Chapter 40 CHAPTER 40

Chapter 40 CHAPTER 40
The restless wails of baby Liam woke me up at two in the morning. The night was still drenched in darkness, except for the moon that shined brilliantly through my window. The blinds were up and the curtains were parted, allowing a gentle breeze to wisp through my room.

How lovely, I thought, sarcastic. I sluggishly dragging myself to his crib.

As a "newborn" Liam needed to be fed nearly every three hours. Sometimes he could go longer if he was deep asleep, but that wasn't the case now. Someone in class joked we could turn the baby off when we went to sleep-a marvelous idea, except the robot tracked every minute of usage. The only permitted off-time was during school hours; anything more and Ms. Ken would deduct points.

I slipped the bottle into Liam's mouth, rocking him lightly as he sucked the milk. Right then, my phone lit with an incoming call. Despite the exhaustion, I smiled. I propped the phone on the nightstand and answered.
I was not ready.

Cross blinked groggily into the camera, his room swallowed in darkness except for the soft glow highlighting his bare very well-defined-chest. Unlike last night's ordinary call, he progressed us to video.

Because I want to see your pretty face, had been his rationale.

"I was serious when I said you could sleep," I whispered.

Cross grunted and stretched. I was unable to look away as the camera shifted and gave me a fleeting, devastating view of his abs, the flexing of his bicep before he straightened out and blinked lazily. He wasn't even trying to be attractive, and yet here we were.

"I was serious when I said I'd call," he replied. The app connected to our baby project sent him alerts whenever Liam cried. It was meant for updates in case we were in the middle of doing something else like showering. Cross, however, used it to monitor Liam like an overzealous parent. Since it was my night to keep the baby, he was determined to stay awake with me.

"Remember what the child-development chapter said," I reminded him. "Parents should alternate nights to avoid burnout. That's why Ms. Ken assigned it this way."

"Yes," Cross said, his voice rough and warm. "But it also said new parents should wake up together sometimes. I want to be there for you emotionally. I don't want my wife getting post-partum depression."

That was actually really sweet. Cross was more thoughtful than I gave him credit for. During class he'd been doodling in his notebook and watching a video on his phone. The least I expected was for him to have been actually paying attention.

"Like what you see, wife?" he teased.

Red surged my cheeks. I averted my gaze to baby Liam like he was the most fascinating robot-baby in the world. I'd been staring at his chest for too long, though how he even knew I was checking him out was a wonder. Ever since he'd gotten home from meeting my mom, Cross had been switching between calling me babe and wife. I couldn't decide which was worse.

"Where's your shirt?"

"I don't wear one when I sleep."

"You had one earlier," I rebutted. Three hours ago to be exact. 11 P.M.

"I don't anymore. I like it when you turn all red for me." His eyes gleamed with predatory delight.

I huffed. "Don't expect me to call you when it's your turn tomorrow and its two in the morning,"

I would be following Ms. Ken's suggested instructions
and sleep well, thank you very much.

Cross drew back a fraction, chin lifting in a quiet excuse me? "I will blast your phone."

I groaned. He actually would. I used to think Cross was a dry communicator. One of his old flings showed me their conversation a year ago. She wanted my feedback, and I warned her Cross was uninterested and a player. Also, that he obviously sucked at texting. She didn't believe me until he ghosted her.

My reality was very different. He was very expressive. Unafraid to double, triple, quadruple text me if I didn't respond "fast" enough, and calling repeatedly until I answered. Persistent to the point of ridiculousness, and shameless about it too. It was like uncovering another side of him I didn't know existed.

Maybe it really will be đifferent between us. Cross stayed on the call until Liam drifted back asleep. Something about being up like this, the two of us on an otherwise silent night at two in the morning, conversing in our nightclothes about random things, made the moment feel oddly intimate.

"He's asleep now. You can go to bed," I murmured.

Cross rested his head on the pillow. His hair was a mess, spiking in all directions, but it made him look unfairly handsome in that soft, sleepy way.

"Why don't we fall asleep like this? If we stay on the line it'l be like we're in the same room."

"Don't be silly. Our phones will die."

"Not if you do it properly. Look." He tilted his camera to showed his charger reaching the bed, and the pillow propped behind his phone.

I shook my head. "Goodnight, Cross. I'll see you in a few hours."

Forrest pouted, clearly not liking my resistance. "Give me a kiss," he insisted.

Maybe it was the late hour, or maybe it was losing brain cells from sleep deprivation, but I actually blew him a kiss through the screen.

He grinned. "Another."

I indulged him. And of course, he had to ruin the moment.
"Now give Cross Jr. a kiss."

The camera plunged under the covers into a chaos of blankets.

"Cross!"

He laughed, resurfacing to the view of his face. "Fine. I'll get that kiss in person."

"You won't be getting any kisses from me today"I miffed.

Cross seemed to take it as a challenge instead of a fact. "We'll see about that."

After hanging up, the rest of the morning went smoothly. Liam didn't wake again until I was brushing my teeth. I fed him, changed his diaper, and promptly shut him off.

Technically, this was almost school hours, so I didn't break the rules. The ride to school was as quiet as yesterday. Amy focused on the road, and I focused on Cross's good-morning text.

Cross || heyy:) goodmorning

Clara | we're literally about to see each other

Cross | that's too long without you, why'd you ignore my call?🧐

Clara | I was getting ready

Forrest | that's fine. we can watch each other get ready😏

Clara | you're too much

Cross | I want to eat you

My jaw dropped. With trembling fingers, I responded all I could muster.

Clara | ????????

Cross | I love your cheeks. and your neck. I want to know everything else

Heat pooled in my face. It was seven in the morning. Why was he already like this?

Cross | are you blushing?

Clara | stop

Cross | send me a kiss

Clara | 😚

Then, feeling uncharacteristically daring

Clara | you're supposed to kiss me back

Cross | 😘😘😘

A smile broke despite my resistance. When Amy parked, my phone dinged again.

Cross | I see my wife has arrived.