Didn't Expect You (Against All Odds #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,55

second night in a row she finds endearing that Grandma taught me how to cook to keep me busy. When we finish, we clean up the kitchen and take Brock for a walk around the neighborhood.

That dog is on cloud nine. He acts as if Nyx walks on water and she’s the only person who deserves his love, attention, and loyalty. I’m not sure what it is about her, but having her around is refreshing. These couple of days she’s been less guarded. I like this version of her, or maybe I like the version of myself when I’m around Nyx. It’s all too complicated and simple. The ambiguity of the situation doesn’t go unnoticed. Though it’s best if I ignore it—for now.

I can say that I enjoy her being around as much as I enjoy when Ford visits, but I’d be lying. Nyx is different. She’s fun, I love our chats, and she’s gorgeous. My brother grunts. We have the best time when we’re skydiving, or as he likes to call it, channeling my inner Evel Knievel. I’d like to say he’s ugly, but that’d be calling myself ugly. One thing he never does is spend half of the night with morning sickness.

The first time I hear thumping, running, and grunting is around one. As I get out of bed and put on a pair of boxers, I regret not giving her my bedroom where I have a private bathroom. Since she’s using the bathroom across from her room, I can hear everything—and it ain’t pretty. When I hear some heaving, I rush to her. I hold her ponytail, rub her back, and say, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Once she’s done heaving, I grab a hand towel, wet it, and put it on her neck the way I saw her mother do it last Saturday.

“Sorry, I’m…” she laughs. “I swear this is worse than when I go out drinking with Persy.”

“You always get so drunk you end up puking?” Someone should teach this woman to drink or avoid drinking.

She laughs, “That’s what everyone thinks, and I make them believe that it’s true. My brother and sister swear I’m super hammered when I start puking, but I am not. After a few shots, I begin to feel sick and if I continue, well… I spend thirty minutes puking everything I drank. Sometimes I think that my stomach is too weak and…maybe I’m alcohol intolerant.”

“But you’re not that drunk when it happens?”

She shakes her head and takes a deep breath, then she finally brushes her teeth. “Nope, and the next day my hangover is not as bad as Persy’s.”

“Maybe we have to take you to a nutritionist. I can’t have you like this for the next seven to eight months. The blueberry needs food to grow.”

She blinks slowly as she looks over at me and smiles. “Blueberry?”

“According to your drawings, right now it’s a blueberry,” I remind her as I lean against the wall and study her. She looks adorable, with her hair coming undone and falling down her neck. Her face is flushed, her eyes sparkling. “Have I mentioned you’re cute?”

“You’re weird. I just flushed down my entire dinner and all the yummy popcorn I ate during our movie night, and you think I’m cute,” she says, trailing her gaze toward the door and back at me. “Thank you for being here for me. I…this is better than the last few days.”

“You should’ve called me before,” I say, reaching forward with one hand and sliding it along her waist. I pull her to me and hug her. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have left you on Sunday.”

“I can be on my own,” Nyx mumbles.

She doesn’t sound ungrateful. I’m guessing she’s fighting her instincts. I just met the Brassards in person, but I’ve been watching them from afar since they appeared in Ford’s life. They are all independent. However, they support each other, and the one who is always pulling the weight of the world for them is Nyx.

“You can, but for the sake of the blueberry, you’re going to lean yourself a little on me,” I suggest. “Nothing that’ll make you feel uncomfortable.”

“That’s not me,” she confides with a sleepy voice.

Her head rests on my chest, her eyes are closed, and her heart beats slowly against mine. There is something about this moment that feels right. I want to pick her up and take her to my bed. Just hold her all night long to make sure I’m there when