P.S. You're Intolerable (The Harder They Fall, #3)

by Julia Wolf

“You shouldn’t offer sympathy to those who don’t deserve it, Catherine. That isn’t a trait that will take you far in life.”

If I were alone, I would have said fuck it and walked back to the office. Since the last thing I wanted to do was send Catherine into early labor, we’d stay here, where the seats were soft and cushioned and there was no chance of a squalling infant making an appearance.

I had never felt so alone in my life—and I’d grown up with a lifetime of loneliness. This, though…this was different. It was bone-deep, panic-inducing, soul-rending loneliness. My fight fled me, flowing from my heart and exiting from the tips of my shaking fingers. There was no giving up, but I wished I could have.

We’d make it. There was no other choice.

“What are you looking at?” Elise swiveled in the direction I was staring. “Oh! Is that Catherine?” “It is,” I confirmed warily. Like dominoes, one by one, every person at our table craned their neck to see her. As though she knew she was being watched, Catherine turned toward us. When she landed on me, her eyes widened in outright alarm. Elise raised her hand, beckoning her over. “Hi, Catherine!” When our mother died, I’d dropped out of Stanford so I could return home and become Elise’s guardian, and I’d never once regretted it until now. If Elise had had to tough it out in a group home or something, she wouldn’t have been so goddamn friendly.

“So, I have to ask the question I know everyone is dying to know,” Miles stated. I kept my focus on my omelet. “Do you really have to?” “I do.” I raised my eyes to meet his. “Then tell me, Miles, what is everyone dying to know?” His mouth slid into a lazy smirk. “Tell us the truth, Elliot. Is the baby yours or what?” Groaning, my head fell forward. Miles had better hope we didn’t run into a mountain lion on this hike. I’d offer him up for lunch without even thinking twice.

Elliot Levy was touching my belly to feel my baby kick with the kind of terrified astonishment her father should have had for her. “Is this always going on inside you?” he asked, never taking his eyes off my bump.

“There.” She pulled back, her hands on my shoulders. “Come to me for hugs. Don’t go searching for human contact from inappropriate sources.”

“Personally, I’m into messy—but not the kind of messy that comes from getting overly involved with the man signing my check.”

👏🏻👏🏻 this

Happy wife, happy life. The old adage seemed to be holding true in Luca’s case. “The most valid reason you’ve given for being late,” Weston said. “Damn straight.” Luca chuckled. “And it’s why Elliot’s always on time everywhere.”

It be your own people 😭

“Ten hours of labor.” Raymond took off his glasses and wiped them on his tie. “By the end, I was asking her to share her epidural with me. That experience was not for the faint of heart.”

😭😭

I love him so much

So you’re aware, I’m seconds away from firing Daniel. He shakes when I speak to him. It’s untenable. I need an assistant, not a leaf.

😭 and he’s funny

Everything was fine. My world definitely wasn’t crumbling around me. If I kept thinking that, maybe it would be true.

So many words wasted when he could have led with this.

🤣🤣🤣

My first step made me hiss with pain, but I kept going. If I stopped, I might not have been able to convince myself to start again.

Babies weren’t my thing. I’d never paid attention to them before now. But this one struck me as exceptionally pretty and sweet.

When I turned it on, it rocked slowly from side to side. Seemed like a nice place for a baby to sleep.

Catherine will always make sure her baby is set 🥺 even when everything is crumbling

“Elliot?” Catherine’s croak wasn’t very audible, but I’d heard, glancing back at her over my shoulder. “Yes?” She ran her index finger along Jo’s cheek. “It has floors.” “What does?” Her tired eyes flicked to mine. “Joey’s room has floors.”

Hell yeah it does

“Where are the plates so I can set the table?” The scowl he gave me was vicious enough to make a grown man cry. “Go sit down. I don’t need help.”

You don’t have to tell me twice 💋

“You’re good at holding babies. Have you been around many?” “This is my first one.” He dragged his fingertip along her cheek. “I did some reading on the subject.”

He’s just like me fr

“No. He’s definitely not my friend anymore.” I lifted my shoulder. “It’s a lesson learned. I won’t ever depend on other people.” “That’s a shitty lesson.”

Elliot made a hasty exit without a backward glance. Poor guy had obviously never seen a leaky boob. Then again, neither had I before Joey.

I know he’s about to research this too 😭

Once again, I’d gone too far. Took a hammer to a situation that required velvet gloves.

My muscles tensed, bracing for impact. An instinctive response from long ago when I had to be prepared for my mother’s extreme highs and rock-bottom lows.

:(

“She tried to slip me her number before I tossed her out. As if I’d have any interest in someone who showed no respect for you.”

Awww

“Can I hug you?” I asked. “If you feel like you have to.” He opened his arms wide. “Make it quick.”

“You’re right. It’s really difficult to open the door after my first village let me down.”

“I’m a planner, not an implementer.

“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”