Crush - Kelsie Rae Page 0,37

She even helped me plant some tulip bulbs in front of the house.”

“She?”

Dammit.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tread lightly. “Uh, yeah. Marcy and I have been hanging out as friends like you suggested.”

“Well, that’s…awesome, Ben. And healthy,” she decides. “I’m proud of you.”

“That’s it?”

“Yup. That’s it.”

Forehead wrinkling in suspicion, I pull my phone away from my ear and check the screen before asking, “Who are you, and what have you done to my sister?”

Her tinkling laughter is all I get in reply. “I gotta go, but we’ll chat later. Love you, Benny Boy!”

“Love you too, Krista.”

“Bye.”

Setting my phone on the lunchroom table, I replay our conversation and take another bite of my sandwich.

Healthy.

Yeah.

It is healthy. It’s just a platonic relationship with a gorgeous girl who understands my limitations and accepts me for them, warts and all.

The clock on the wall ticks away as I count down the seconds before Marcy’s appointment, where she’ll get to find out the gender of the baby she’s carrying. My stomach tightens with anticipation, but I shrug off the feeling and toss the last bite of sandwich into my mouth before cleaning up the table.

“Look at you, being all on top of things,” Tracey states with her shoulder resting against the doorjamb.

“Hey, Trace.”

“Hey.” She doesn’t bother to hide her knowing smirk. “Your one o’clock is here.”

“Thanks.”

“Does she know that it isn’t common for the doctor to do the ultrasound?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s a surrogate pregnancy. Different circumstances.”

“Mmmhmm. I’ll agree that it’s different circumstances, Dr. Bennett, but I’m not sold that it’s because of the whole surrogate angle.”

With a scowl, I mutter, “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

“Uh, huh. For now, I guess we will,” she teases. “Do you want me in the room?”

“We should be fine. Just keep an eye on the call button, and I’ll let you know if we need anything.”

“Sounds good.”

As I go to step past her, she grabs my arm and stops me. “Just so you know, I think it’s awesome, Ben.”

“What’s awesome?” I ask, claiming ignorance.

She rolls her eyes and lets me go. “She’s in room five.”

“Thanks,” I call over my shoulder, restraining myself from running down the hall. When I reach room five, I knock twice, then twist the handle and open the door.

“Hey, guys. Are you excited about today?”

Three heads swivel in my direction, but it’s a certain pregnant woman that grabs my attention. Her baby bump is finally starting to show even though she hides it with baggy T-shirts and loose hoodies. It won’t be long before her efforts are futile, though.

“Hey.” The smile on Marcy’s face is one of the sweetest I’ve ever seen, and I can tell she’s bubbling with excitement just like the intended parents.

“Hey,” I repeat, taken aback by her beauty. She has no idea how gorgeous she is. Over the past few weeks, she’s been getting more comfortable with me, and I’ve started to realize how many barriers she keeps surrounding her. But slowly, she’s been letting them down when she’s around me. And I’ve never felt luckier.

With a quick shake of my head to disperse my thoughts, I offer my hand to Anthony then Sway. They each take it.

“Nice to see you both again.”

“You too,” Anthony returns.

“Well, let’s get to the fun part, shall we?”

Sway grins. “Yes, please!”

Stepping over to the exam table, I grab the light pink lubricant bottle then turn on the ultrasound machine. “Hey, Marce.”

“Hey, Ben––” She clears her throat and corrects herself, “Dr. Bennett.”

My face flashes with a cocky smirk before I cover it with a request. “Can you lie back for me and raise your shirt up?”

“Yup.” She lays onto the exam table and tugs up her soft gray shirt until it’s right below her round breasts.

Is it just me, or are they getting bigger?

My neck snaps to the machine, and I push a few buttons, shoving aside the inappropriate thoughts that slipped through my barriers before facing Marcy and squeezing some of the gel onto her stomach.

It’s funny. Sometimes, I forget she’s pregnant because she never complains about any regular pregnancy symptoms when we’re together. Part of me wonders if it’s because the baby isn’t hers, and she’s trying to keep that relationship a little more disconnected to protect her feelings when she delivers. Or maybe she just doesn’t feel crappy like most pregnant women.

She’s going to be a great mom one day. That much, I know. Hell, I’ve practically witnessed it firsthand. I’ve seen the way she gushes