glance my way. Never said a single thing that could be misconstrued. I’m strictly in the friend zone.
Which has pretty much always been my area my whole life.
I’m carrying the baby of a close male friend who I’m secretly in love with—and now I’m house sitting for him. But he’s not mine, will never be mine and we’re just friends.
Oh gods. This is going to be torture.
4
Chloe
That evening, I close the door to the guestroom at Bestla’s house and breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s been a long day.
The male who had me impregnated in a med lab is probably not even on the planet anymore and he expects me to become not only his surrogate, but also his house sitter.
No biggie.
I blow hair off my forehead and flop onto the bed.
I really enjoyed spending the day with Riley, and also Berg’s extended family, but a bit of peace and quiet sounds nice.
I lie there for a while, then finally I decide it’s time to put on some pjs.
I change out of my normal, serviceable clothes I’ve worn my whole adult life. The ones that aren’t exciting but hide my thick middle and the rolls on my back. Riley has been trying to get me to change things up a bit. First, she’s given me the tiniest pajama set imaginable. It barely covers my ass. Also, Bestla gave me a closet full of Hyrrokin tube tops. Riley wears these same tops now and I’ve always thought they were cute.
Hmm. Why not try one on? All the Hyrrokin men are shirtless, they all walk around barefoot and bare-chested. The women only wear these tube tops. I guess I should too.
I pull aside my long, straight black hair and take off my bra and my sensible shirt. Then I pull on a pink tube top. I stare at myself in the mirror. I turn around and inspect my front and back. Heck, this looks pretty good on me. I really like pink, but I never get to wear it. I like how the top doesn’t cling to me, but still shows off my plump arms, which actually look better than I thought they would.
Riley looks great in her Hyrrokin tube tops, but she’s also way curvier than me. I’m not so well-endowed. I usually try to hide my torso in baggy shirts because I’m thick-waisted. I’m not nearly as tall and curvy as Riley, I’m more short and thick. But I like how this shows off my skin, which actually is nice and smooth. And this color brightens my face. I think my dark hair against the pink looks good.
I pull on those pajama shorts that barely cover my ass and leave on the tube top. And then I pull up the hem of the shirt for a moment to expose my stomach and stare down at that spot that will soon grow large with a child. I can’t believe it, it’s pretty amazing.
I’ve always wanted a baby of my own. Children of my own. A husband, kids and family. The whole thing.
I pull down the shirt and cover my stomach.
It’ll happen. One day. Just not with Bergelmir. I’m going to carry his baby for him, give this child up to him to raise, and I will eventually move out of this community and start a new life here on Tarvos. Maybe one day the laws here will change and I can stay not simply as an employee on a one-year work visa, but I can gain true citizenship and also be allowed to marry? I’m really committed to staying here. Maybe I’ll meet another Hyrrokin male who wants me as his bound?
My heart hurts at the thought of letting a male other than Berg into my body and my heart, but if he doesn’t want me, then I have to learn to move on, don’t I?
And in order to get these depressing thoughts out of my mind, I ping my sister on my tablet. She’d wanted me to get ahold of her as soon as I got settled. Now is as good a time as any. It pings and pings and I think she’s not going to pick up, but at the last second, she’s there.
“Hey,” my younger sister greets, looking as dazzlingly pretty as always. Her hair is always shiny straight, her skin crystal clear. She’s always perfectly thin and has no trouble staying that way whatsoever. Sometimes I wonder if I was switched at birth and my real family is