Raising a brow, Ashton noted, “You seem awfully interested in Jared’s matter.”
I subconsciously nodded, but when I noticed something amiss with his expression, I quickly chuckled. “Not really. I just suddenly recalled that night, so I wanted to ask about it. I don’t mean anything else.”
Lowering his gaze, he kept quiet.
After realizing I had not much appetite, he stopped eating as well. Leading me out of the restaurant, we headed to the mall. Ashton’s way of shopping always seemed like he was planning to buy an entire warehouse worth of goods.
Although I was shopping with him, it seemed as though I was only there for moral support. However, he was buying baby products, so I said nothing about his shopping. After all, everything he bought would be put to use eventually.
After a round of shopping, it was getting late. Feeling tired, I fell asleep soon after I entered the car.
I slept the entire journey home. Before my eyes could open, he had picked me up into his arms, and my eyes flew open.
“We’re home.”
I gave him a quiet hum in response as he carried me all the way to our bedroom. After gently putting me on the bed, he went to the bathroom.
The sleep during the journey home had been a nap, so I could not go back to sleep after waking up. Instead, I stared at the ceiling, daydreaming.
After Ashton finished showering, he dried himself before pulling the blanket away and lying beside me. With his arm around my waist, he held me in an embrace.
As we stared into each other’s eyes, I found myself lost in his.
Knitting his brows, he gently pushed the stray hairs on my forehead to the side. “Do you want to take a shower?” he asked in a quiet voice.
“I don’t feel like moving.” I adjusted myself to the side, feeling slight discomfort in my stomach.
However, in minutes, the pain became worse.
I sat up, grimacing as I did so.
“What’s wrong?” He placed his hand on my stomach and asked concernedly, “Does it hurt?”
“Mm.” I did not know what was going on, but I had recently been experiencing minor pains. Checkups told us there was nothing wrong, however.
After staying in the same position for a while, I no longer felt like sleeping. Hence, I reached out to grab my phone and check the time. It was only eleven at night.
Getting off the bed, I told him, “Go ahead and sleep first. I’ll be sitting in the living room for a while.”
I was worried I would wake him by tossing and turning on the bed.
However, he wrapped his arms around my waist and stopped me from leaving. “Don’t go there. Just lie down here. You’ll fall asleep soon enough.”
“Okay.”
The room fell quiet again, and he changed the room’s lighting into a warm tone. Breathing slowly, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
“Does it still hurt?” he queried. As the room was quiet, his voice sounded exceptionally clear and loud.
I nodded and curled into myself.
“Let’s visit the hospital tomorrow.” As he spoke, he held me in his arms again.
I shook my head and mumbled, “We just went there.”
It did not seem right for me to keep visiting the hospital.
After a moment of silence, when I thought he had fallen asleep, he muttered, “You’re four months in, right?”
“Yes.”
“Six more months to go.”
I was starting to feel sleepy, so I did not answer him. After I shut my eyes, I soon fell asleep.
Fortunately, my sleep lasted until the morning.
I woke up after shifting slightly and leaned on Ashton as he asked in a hoarse voice, “You’re awake? How was your sleep?”
I nodded and hummed, “It was good.”
Turning to look at his handsome face, I burrowed myself into his arms. “Aren’t you going to the office today?”
He should be quite busy these days.
“I’ll stay home to keep you company,” he replied as he hugged me tightly. With a small smile, he continued, “I’m planning to hand all the company matters to Joe tomorrow and apply for a maternal leave.”
I huffed out a laugh. “So, does that mean you’re going to give birth to the baby?”
His palm gently caressed my stomach. With each passing day, I could acutely feel the baby growing in me.
“I don’t think I can.” He pecked a kiss on my lips and asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I’m not.” I had just woken up; I could not eat yet.
Now that I was fully awake, I could not go back to sleep. I was still lying in bed with a warm blanket wrapped around me. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I was constantly feeling cold despite it being almost July.
Shifting again, I leaned closer to Ashton, accidentally touching the bottom half of his body.
He gasped quietly before lowering his gaze to look at me. “Your hand is fine now?”
I stiffened and shook my head before I moved backward. However, he stopped me from retreating. “I have to endure this for another six months.”
Um.
When he grabbed my hand, I could guess what he was trying to do.
Biting on my lower lip, I muttered, “It’s not good for the baby.”
“Who said that?” he chuckled as he pressed my hand onto the bulge in his pants.
“Dr. Crest!” I blurted out. It was true that the doctor had told me it would affect the baby since I was already four months into the pregnancy.
After a while of rubbing himself with my hand, he panted, “He’s full of nonsense.”
He continued for an hour. By then, I could not lay on the bed anymore, so I climbed out of it to wash up. Meanwhile, Ashton went to take a change of clothes before he went to take a shower.
After exiting the bathroom, I headed downstairs.
Mrs. Eriksen had been busy recently because a grandson had recently appeared in her life. As she was busy taking care of her daughter-in-law after her pregnancy, she could not come over as often as she usually did.
Ashton had wanted to hire someone else, but I disagreed with it. Firstly, the new help would be a stranger, and I did not enjoy the process of getting familiar with a stranger. Secondly, it was just a month before Mrs. Eriksen would return. I was only four months into the pregnancy, so I wanted to save us both the trouble.
