she kind of felt ready to collapse, too. Probably because this was the most energy sheâd exerted since sheâd left the hospital three days ago. So she sat.
Spencer sat, too.
âGlad I was available to help you resolve your issues,â Krissy said, even if, as a result, she now felt even more weighted down by guilt. âHappy to be of service.â In truth she wasnât happy at all. Rather than look at him, Krissy reached to take a packet of artificial sweetener from the basket in the center of the table and started flipping it between her fingers.
âHey.â Spencer reached over, slid a knuckle under her chin, and tilted her face up so she had to look at him. âIâm sorry, truly sorry, from the bottom of my cold, unfeeling heart,â he said, with such sincerity she believed him. But the damage was done, the truth had come outâabout Jarrod and about what Spencer really thought of herâand thereâd be no unhearing it.
Only moving her eyes, Krissy glanced at the clock on the microwave. âYouâve exceeded your two minutes.â She didnât like this nice, self-deprecating version of Spencer, didnât like the way it made her feel, didnât know how to respond to it.
Spencer released her chin and held out his hand. âCan we have a truce? Maybe start fresh?â
âWhy?â
He reached down to her lap and took her hand into his. âWe were friends once, good friends for a long time.â
But they werenât friends anymore.
âAnd thatâs my best friendâs baby in there.â He pointed to her belly. âCanât we put our differences aside and do whatâs best for Jarrodâs baby?â
Rather than remind him that little J.J. was part her baby too, Krissy thought about his proposal. Sheâd spent most of the last five and a half years traveling from place to place and had no local friends, as in good friends sheâd feel comfortable calling for help in the middle of the night, in White Plains, where she now lived to be close to her sister. Itâd be nice to know, in case of emergency, she had someone she could call aside from Kira and Derrick.
âCome on,â Spencer said with a handsome smile. He let go of her hand and held his out. âFriends?â
After a brief hesitation, more to make him wait than anything else, Krissy shook it. âFriends.â
âGood.â Spencer unfolded the paper heâd set down on the table and turned it so she could read what heâd written.
âOn top,â he pointed, âis the hospital information. Down here,â he moved his finger lower, âis the rental agent for my building.â
âWhoa.â Krissy sat back. âNo.â
âItâs not my intent to overstep, but you mentioned you needed an apartment.â
âI am not moving into your building.â
He looked offended. âWhy not? Itâs nice. It has security. It has ample parking and is close to shopping, Derrickâs office, and White Plains Hospital. Also, I checked, they have two one bedroom units and three two bedroom units available for immediate occupancy. With a recommendation from me, you could probably be in by the end of this week, early next, assuming your creditâs okay.â
While Krissy liked the sound of âimmediate occupancyâ, âI canât afford it.â
âI happen to know you were the sole beneficiary of a huge life insurance policy. You couldnât possibly have...â He hesitated, his eyes studying her face as he seemed to be trying to figure out the safest way to finish his statement.
Krissy stared back, at a crossroad. She could pounce on him for even thinking sheâd blow through all the money Jarrod had left her. Or she could avoid confrontation and take the high road, so to speak, which is what she decided to do. After all, Spencer was trying to be nice. She could try too. âI have every