51. The reveal
51
THE REVEAL
Ivor
Oh Gods, why? I adored Toby, but like a lot of kids, he repeated what he’d heard or seen without being aware of the consequences or what it meant. One of my classmates at elementary school had told the teacher how he discovered his mom and dad ‘fighting’ naked on the bed and how painful it must have been as they were both moaning.
My first thought when I arrived home from the office was that I was skipping Friday night on the roof. I’d make up some excuse about work. But Daire was aware I’d been ill and he’d pester me about seeing a doctor if I didn’t turn up.
Archer and Neil had come up with a scheme they called ‘Pass the plate’ where we’d exchange plates to make it appear that I’d been eating instead of merely nibbling on a hot dog bun. My beer could be tipped into Daire’s garden beds, hoping it didn’t kill his plants.
But all of that was for nothing when Toby blurted out about my baby.
Micah had been concentrating on his phone but he lifted his head and asked, “Baby?” when he glanced at Archer and my fellow wolf shifter hook his head.
“Ivor’s baby?” Daire asked. “Is that why you’ve been sick?”
But my gaze was fixed on Ryder who’d been at the opposite end of the roof near Martin. He pushed past everyone and our friends made way for him. “Is this true? You’re pregnant.”
“Ryder not now,” I hissed which was a stupid thing to say. The news was out but I’d wanted to tell him in my own time when we were alone. Not when fucking Kellan and his small baby bump were here, and the guy was rubbernecking. “This isn’t the time and place.”
“No. You don’t get to do that because there are people here.” He jerked his head at Kellan who put a protective hand on his belly. “I need to hear it from you.”
Tears flowed over my cheeks and Martin handed me a paper napkin. This was my baby, and Kellan and his baby were here. Even though I’d tried convincing everyone at Sunshine Manor that Ryder hadn’t cheated, I imagined them wondering if Ryder had gotten us both pregnant.
“Yes, I’m pregnant,” I shouted. “Are you happy? The whole neighborhood knows.”
Ryder stood completely still. He didn’t even blink and when he finally spoke, he told me, “Should you be drinking beer?”
“Definitely not,” Kellan piped up. Ryder glowered at him and Seb shook his head and said, “Remember what we talked about?”
“Right. Be nice,” he grimaced. “I’ll try, but he’s putting the baby at risk by drinking alcohol.”
“Shut your face, Kellan. I haven’t been drinking. I tipped it into the jasmine.”
“What?” Daire tugged at his hair and rushed over to the bushes. “Are you okay, my babies?”
If Kellan hadn’t been pregnant, I would have thrown the beer in his face. But I was the better person. Or that’s what I told myself. In reality, I wanted to toss him to the floor and wrestle.
“Stay out of this, Kellan,” Ryder told him. “This is between me and Ivor. And what the fuck are you doing here? Didn’t Daire warn you to stay away from the manor?”
There was no need to imagine me attacking Kellan because the steel in Ryder’s voice registered as shock on his ex’s face. He turned to me and said, “Thank you, Ivor. I wanted to hear it from you, not the kid.”
“Hey,” the boy grumbled as he held Patch. “Don’t call me that.”
“Sorry, Toby.”
Ryder approached me as Micah muttered to Archer, “Something’s wrong. I know it. And why would they message me on Friday night when I can’t get hold of them until Monday morning.”
Archer hitched Elune higher on his hip as she tugged at his hair. “If it was bad news, I’m sure they would have phoned.” He and Neil shared a glance and Neil took the baby from him. Micah slumped onto a bench and bent over. “I knew it.”
“You don’t know anything. Look at Elune. She’s fine.” Neil had plucked a flower from a bush and the baby was sniffing it and giggling. Poor Daire was already worried about his babies and no one was supposed to cut them except him. And plucking flowers was a big no no.
Seb cleared his throat. “I realize this is lousy timing and you all have a lot going on, but I brought Kellan here for a reason.”
Ryder moved closer so he was between me and Kellan, blocking my direct view of his ex. “You should leave. Both of you.”
But it was Kellen who spoke up. “I came to apologize.”
“But late for that,” I snarked. I really wanted to sit because the lack of food combined with emotional turmoil left me lightheaded but didn’t want to appear as though I was reacting to Kellan being here. Refused to give him the satisfaction.
“To everyone,” Kellan continued and I peered around Ryder making sure my gaze was fixed on that asswipe as he spoke. “But especially to Ryder… and Ivor.” Gods, he choked out my name and the expression on his face was similar to him being given a dose of nasty medicine. “I lied.”
A hush fell over the roof. Daire ignored his plants and stood. Micah looked up from his phone. Even Patch was quiet.
“The baby isn’t Ryder’s and he didn’t cheat on Ivor.” He paused and sneered at me. “Well, as far as I know.”
“Fuck you.” Ryder took a step toward his ex but I pulled him back. The last thing I wanted was for him to have an argument with a pregnant Kellan.
Kellan rubbed his bump and gave Ryder a come hither look. “And you did. Many times. Said I was the best you ever had.”
Seb ran a hand through his hair and growled, “Kellan.”
“You said what you came to say, now piss off.” I needed a long hot shower after listening to him. And maybe antibiotics.
“The alpha dad took off and I have to raise the baby alone.” He was talking to Ryder. No one else. “And when I looked at you and Ivor and how happy you were, I was jealous because I didn’t have that, and you wanted him and not me.”
Ryder put an arm around me. “The damage you caused has left scars that will never fade Kellan. You broke us. But even though Ivor and I aren’t together, I will love him until the end of my days. And that’s something you can’t steal.”
Daire came over. “You’ve said what you came to say, Kellan. Seb, take him away.”
The pair left with Kellan mouthing to Ryder over his shoulder, “I’m sorry.”
Now that they had left, everyone’s attention turned to me. “Congratulations. A baby,” Martin observed.
“That’s why you were so sick,” Daire noted. “I should have guessed.”
Archer sat beside Micah and put his head on his mate’s shoulder as Toby whispered to Patch, “Another Sunshine Manor baby.”
But it was Ryder who had my attention. “We’re going to have a baby, Ivor. Surely this changes everything.”
Ryder’s scent, the smell of charred beef on the grill as Martin flipped the burgers, the aroma of jasmine floating off Neil and Elune and even Patch’s unwashed dog stink combined to make a heady perfume. And Ryder being so close. Closer than we’d been since the breakup. The scent I loved. The fragrances clogged my nostrils and I put a hand on Ryder’s chest to steady myself.
“Ivor.” There was more than a hint of panic in his voice.
“Ivor, sit.” Archer was at my side and he and Ryder led me to the bench.
“I’m fine,” I protested even though I was clearly not.
A glass of water was placed in my hand. “Tiny sips,” Neil instructed.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Ryder asked.
“Not telling you. I was going to but?—”
“Doesn’t matter. I know now.” He grinned. “We have Toby to thank for that.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder. This didn’t change things between me and him. Yeah, I was carrying his baby but Kellan’s apology didn’t make a difference to our relationship. We knew he’d lied, he’d just put the truth into the open. But knowing Kellan, he’d be back, stirring up trouble.
“I need to go home.” I got up, a little too quickly and Ryder steadied me.
The darkness of the night sky changed from black to blue black and it closed in. The bright lights on the roof blurred as did my friend’s faces and their voices. And when my vision was reduced to a tiny pinprick of light, the darkness took over.