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It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (z-lib.org).epub

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I let him. He takes that bag and another one down to the apartment

while I gather my things. He and Marshall are walking back inside the

apartment as I’m preparing to walk out.

Ryle grabs the last bag of stuff and begins to head toward the front door

again. I’m following behind him when Marshall gives me a silent look,

asking me if I’m okay with Ryle going downstairs with me. I nod. I can’t

keep avoiding Ryle forever, so now is as good a time as any to discuss

where we go from here.

It’s only a few floors between their apartment and mine, but the

elevator ride down with Ryle feels like the longest it’s ever taken. I catch

him staring at my stomach a couple of times and it makes me wonder how

it must feel, going three months without seeing me pregnant.

My apartment door is unlocked, so I push it open and he follows me

inside. He takes the last of the stuff to the nursery and I can hear him

moving things around, opening boxes. I stay in the kitchen and clean

things that don’t even need cleaning. My heart is in my throat, knowing

he’s in my apartment. I don’t feel scared of him in this moment. I just feel

nervous. I wanted to be more prepared for this conversation because I

absolutely hate confrontation. But I know we need to discuss the baby and

our future. I just don’t want to. Not yet, anyway.

He walks down the hallway and into the kitchen. I catch him looking at

my stomach again. He glances away just as quickly. “Do you want me to

assemble the crib while I’m here?”

I should probably say no, but he’s half responsible for the child growing

inside of me. If he’s going to offer physical labor I’m going to take it, no

matter how angry I still am at him. “Yeah. That would be a big help.”

He points toward the laundry room. “Is my toolbox still in there?”

I nod and he heads toward the laundry room. I open the refrigerator

and face it so I don’t have to watch him walk back through the kitchen.

When he’s finally in the nursery again, I close the refrigerator and press

my forehead against it as I grip the handle. I breathe in and out as I try to

process everything that’s happening inside of me right now.

He looks really good. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, I forgot how

beautiful he is. I have an urge to run down the hallway and jump into his

arms. I want to feel his mouth on mine. I want to hear him tell me how

much he loves me. I want him to lie down next to me and put his hand on

my stomach like I’ve imagined him doing so many times.

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