❝乇𝕣ίŊ❞

Catching up with my best friend over dinner was exactly what I needed.

I’d loved living with Atlas for the last month, but it meant she didn’t see Allegra as much as I’d like.

The humid August air blew in my windows as I drove toward home, chuckling over the drama Allegra had found herself in.

My bestie needed to figure things out, because the planner that she was, she wouldn’t survive very long without one.

Especially because her dad would lose his shit when he found out about his daughter quitting nursing school to become an investment banker.

“Oh Allegra, Allegra” I sigh to myself.

I tapped the wheel anxiously. The last five months had been perfect, but Atlas had been in California for a week, and I couldn’t wait to get home and see him.

An ear-piercing ping blasted through the speakers, jarring me.

Crap, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the Bluetooth setup in my new car.

It made me jump every time.

I smiled as the car’s automated voice read the text message out loud.

“Atlas said: Just got in. Are you on your way home yet? Don’t forget to stop for gas.”

I had to chuckle every time he reminded me. Once I pulled into the driveway, I got out and dialed him.

“Please don’t tell me you ran out of gas again.”

“Well…” I started, holding back my laugh.

“Are you freaking kidding me right now, Erin? There’s no reason to get gas in small doses anymore. You can use the credit card I gave you. I want you to” He blew out a long breath. “Where are you? Iʼm grabbing my keys and the gas can. Thank God I refilled it. Just tell me the road has a good shoulder.”

I opened the front door and stepped in as he came around the corner from the kitchen in jeans and a white T-shirt. One look at me had his eye twitching.

“Good news. I didn’t run out of gas.”

He shook his head and chuckled.

“But…”

His eyes narrowed.

“You didn’t stop, did you?”

“Sorry, not sorry.” I shook my head as I walked toward him.

“I was in a rush to get home.”

“Really?” he said, a smirk playing on his lips. “Why was that?”

“It’s been a very, very, very, very, very, difficult and long week.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and tilted my head back to look up at him. “I missed you.”

The house we shared had felt extra big and lonely over the last few days.

“I missed you too” Atlas ran his nose along my jaw and nipped at my ear. “But we’re taking your car to work tomorrow so I can make sure you have a full tank of gas.”

“You’re the best.”

He grabbed me by the ass and lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the stairs.

“Hey would you be mad if I was pregnant?”

I jostled a bit as Atlas missed a step, but he caught us before we tumbled down the stairs. He cleared his throat, standing three steps from the top.

“No.”

It was great how certain that was.

“That’s what I thought” I smiled, but the man remained frozen in place. She glanced around. “Are we not going up?”

He scaled the last few stairs and then set me on the bed.

“Erin, honey,” he said, hovering over me. “I’m not mad, but is there something you need to tell me?” His green-eyed gaze was intense as his breath danced across my face.

I shook my head.

“Absolutely not. I didn’t bury the lede” I quoted that because that was Atlas’ thing. To start with the important stuff. “We have no gas.”

His eye twitched.

“Okay…but are you pregnant?”

“What? No.” my eyes widened. “Iʼm not pregnant. Why would you think that?”

I was on birth control. Although that was kinda tonight’s theme. It didn’t always work.

Atlas smiled and took a deep breath.

“With you, my life will never be boring, crazy girl.”