The Baby Blitz (Varsity Dads #3)(37)
Author: Lex Martin

 

Maggie looks mortified. I’m wondering how fast I can get my ex out of here. “Amelia, don’t you live in LA now? Didn’t you graduate?”

 

She rolls her eyes. “I have a few more classes I apparently need to take, and my fucking manager won’t release my money until I graduate.”

 

Her poor mother manages Amelia’s career. That’s a job I’d never want.

 

It’s funny how a little time away from someone makes you more objective. I used to really dig this girl. Amelia and I started dating before her modeling career took off. She was nicer and more down-to-earth back then.

 

“Look, this obviously isn’t where you want to be. Why don’t you find something else? We’ll refund your deposit and send you on your merry way.”

 

Maggie hangs her head and whispers, “I already spent that money.”

 

Swear to God, I feel my temple throb. “What could you have possibly spent that on so quickly?”

 

She flinches like I struck her. Before I can apologize for being an ass, her eyes narrow. “Designer clothes and hair treatments.” She waves at herself. “Obviously.”

 

Her ponytail is falling out, and she’s wearing faded blue jeans cutoffs and flip-flops. The woman looks adorable, but I have a feeling that’s not what she wants to hear right now. “Mags, I’m not trying to be critical—”

 

“Are you guys dating?” Amelia asks, talking right over me. She gives Maggie a dismissive once-over and turns to me. “I thought you hated her. What did you tell me that day? You said she was a whiny, pain-in-your-ass brat who pouts when she doesn’t get what she wants.”

 

Fuck.

 

The devastation on Maggie’s face cuts me to the quick, and I curse the day I met Amelia. I’m sure Maggie’s said crap about me too over the years, but she doesn’t need Amelia shoving the past in her face.

 

Maggie sniffles and bites her lower lip, her nose bright red, but she refuses to look at me. Quietly, she asks Amelia to follow her, and Maggie grabs her keys and takes my ex out to the casita. The moment the doors close behind them, someone clears his throat.

 

I turn to find Billy and Cam. I forgot they were here.

 

Billy crosses his arms over his chest. “I may not have been a fan of you moving here at first, but your girl worked all afternoon to get a treadmill and weights set up in one of the spare rooms. I didn’t even know about the weights until you came home, or I would’ve helped her.”

 

I close my eyes, frustrated that I can’t seem to do anything right around here. That’s why she fell asleep on the stairs. Out of pure exhaustion from trying to do something nice for me.

 

“What do I do?” I’m not sure why I’m asking Billy and Cam. Neither of them have girlfriends. I miss having Johnny and Ben to bounce ideas off of. Not that Johnny ever had a girlfriend, but sometimes that stoner gave good advice.

 

Cam slaps me on the back. “Time to grovel, brother.”

 

 

 

 

 

30

 

 

 

 

 

MAGGIE

 

 

 

 

 

Ignoring the throb in my chest from that emotional smackdown, I unlock the casita. Thankfully, I turned on the window air-conditioning unit, so it’s not five thousand degrees in here.

 

“It’s really small.” Amelia looks around like a snake is going to hop out and bite her on the ass. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking.

 

The casita is the prettiest part of my property. It has beautiful hardwood floors, sage-green cabinets, a sparkly new bathroom, and decorative baskets I’m tempted to steal for my house. There’s a reason this place is always booked. It looks great in photos.

 

“There’s the bed and closet. If you unlock this lever, you can use this platform as a desk. Through there is the bathroom, which has a shower. Here’s the kitchenette, which has a microwave and refrigerator. If you need a stove, you can use the one in the house.”

 

Dang. Why did I say that? I’m so used to offering it to my guests that it rolled off my tongue.

 

“Do I get a key to your house too?” she asks as she dangles the keychain in my face.

 

“Just knock. I’ll let you in. Or I can give you my number, and you can text, which is helpful if you know ahead of time that you need something.”

 

“Awesome. Just what I always wanted. Needing to head into a different house to cook.”

 

I’m guessing that’s sarcasm. “Look, your stepfather wasn’t honest with me either. Let’s just make the best of this. You can go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

 

“Is it going to be weird, though? Me staying here? You knowing that I’ve slept with Olly many, many times?” She twirls a glossy lock of blonde hair. “That’s gotta be strange, huh? And I mean, we’ve done it everywhere. My car. A shower. A cabin on vacation. My place. His place. A bathroom at a banquet. The man could not keep his hands off me. He once fucked me so hard, my neighbors knew his name by the time we were done.”

 

I open my mouth, only nothing comes out.

 

She pats my arm in faux sympathy. “I have some great diet tips if you need some. If your sex life isn’t as slamming as mine was with Olly”—she folds her lips briefly and then lowers her voice—“it might be because you’re carrying some extra junk in the trunk. Olly likes them skinny. Just look at that redhead he dated. What was her name? Vanessa? Now she’s really beautiful.”

 

By the time I stumble out of the casita, I’m wondering why I was dumb enough to think this could work. I’m clearly not Olly’s type. Add this pregnancy to the equation, all the weight that’s going to pack on, and the fact I’m so disoriented when I’m with him, and it spells disaster.

 

I somehow manage to not cry even though I feel like that woman slowly stripped me of my skin, Hannibal Lecter-style. When I enter my living room, Olly jumps up off the couch. “Maggie, I’m sorry about all of that. Thank you for—”

 

I hold up my hand. “I’m not feeling great. I’m going to bed. Maybe we can talk tomorrow.”

 

Or next week. Or possibly never.

 

Because right now, I want to crawl into my bed and never come out again.

 

 

 

 

 

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