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Chapter 50 - Alyson
I hate being the center of attention. Why did I agree to this? I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, and my heart gets a little fluttery knowing at least four cameras are trained on us right now.
“Ready?” Jim asks, looking into my eyes. His are glimmering, and I think mine are too. I nod, and he puts his hand over mine. I’m supposed to be looking at the camera, smiling and making a point to have a nice photo taken. But I can’t look away from Jim. He guides my hand, going to the pull tab at the top of the box. It rips open, and the cardboard flaps at the top of the box slowly push up and the first balloon pops out.
It’s pink.
We’re having a girl.
Jim wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. We kiss, and I forget everyone is watching and taking pictures. Standing here with him makes me feel like we’re a family, and for a moment, I forget we’re going home in opposite directions.
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Further to Fall in Love Chapter 51 - Jim
Jackson slips under the surface of the water and doesn’t come back up. Alyson screams, and I jump in, diving down and swimming across to grab Jackson. I hook my arm around him and push off the bottom of the pool. He’s thrashing, doing everything he can to get himself to the surface, and hits me in the face a few times. I bring him up out of the water, and Weston takeshim from my arms, bringing him out of the pool.“What were you thinking?” Weston asks, eyes wide with fear. Jackson coughs up water, and Wes holds him tightly against him. I pull myself up out of the water, eyes on the kid. “Are you okay?”Jackson is still coughing, and being hugged tight by his father isn’t helping. Alyson comes around, crouching down to Jackson. Mrs. Langford comes outside, panicked.“What happened? I heard someone scream.”“Jackson jumped in the pool and Jim saved him,” Alyson says, letting out a sha
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 52 - Alyson
I lean back in my chair, wiping tears from my eyes. A logical part of my brain tells me I need to stop. But for some reason, I lack all self-control and don’t click away. Someone knocks on my office door, and I look up, prepared to hide behind my monitor if need be.But it’s just Marissa, and I wave her in.“Oh my God,” she says and comes around to my desk. “Stop watching those clips of dogs greeting their owners after they come home from the military.”“But it’s so sweet!”“You have mascara dripping down your face.”“I didn’t wear any today.”She hikes an eyebrow. “Then it’s yesterday’s leftover mascara.”I grab a tissue from my desk drawer. “That’s likely.” I wipe my eyes and close the viral video. “Did you come in here just to yell at me?”“I wish I did.” She looks behind her,
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 53 - Jim
Smiling, I take Alyson’s hand. “Things are quite different now than the last time we walked up and down this river.”“You’re not kidding,” she says back with a laugh. We just got done with dinner and are enjoying the night out together.“Though one thing is the same.”“What?”My heart is in my throat, but this time I’m not nervous. “I was in love with you then, like I am now.”Alyson stops short, grip on my hand tightening. Her lips are slightly parted with shock, but her eyes are sparkling. “What?”I pull her close, heart thumping away. “If you’re not ready to say it back, that’s okay. But I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I love you.”“I love you, too.”“Really?”“Yes,” she says with a laugh, blinking back tears. “I kne
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 54 - Alyson
Jim doesn’t need to say it for me to know: his mom calling at dawn can’t be a good thing. He sits up and takes the phone from me.“Are you going to call her back?”“I will later. You should go back to sleep so you’re not tired. I fucked you hard before we went to bed. Didn’t you say I wore you out?”He’s trying to lighten the mood, I know. And he really did wear me out. How he functions so well on so little sleep is beyond me. While I appreciate his efforts to downplay this for my sake, I know he shouldn’t.“Something could be wrong with—”“I’ll call her later. Lay down and I’ll rub your back.” “I won’t be able to sleep. Because now I’m worried.”Jim lets out a sigh. “I didn’t want him to take up any of your time or energy, Alyson.”“Yeah, but he is and he will. He’s
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 55 - Jim
I hang up the phone and rub my temples. I wasn’t expecting that. Not at fucking all. I’m still a little stunned. Raising my arms above my head, I stretch and roll my neck. I’m used to standing in the same position for hours and didn’t realize I’ve been sitting and hardly moved for the last hour and a half.I go to the window, giving myself a moment to process everything, and look down at the city. I’m in Alyson’s kitchen, and the view is amazing. In my younger years, I would have loved to live here. I’d feel like a fucking baller up in this place, with its large white kitchen and lakefront view.But now…now I’m questioning raising a child in a place like this. Not because I don’t think it’s fitting, but because I know how Alyson grew up in a small town, and how I watched them, an outsider looking in, and thought the Langfords were fucking perfect.I press one hand against the cool glass, st
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 56 - Alyson
“I think we should make this a regular Friday-night occurrence,” Jim says. We’re sitting on the couch, naked and snuggled together with our feet propped up on the coffee table and plates of food on our laps. “I like eating naked.”“I do too, and I have to say I did a good job on these enchiladas.”“They taste just like the ones your mom makes,” he tells me, knowing that’s a compliment. My mom is a great cook.“The recipe is pretty easy to follow,” I confess. “It’s not like a four-course fancy meal or anything, though I think the preparation gives this meal five stars.”“You could have made me Ramen noodles and it would have been five stars.”Laughing, I take my last bite and put my plate on the coffee table, reaching over to get my water.Jim gets up to get a second helping, and I shamelessly watch his ass as he walks into the kitchen.
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 57 - Jim
Izip up my suitcase and haul it into the living room. I’m on call tonight and then I’m home free, ready to spend a week on the Hawaiian coast with Alyson. Everything is ready, and I plan to sleep as much as I can until I have to go in. Then it’s come back here, take a quick shower and drive to Chicago so Alyson and I can board the plane together.The last time I went on a real vacation was my senior year during my pre-med schooling. Jacob and I went to Miami for spring break, stayed in a shitty-ass motel and almost got hustled by a pair of twins. Can I even consider that a vacation?“Did you pack the ring?” Sam asks, coming out of the kitchen.I turn, giving him a surprised look. “You know about it?”Sam’s eyes widen. “I was giving you shit. You really bought her a ring?” “Not quite. Her grandma gave me her ring to propose with.” “Are you going to?”I run my hand th
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 58 - Alyson
“Boston?” I echo even though I heard him right the first time. “As in east coast Boston?”“Yeah,” he says, not looking away from his phone. I can see the conflicting emotions on his face, and I hope he looks up and says it’s not worth it after all because his family is here in Chicago.But he doesn’t.“I think our ride is here,” he says instead, and grabs my carry-on bag, hiking it up on his shoulder. I flip my hood on to keep my hair dry and wheel my suitcase out, and the word Boston repeats through my mind over and over. I’ve been to New York but not Boston. It’s not a terribly long flight, but it’s no quick trip either.And Emma will be born by then. Traveling alone with a baby has to be difficult. I can’t tell Jim not to go though, right? He’s furthering his education, not taking a year or two off to party.“Get in so you don’t get wet
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