The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

“I’m not really a fan of babies. I don’t know how you do it. I mean, I like my family’s kids, I love them. But I’m not overly fond of little babies and kids in general. I don’t see that happening for me for a long, long time, or if ever.” I shrug as a matter of fact, my nerves and combined guilt giving me verbal diarrhea, and Arrick’s insistence on carrying on a conversation with Nathan, makes me feel like I should fill the awkward gap between Natasha and me.

“You sound like him.” She prods Arrick in the arm and he looks down at us nonplussed.

“What? What sounds like me?” He’s obviously caught the tail end of what we are talking about and leans in as she repeats it, to hear her over the thrum of music that’s getting a little louder from the dancefloor below this VIP area.

“That you don’t seem too hyped about babies in the near future.” She smiles up at him shyly, eyes not concealing the sheer adoration and infatuation she has for him, and yet his face falters.

in enough kids to be me more than satisfied, and zero desire to follow him down that path anytime soon.” He frowns, half smiling, and catches my eye before he looks away. Unreadable, good old Arry. I notice the crushed expression hit Natasha’s face, and the way a blush creeps up her cheeks at how much he’s dashed some feeble hope in her heart. The sense of sadness that reverberates around the circle from her makes my stomachache with awfulness. Something inside, that nice part of me, reacts

I’m missing, what exactly they’ve

has wiped out his need to always chaperone our meetings, but I have no desire to be left alone with

face that he knows I have no defense against. Seeing Natasha like she is about to burst into a flood of tears makes me hesitate. I scan the women behind her, hoping to God one of her

smiles at him a little too brightly; I guess to cover his complete lack of attention towards her since she walked up, and I have to admit, I’m wondering what the hell is up with that. He is never overly demonstrative with her, when I’m around, but right now, I’m getting weird vibes from him where she’s concerned. A part of me should be cartwheeling at that fact, but it’s

people from this crowd, Natasha’s eyes linger longer than mine, and when she turns back, her eyes are moisture glazed. It has the same effect as a punch in the gut, knocking me for six with a sharp intake of breath. I’m more than shocked at how this