Accidental Surrogate for Alpha novel Chapter 459

#Chapter 459 – Changes

Cora

I blow lightly on my cup of tea, doing my best to cool it and concentrate on the book that’s open in my lap. But even as I try, my eyes continually drift to the picture window in front of me that overlooks the front of our property, including the driveway where Roger’s going to pull in any minute now.

At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past two hours.

I sigh, frustrated. I sent him a text a while ago asking him to let me know when he’d be home not that I really need to know, I just…wanted to know.

But Roger is notoriously bad at keeping an eye on his phone, and I know that he and Sinclair have had a particularly stressful day today. So, I’do my best to just…exercise my patience.

But I sigh because, even though patience is usually one of my virtues…

Today? I’m finding it a little hard.

Happy!

The baby’s little tap comes skipping down the bond out of nowhere, and I burst into a grin, looking down at myself.

“Oh, so are you liking the ginger tea, little guy?” I ask, laughing a little as I stroke a hand over my belly.

He doesn’t respond because…well, because I asked him out loud, and he can’t hear me, but I smile nonetheless, taking another sip.

Happy? I ask, sending the word and the feeling down the bond to him.

His answer comes back in an instant. Happy happy!

I laugh again, desperately pleased at this, and wondering what’s going to come next with him. Because he’s getting bigger, I can almost feel him growing by the day, and soon he’s going to start feeling all sorts of new things. But will he even have words for them? Will we feel them before he does, and be able to pass the same emotions back and forth, asking questions like we do with happy? Will it be –

But even as I ponder it, excited, headlights flash across the drive and my face bursts into a grin.

“Daddy’s home, little baby,” I murmur, taking another sip of my tea before putting it down on the coffee table as I watch Roger park the car, and step out, and storm for our front door.

“Ut-oh,” I sigh, watching his every step and continuing to stroke my stomach. “Daddy’s in a mood, baby…”

Happy! The baby pulses, making me laugh for real now.

Because daddy is anything but happy, isn’t he?

This kid – already with his jokes. God, I love him so much.

Roger throws open the door, scowling as he storms through it, pushing it shut behind him and already looking up the stairs, clearly intent on going right up and not even noticing me sitting here.

“Hey!” I call cheerfully, and Roger whips towards me, stopping so fast in his tracks that he almost trips over his own feet.

“What are you doing in here?” he asks almost growls.

I lean back a little in surprise, looking him up and down. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice deep with sarcasm. “Am I… not allowed to sit in our living room?”

Roger scowls, hanging his head for a second and running a hand through his hair before looking up at me again. ” I’m sorry,” he says, and I can tell that he means it even though his voice is clipped. “You just surprised me – it’s been…”

“One hell of a day?” I offer.

And he sighs, and nods.

“Come here,” I say, reaching for him and folding my legs to make space on the couch.

“Actually, Cora,” he says, glancing up the stairs. “Can we just go to bed?”

“Really?” I ask, going a little still. ” You’re not hungry, or…”

“Please,” he says, hanging his head again, almost begging for a moment. “I just want to go to bed. With you. And just…be there. All right?”

“Okay,” I say, a little disturbed now. Because I don’t frequently see him like this. Once we broke into Roger’s tough shell, he revealed himself to be funny, and sweet, and full of jokes. This Roger, which exists even beneath that? Earnest, vulnerable Roger?