I had walked into the living room first, which flowed into a nice size kitchen. Two doors were on the left and two on the right that I assumed were bedrooms and a bathroom.
Liz had not told me which one was Sam's, so I started with the first one on the left. I pushed the door open and froze at the sight of a crib.
My first thought was that the room was absolutely beautiful. The colors were so soft and feminine it astounded me.
Taking a deep breath, I could smell the faintest hint of baby powder. The room already smelled like a baby. I could imagine Sam working in this room, trying to make it perfect for our baby girl. A girl, I thought with wonder.
I walked over to the rocking chair by the window. Instantly, I envisioned Sam rocking the baby, maybe singing softly as she gazed out at the park across the street. Then she would gently stand to place the little girl in the crib, rubbing her back as she slept.
All of those things she would have done without me. My chest constricted and my eyes stung at the thought of never knowing about the little girl Sam was carrying. The room was certainly gorgeous, but I needed both of them with me. I would just have to convince Sam that we could design the same room after we moved.
We would definitely be moving, I decided. As I thought about it, I should have realized there was not enough room in mine and Jordan’s two-bedroom apartment for a baby. A house would be without a doubt, the best way to go.
10
Jordan
Staying behind, sitting in the damn car, proved how stubborn I could be. I wanted to see the inside of that house so badly, it was killing me to just sit and wait. To see the place Sam had been living for the past five months without us, would be the kind of torture I deserved.
I wanted to know if she’d been living well. I hoped like hell she hadn't been struggling. I had to assume she was doing okay since she was living with Liz.
The outside looked nice. It was a one-story brick ranch, with a small porch on the front. The yard was simple, but well taken care of, and I noticed the neighborhood looked good. I even saw a park across the street.
Shaking my head, I glared out the window, ignoring the pleasant landscaping. My mind was running a million miles a minute. Too many questions, not enough answers. Sam would be living with us for a whole month. How was I going to avoid her for that long?
If I couldn’t avoid her, what would she say to me? Will she yell, scream? Or maybe she wouldn't speak to me at all. Would she stare at me with cold, dead eyes? I shivered, hopefully not the eyes.
"What am I going to do?" I asked aloud. No answer came, of course.
My head dropped into my waiting hands. Having Sam around would be a disaster. Just thinking about it made my heart pound and my palms sweat.
I was sure she hated me, and I couldn’t blame her. I was a royal asshole. Truthfully, I always had been. Alex was the only person who had ever claimed to see through the cruel facade, as he liked to call it.
What Alex didn’t seem to understand was that I was a cruel asshole. I didn’t deserve someone like Sam. I knew I'd only hurt her in the long run. Hell, I already did. I was just like my father, a mean, heartless bastard. She was much better off without me.
I looked up at the building and sighed, wondering what was taking Alex so long. How much time did it take to grab a few clothes? Knowing Alex, he was taking his sweet time just to irritate the shit out of me.
Speak of the devil. Alex was coming out the door, carrying three suitcases, two large and one small. It looked a bit awkward, but I knew he could handle it.
"Damn," I muttered as Alex set down the bags and went back in for a large box. I climbed out of the car and ambled over to help and complain.
"What in the hell? How much stuff could the woman need in one month?" I asked. Alex ignored the question and handed me the box.
As I placed the box in the back of the Land Rover, I watched Alex suspiciously. He was very quiet and he seemed to look everywhere, but at me. I took a quick peek into the box I had carried. Inside were about fifteen pairs of shoes and they all smelled like Sam.
Ignoring the way the sweet scent engulfed me, I asked, "Why would she need so many pairs of shoes when she can't even walk?"
Alex stayed quiet, pretending to get the suitcases situated just so. Something was definitely up.
"And if she could walk, that’s a lot of shoes for only a month," I continued.
Alex gave me a quick glance that had guilty written all over it.
"It is only one month, right?" I asked a silent Alex. "Right man?" I was starting to panic a little. Why wouldn't he answer me? "Sam's only staying with us for one month, right?"
He took a deep breath and finally looked directly at me. "Maybe."
What? That was all he had to say? "What does that mean?" I growled.
"It means what it means. Listen, I didn't want to have to go into it right now, but I should warn you. I am going to pursue Sam again. This time, for keeps."