An Inconvenient Friend Read Online Free Page A

these exact same positions.
    Angelina fought to keep in the wind of frustration that filled her lungs. She rolled back over to her side of the bed, picked up her BlackBerry, and pushed the power button. It was almost 6:00 A.M . She was bound to have a message from someone by now. “I told you, the stairwell was in disrepair. We shouldn’t have had a child in the home until they fixed the landing.”
    Greg shook his head like it was the first time he’d heard it. She supposed it was since he apparently had not listened to a single word she’d said last night. “I don’t know how you do that work.” He reached for his own phone and turned it on.
    That work. Her work. Always reduced to a bitter pill on his tongue. “It’s difficult for everyone, but someone has to or it won’t be done.”
    Greg swung his legs over the side of the bed, then reached back and gave her thigh a vigorous pat. “I wonder why the someone has to be you.” He stood, walked his nude body into the bathroom, and seconds later, Angelina heard water spray in the shower.
    She thought about the love they’d made and wondered how they could make music so wonderfully one moment and make war the next. Or at least it could have been war if she’d decided it was worth the fight. She threw her feet over her side of the bed and reached for her discarded nightgown and slid it back over her head. I hate him , she thought, but she knew that was a lie. She walked around to his side of the bed and picked up his underwear that lay on the floor. She didn’t hate him at all. The problem was she loved his dirty drawers. She realized she was holding them a little too tightly. Okay, not literally.
    Angelina walked to the closet and dropped them in the hamper, pulled clean underwear from his bureau and a suit from the closet and laid them on the bed for him. He came out of the bathroom drying his head with a towel.
    â€œThat was quick.” She couldn’t help but acknowledge the rare three minute shower.
    â€œI have an early procedure.”
    Angelina knew she had to be careful about how she stepped into the next mine field. “Early procedures, late procedures. I never know when I can expect you to be home.”
    He stopped for a few seconds and looked at her like she’d cursed at him.
    â€œI mean, I’m trying to set something up. I called Dr. Luke yesterday. I think we should talk to him about trying again.”
    Greg shook his head, picked up the underwear, and began to dress. Angelina noticed the angry vein pop out in the center of his forehead, the one that always presented itself when she bought up a topic he didn’t want to discuss.
    â€œI don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.” Greg looked her in the eyes. “As a matter of fact, I’m sure I’m not ready.”
    Angelina felt like she’d sucked in a room full of bad air. He wasn’t ready. This wasn’t the right time for the conversation, but they were here. He’d put his thoughts out there, and waiting to hear all that was on his mind was not an option. So with fear clenching her stomach with the grip of a vice, she pressed on. “It’s been two years. I’m not getting any younger. Neither are you. If we’re going to have children—”
    Greg threw up a hand and silenced her. He seemed to be measuring his words. “Maybe we shouldn’t. I mean, maybe we should leave it the way it is with us.”
    He couldn’t have shocked her more if he’d punched her in the face. Not have children? Where had this come from? “You wanted children, Greg. You wanted—”
    â€œI wanted our Danielle, but now she’s gone, so I don’t know that I can really put my heart back out there to do this again. ”He picked up his towel and ran it over his damp hair like he was talking about the weather or sports.
    â€œWe can’t give up on everything we