Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
EMELIA
Having dinner at Roscoe’s is… wonderfully normal. Salem the cat winds around our feet while we eat, begging for attention. After we devour the amazing meal, we sit down at the table together and work through all the details.
I have some time left on my lease, another month and a half. That’s a good point for me to move out of my place and into Roscoe’s house. I’ve already talked to Arin, and they understand why I need to do this—why it’s the right move for me and the baby.
“Going all in, huh?” they’d said, one brow lifted.
I shrugged. “All or nothing, I guess.”
Roscoe plans to remove everything of Jason’s and give it back to him in a box so we can use his room for the nursery.
That’s going to be weird beyond reason, I know.
I am not excited about the moment we have to come clean, and I’m not looking forward to the rest of my life having to be his… what, stepmom?
Horrifying, actually, when I think of it like that. So, instead, I won’t. Jason is just an unfortunate appendage to making a life with Roscoe.
Then there’s the matter of telling, well, everyone else. My parents. My older sister, Natalie. God, she’s going to judge me so hard, I can feel it from across the country. My friends will probably be the easiest to sell on it.
Not like anyone has a choice in the matter. This is my life, my decision.
“My parents are both out of the picture, if that helps,” Roscoe says after I’ve unloaded my long list of players. “Nobody to disapprove from my end, except maybe my brother.” He shrugs. “Rory usually stays out of my business, though. He’s too busy with his own life.”
Wish I could say the same for my family.
My parents are pretty easygoing people, still married and happy after whatever number of years, but they’re not going to take it well.
Sure, they didn’t much care for Jason, but they won’t be happy to learn that I’m having a surprise baby with a man almost twice my age who happens to be Jason’s father.
Oh well.
“They’re going to ask the question,” I warn him as we finish cleaning the dishes together.
“What question?”
“The ‘M’ question.”
He cocks his head as he dries the pan. “Oh, getting married?”
I nod but don’t speak, because I didn’t want to broach it myself. I don’t even know if I’m ready for that yet, but I’m certain my parents will pressure me to do it. If they can get past the “I’m having a surprise baby” part.
“Well, I guess it depends.” He sets down the pan. “I would say, let’s not rush into anything, but we are kind of gunning it already.”
“Yeah. That train left the station.”
“We should wait a couple of months. Make sure that you living here is going to work out. Get used to each other.”
That’s all pretty reasonable. Hopefully my folks will see it that way.
“Great.” I turn off the faucet. “Does this mean we’ve done the hard stuff and we can go to bed now?”
I think my question genuinely takes Roscoe by surprise, because his answering grin is big and unguarded.
“Definitely.”
That night, we have sex for hours, and he knots me not once, but twice, until I think I might not be able to walk tomorrow. Then Roscoe lends me a book and we both read for a while before turning out the light.
I could get used to this.
My friends are first on the list, because they’re the easiest. Practice, I’m telling myself.
First, I tell the Kims while we’re at work. Kimmy’s snakes all rear back and hiss at the same time.
“What?” she demands, dragging us all into the copier room and shutting the door. “You fucked Jason’s dad? And then got pregnant?”
Despite the door, I’m sure half the office can hear her.
“Shh,” I whisper. “And also, yes. I’m moving in with him in December.”
“No fucking way,” mutters Kim. “Is this a prank? Are you playing a prank on us?”
I shake my head. “Can’t fake the puking, unfortunately.”
In the end, they both give me congratulations.
“I mean, he seems like a great guy,” Kimmy is forced to admit. “Definitely better than Jason.”
“He’s really something special. Truly. And, uh…” I rub the back of my head. “He’s also a werewolf.”
They both stare at me.
“Well, then,” Kimmy says haughtily. “Can’t be all bad.”
Becks and Harry have very different reactions. We meet up at Elroy’s, and they’re both perplexed when I just order a water. The moment I tell them the Cliff’s Notes version, they both lean in.
“How did it happen?” Becks asks. “I saw you dancing and wondered if that might… you know.”
“You two were pretty chummy,” Harry agrees.
I explain in what is probably far too much detail exactly how things went down. Their mouths fall open when I tell them about how I left that morning, certain I’d never see him again.
“Damn, Dad doesn’t play around,” Harry says. “Harsh.”
I’m agreeing with him when I notice a familiar head of dark hair. And a familiar pair of shoulders.
Shit, it’s Jason sitting at the bartop.
I lean forward to whisper to my friends that he’s here, when I accidentally knock over my water with my elbow. It splashes everywhere, causing Becks to yelp with surprise and leap out of her chair as it hits her. Every head in the bar turns toward us, which of course, includes Jason.
Great.
Martin runs toward us with towels to help mop up, and Becks heads to the bathroom to try to save her shirt with the hand dryer. I’m the one who spilled it, and I didn’t get a drop on me.
“Em,” I hear Jason’s smooth voice say over my shoulder as I try to clean off the table. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
Why is he even talking to me?
“No kidding.” I turn around and put some space between us. “Probably because you never called or texted me.”
“I’m sorry about all that.” He looks, for the first time, like he might be ashamed. “I don’t know what was in my head. I’ve been waiting for you to show up to Elroy’s so I could try to apologize to you in person.”
This is the absolute last thing I need right now.
“Apology not necessary,” I say, handing the wet towels back to Martin.
“Yeah, it is necessary. I was a major fucking asshole.” When I still am not paying attention to him, Jason grabs my arm.
Instinctively, I rip it away, glaring at him.
“You were an asshole. Still are, I guess.”
“I’m sorry, Em,” he says, though he looks more angry than sad. “I really am. I can’t believe I threw away four of the best years of my life. I… I want to try again with you.”
I feel like I’m in some kind of weird nightmare. Is Jason really trying to apologize? To get back together with me?
I can’t help but laugh. I laugh and laugh, and Jason is staring at me like I have an extra pair of eyes.
“You can’t be for real,” I say. “Months of silence, and now you’re saying it was the best four years of your life? Well, it was probably the worst four years of my life.”
I don’t know where this is coming from, but right now, I don’t give a shit about Jason. I couldn’t care less what he thinks, what he wants, what he was doing that night on speakerphone. He gave me something I could never have dreamed of by standing me up.
“That’s not true,” Jason says, affronted. “You were in love with me.”
“Not really.” That’s why I didn’t care as much as I should have when he was off doing his own thing. “I don’t think I was ever in love with you. Not with how you treated me.”
The bar is quiet as everyone watches this unfold. Martin returns with a new glass of water, and Jason’s eyes track it.
“Not drinking?” he asks in a dangerous tone. “Unusual for you.”
Fuck. I did not want to do this now, especially not without Roscoe here. I really should delay it, wait for a moment when we can tell him together.
“None of your business. Are we done yet?”
“Really?” Now Jason is getting madder. “You’re just going to turn your back on me, after all the time we spent together?”
“Yes, I am. I have something else now.” I know I shouldn’t goad him, but god, it feels good to watch his face like he doesn’t understand the words I’m saying. I’m insulted by how baffled he looks, as if I could never find someone else besides him.
“What? With who?”
Harry and Becks both suck in a breath. Jason looks at them, then back at me, his brows lowering.
“With who, Em?” he repeats.
Not that it’s any of his business, but I want this to be over. He needs to know exactly where he stands with me.
I clench my fists as I say, “With your dad.”
Nobody in the bar says a single word. Jason searches my face like he’s waiting for the joke, but then he doesn’t see it. No, his eyes widen and his mouth falls open.
“And you’re drinking water because…”
I shrug. “Do I have to spell it out?”
He jerks back as if he’s been hit with a whip. I could almost laugh at the look on his face, horrified and bewildered all at once.
“That party where you never showed up,” I say, taking a step toward him. He takes a matching one back. “Guess who was there for me? Who supported me when you were fucking around with other people?”
“No way.” He shakes his head furiously. “You’re my girlfriend. What the fuck?”
“I’m not your girlfriend.” I scoot my chair back in, waving a hand at him. “Are you done yet?”
“Of course I’m not done!” Jason bellows.
Martin runs out from behind the bar, poised to act as Jason’s voice rises.
“You’re fucking my dad! And what, having his kid, too?
This can’t be my life.” He stumbles back, rubbing his hand over his face.
“I can’t fucking believe you. You disgust me, both of you. ”
“You need to leave,” Martin says, approaching him calmly. “Right now.”
Jason looks ready to punch him. “Fine,” he snaps. “I’ll go. I don’t care about this stupid fucking bar anyway.”
Then he storms out.
Shit. That is not at all how I intended this to go. I hope Roscoe doesn’t change his mind about me when I tell him what I said here.
Becks and Harry slap me on the back as they take their seats, too.
“Didn’t think you had that in you,” Harry says proudly.
“Me, neither.” I’m aghast and ashamed of myself, but strangely… it feels good. Like I did something I’ve needed to do for a long time.
That night, I tell Roscoe exactly what happened, word for word. He sighs as I talk, and I’m sure that he’s deeply disapproving of how I handled the situation.
“I’m sorry,” I say at the end. “I know I should have been the adult, but—”
“You had every right to do what you did. I’m glad you put him in his place.” He shaved recently, which is an interesting development. It shows off his chiseled jaw even more. “It’ll make our next family get-together a little… interesting, but it had to come out one way or another.”
He pulls my chair closer and slings his arm across my shoulders, kissing my cheek.
“You’re not mad?” I ask.
“At you? No. At him? Absolutely. Grabbing you in a bar is inexcusable. I’m glad you taught him a lesson that I clearly didn’t.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself. Jason is his own person.” I take Roscoe’s hand and guide it down to my belly. “Just like this will be a person someday with their own thoughts and feelings. But you have to love them anyway, and you love Jason, don’t you?”
Roscoe exhales. “Yeah. I do. I love that damned kid.”
“I know.”