“Sorry about her, she insisted on coming. How was your flight?” Nova asks.
“It’s fine. I’m used to parents not liking me.” I try to joke, but my discomfort throws it off. “Flight was good. That was nuts back there at the airport. Why do they all care so much about this? About you?”
She grips my hand tighter and shrugs. “It’s been like this my whole life.”
“Isn’t it exhausting?”
“It is, but you get used to it after a while.”
“I’m not sure I want our kid to have to live like this,” I say and then bite hard on my lip. That was not the right thing to say.
Nova doesn’t betray her feelings, though; she simply stares at me. The thoughts flutter around behind her eyes, which dart rapidly around my features. She eventually settles on a soft smile and lowers her voice to a whisper.
“Let’s just focus on one thing at a time.”
We both look to Ronnie, chattering away with her headphones in. Nova told me that her mom would freak out. I get it, I guess. It’s a big deal, but what I don’t get is her family. This secrecy and sneaking around is not what I’m used to. Is it a rich person thing? Or a Forrester thing?
My family lets everything hang out. It wouldn’t matter anyway, with the way Raston thinks of us. The way they talk about us. Might as well make it true.
A shiver travels up my spine and I realize that Nova is stroking my fingers in her lap, nervously clinging to me, and my brain has finally caught up. Her skin on mine. My hand in hers. My mind shifts with breathtaking abruptness to the kitchen when we almost got caught.
Suddenly, I wish her mom wasn’t here. I wish we were alone, and I could kneel on the floor between her knees and taste her.
“Zeke?” Nova asks, and I startle, pulling my hand from hers. “What are you thinking about so hard?”
“Nothing appropriate,” I mumble, glad my backpack is still on my lap. She hides a laugh as Ronnie turns to face us again.
“I’m so glad you’re able to stay with us until the baby is born. We’re quite excited about this whole thing. This is your first child?”
“Mama,” Nova screeches.
I laugh because I’m used to judgment. I’m used to people pegging me as a certain kind of guy without ever talking to me. It’s why I stopped talking, why I stopped arguing.
“It is my first child. Thanks for inviting me to your home. I need to be here for Nova.”
“Why is that?” Ronnie crosses her slender legs and twists further in her seat, facing me head-on.
“Because she’s my forever.” The shock of the words hit me like an electric fence. I knew they were coming, but it doesn’t make it any less surprising.
Nova’s head whips to me, but I’m locked in on her mother. She’s a reasonable woman. I know she is. I need her to see me right now more than Nova. I can tell Nova every day for the rest of my life how much I love her, but right now, right here, I need the woman who raised her to understand me.
I’m not going anywhere.
Nova is still staring at me, her lip quivering, and after a moment, Ronnie relaxes as if the threat has passed.
I turn to Nova and smile. “It’s true. You’re my forever. You have been since the first moment I met you. I’m a risk-taker. I fought against listening when it came to you, but no more.”
She tips forward and silences me with a short kiss. When she pulls back, we both look to her mother. Stoic but staring. Scrutinizing but seemingly pleased.
I understand why she’s here, now. This is why she wanted to be here when Nova picked me up. It was a test, and IthinkI passed it.