Condescension and delight mixing in his voice, he said, “I love you, man. But come on, I can’t believe you don’t see what I’ve been hearing in your voice for months. In every mention of her. Every frustration, every funny story, every TMI account you can’t seem to contain. And if you can’t hear it in your own words, then maybe it’s time you take a good look at why exactly you are so hell-bent on getting this woman to marry you. You keep asking her for everything, but I’m not sure you’re seeing all you’ve got to give in return. Which means maybe she’s not seeing it, either.”
No. Connor was just reading his own happy ending into Jeff’s story. But it wasn’t that way. They’d agreed up front about the limits so no one would get the wrong idea. It had worked with every other relationship he’d had since Margo. And granted none of those women had held a candle to Darcy. They’d been easy to say goodbye to in a way he couldn’t even contemplate with Darcy...but still.
Jeff collapsed back in his chair, the weight on his chest one of unwilling recognition. “Hell.”
Connor was right. But unfortunately, that didn’t change a damn thing as far as Darcy wanting to marry him. Or live with him. Or see him. Or talk to him. Or laugh with him. Or any of the million other things Jeff wanted to do with her.
That was the heart of it. He wanted everything.
While she wanted to be friendly, independent co-parents to the child they would share for the rest of their lives...he wanted the fairy tale.
And he’d promised Darcy he wouldn’t ask for it.
TWENTY-FIVE
There was something distinctly unsatisfying about going for a drive to clear your head when you were stuck in the backseat behind a paid driver. Who wouldn’t give up the wheel, even for a pregnant woman threatening tears.
Why the hell had she turned down Jeff’s offer to buy her a car.
Her throat tightened as she wondered, not for the first time and with disturbingly increasing frequency, why she’d turned him down for anything. She loved him. And he’d offered to marry her. But because she couldn’t have everything just exactly the way she wanted it, because she was too spoiled, too greedy, too selfish...she’d said no.
And then to top it off, because it felt too good being in his arms, his bed and his home...she’d moved out.
Every day her body grew, filling her more with the child they’d made together. And every day she went without Jeff, she felt like a bigger piece of her was missing.
All the regrets she’d thrown in his face that horrible last day together...there was only one she could see now. And there was no one to blame for it but herself.
She let out a heavy sigh and then spoke to the driver. “Harvey, I know I said we weren’t going today, but could you take me to Gail’s, please.”
For as much as she’d avoided discussing her relationship with Jeff out of respect for all of them, she needed some advice. Because staying away from him felt more wrong by the minute. And not just because of how much it hurt not to be with him, but because he’d wanted to be a part of her pregnancy and share in the experience. And asking him to stay away, to give her space so she could try to get over him wasn’t fair. And more than that, it wasn’t going to work.
* * *
The drive up from San Diego at rush hour had taken twice the time it took to drive down in the middle of the night, but time to think wasn’t necessarily the worst thing and Jeff accepted whatever traffic holdups the highway gods had in store for him without question. That is until he’d gotten to his mother’s neighborhood and watched an ambulance fly by him, lights flashing, siren going full blast.