than I’d have ever imagined.”
I shrugged. “Would you prefer me to throw something?”
Her lips curved in a smile. “You drive me crazy, do you know that?”
I winked. “Then I’m doing my job right.”
Her laughter made me melt and also made me relieved. Whatever was going on with her, we’d get through it. Always.
“Yeah, I wanted to be a lawyer,” she admitted. “Then, you know… things happened. I couldn’t afford the bar.”
“Well, you can afford it now. Hell, we can buy the college if you want?”
She snickered, and shoved his arm. “Stop teasing.”