Free Windows by Emily Minton

nose as hard as I could. Surprisingly. the shark swam away. "I think I knew I loved you the moment I saw that shark coming at you."
    She gives me a sad smile. "If you love me, then why didn’t you tell me about Kelsey and the baby?"
    Fuck. How do I explain this without coming off as a dick? I decide to stick with the truth. It’s worked so far. I climb into the bed and pull her into my lap. "I didn’t know how to tell you. To be honest, I don’t think about it much. Don’t get me wrong. I hate that she lost the baby, but I’m not even sure it was mine. I mean, she says it was. But I don’t know if she was telling the truth or not. I was only with her once. I was drunk as hell, but I know that I wore a condom. No matter what she said, I planned on doing a DNA test as soon as the kid was born."
    "But you were still with her when I got home. Abbie said that she lost the baby months ago."
    I pull Lindy closer. "It’s close to five months now. I wasn’t with her, but I couldn’t just leave her alone after the miscarriage. Her dad is a dick, and her mom is like some kind of robot. She never even told them about the baby. She doesn’t really have any friends, which I know is her own fault. She had no one, and I couldn’t just walk out on her. We were never together. No matter what she made up in her own head."
    "It seemed like you were together that day I got home," she whispers into my shoulder.
    "I ran into her that morning at the Waffle House. She was crying and shit. I tried to get rid of her ass, but I ended up being stuck with her the whole damn day. I wanted to drop her off before going to your mom’s, but she knew all the right things to say to make me feel guilty as hell. So I ended up bringing her with me." I give Lindy a tight squeeze. "I swear we were not together. We never really were."
    "You said it was just once. What about in high school?"
    "I was never with Kelsey in high school. I know that was the rumor going around, but it wasn’t true." I look into her eyes and can see her searching my face to try to figure out if I am lying. "I promise."
    Finally, she lets out a deep breath and wraps her arms around me. "I’m sorry about the baby."
    "I am too, but I am glad that she will not be the mother of my child. That is your job." I can feel her body grow stiff in my arms. "It’s coming. You best get used to the idea. In a few years, you will be running around with a little Lindy in your belly."
    I can feel her start to relax. She kisses my neck and whispers, "A little Lucas."
    I flip her onto the bed and come down on top of her. "Hell, no. I want a little Lindy, with red hair and pretty green eyes."
    She smiles up to me. "Well, we can practice now. So we have it down pat when we’re ready."
    "I love you so fucking much," I say then place my lips onto hers.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
     
    "Why haven’t you played with me all day?" Lucas asks.
    Lindy looks over to him. "I’m mad at you."
    "What did I do to make you mad?"
    She shrugs her shoulders. "I don’t remember."
     
     
    LINDY
     
     
    Lucas and I are still kissing when my phone rings. I pull away and grab it off the bedside table. I don’t even look at who is calling before I answer, "Hello."
    "Stay away from Luke!" Kelsey shouts.
    "What the hell?" I say more to myself than to her.
    "If you don’t stay away from him, I swear I will make you pay." She yells so loud that my ears ring.
    I look over at Lucas and hand him the phone. "You can take care of this shit yourself."
    I jump off the bed and head to the kitchen. I can hear Lucas yelling, but I try to ignore it. I am so pissed that Kelsey would call me that I am shaking. I don’t even know how she got my number, but I do know that I will be changing it right away. I do what I always do when I get mad. I cook. I pull out the stuff for my dad’s favorite peanut butter cookies. Just as I am scooping them onto the cookie sheet, Lucas storms into the kitchen.
    He stops in the doorway, runs his fingers