Chapter 22 – Skylar #2
He rolls his dark eyes at me. “Yes. I haven’t had time to buy a lot of furniture, and when I sold my place in LA, I sold it furnished. It’s weird living here. I grew up in this townhouse. Maybe that’s why I’m having trouble furnishing it.”
“I get that,” Crew agrees. “I haven’t bought much for my place yet either.”
“You would if you’d let me take you shopping for stuff,” Quinn bites out at her twin.
“We should all go furniture shopping then. It’ll be fun.”
Hayes tilts his head at me. “What’s up with you? You seem… off.”
I am off. And after Aston and I told Zoey that we were wearing rings because we’re special friends who care a lot about each other, she was like a different kid.
Curious and not quite getting it, but happy to hear that I was going to be living with them for a while.
We didn’t use the term “married,” but she’ll hear it sooner or later, and I know Aston is worried about that and the implications of it for her.
Braelyn is keeping her face in her sub, taking a massive bite and washing it down with her soda, since this is Forest’s place, and we never drink here with him since he’s sober.
“You know something,” Roman accuses her, staring down his best friend, trying to read her, which he’s insanely good at. It’s likely what makes him unstoppable as a boxer. Or an underground street fighter. Whatever you want to call what he does as a side gig.
“Ha! You’re crazy,” she garbles around her bite. “I know nothing, Jon Snow.”
“You just misquoted Game of Thrones,” he tells her. “That means you do.”
I sigh. Might as well rip the Band-Aid off. I already did it twice this weekend, first with my mother and then with my father when he called me last night. That was a fun conversation. And yes, that’s sarcasm.
“I married Aston on Friday.” For some reason, that’s easier to lead with than that I’m pregnant.
Everyone gapes at me, eyes wide, shock all over the damn place.
“Umm…” Quinn trails off, twirling her reddish-brown hair around her fingers. “Did you say you married him? Were you trashed? Is this like a Vegas thing? Like what Mason and Sorel did?”
“No. It wasn’t like that. It was here in Boston.”
She’s flabbergasted. Everyone is. “How? Why?” She shakes her head, at a total loss.
“Wait.” Hayes comes over and sits beside me.
“You married Aston? As in married him, married him? You’re serious?
” He yanks my left hand onto his lap. I’m still wearing the diamond, but tonight it’s going back in the box.
“Shit, Skylar. What the actual fuck?” He holds up my left hand for everyone to see.
“That’s a fucking rock he put on you.” Roman blinks at me. “This is fucked up. What’s going on?”
“She had to marry him,” Braelyn chimes in.
“She’s pregnant with douchebag Josh’s baby, which said douchebag doesn’t know about yet, but she’s scared to tell him and scared of his reaction for reasons we all know.
She and Aston struck a deal since they’re already temporarily living together.
She’ll help out with Zoey, and Dr. McBroody will help her with Josh. ”
I snort. “Please don’t turn my life into a Grey’s Anatomy episode. I can’t handle more drama.”
She holds up her hand. “Fine, but I still feel like we need a nickname for Aston. I was torn between broody and hot but couldn’t think how to combine them in a way that worked.”
“Fair. We’ll think about it.” Because asshole doesn’t quite fit him anymore, even if part of me wishes it still did.
“Stop with the girl crap,” Crew barks, climbing up onto his knees since his massive frame is sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table while he eats.
“Reverse and explain all of this. In detail.” His features soften, and he glances down at my still flat stomach. “Sky, you’re pregnant? For real?”
Hayes shifts beside me so he can stare me down, holding my hand, and I take that comfort and rest my head on his shoulder. “Yes. I found out last week and have an OB appointment scheduled for this Thursday and an ultrasound in a few weeks.”
“Why didn’t you come to us first?” Hayes questions, hurt in his voice. “We would have helped you with this. With Josh. Hell, I would have married you if you felt that’s what you needed.”
“Same,” Crew agrees.
“And we would have been there during it,” Roman states.
Forest has his head in his hands. My guys are a mess.
They feel like they let me down. When I finally told them about what Josh had been like, they were similar to how they are now.
It broke them that I kept so much from them, but this is different.
“I know you all would have been, and I love you for it. I didn’t really plan on the whole marriage thing.
Then again, I didn’t exactly plan to be pregnant either.
Braelyn did the test after I randomly threw up and realized I had missed my period, and Aston came home and found me crying about it on the sofa.
It went from there. Zoey needs more stability at home, someone she can be close with, and I… ”
“You need a buffer from Josh.” Forest stands up and paces toward the window. “He doesn’t know yet? About any of this?”
“No,” I tell him, and he nods, keeping his back to me, his hands going to the top of his head.
“I still wish you had gotten a restraining order against him.”
“I couldn’t without everyone knowing what happened and having to leave my job, and I love my job. It’s one of the top ICUs in the country, if not the world.”
“Are you going to tell him?” Quinn asks, coming to my other side and taking my other hand.
“I haven’t decided yet. Regardless, the marriage needs to look legit. Like Aston and I are actually in love.”
“And the baby as his?” Hayes questions.
“Aston said he would do that if I wanted. I can’t ask for that, though. The more lies we tell, the worse it’ll be. For now, I’ll let people assume what they want without confirming.”
“Dude, you’re married to Aston Hughes.” Quinn hiccups out a laugh before she slaps a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m not making light of what you’re going through, but Aston Hughes!” she exclaims, fanning her face. “He’s sexy as hell.”
“I know, right?” Braelyn jumps in. “So hot. You should have seen him in his suit at the wedding. Damn.”
“It’s not like that with us.” I shake my head, trying not to smile at the accuracy of this description. “Can we focus, please? Aston’s looks are not why I wanted you all here.”
“No, you wanted us here because you got married without telling us, and now you need our help to convince Josh and the world that it’s real and not completely insane,” Crew says, his usual bluntness softened by the affection in his voice.
“It’s not insane,” I protest weakly. “It’s... an arrangement.”
Six pairs of eyes stare back at me with identical expressions of disbelief.
“Fine.” I sigh. “It’s a little insane. But it makes sense for both of us.
He needs help with Zoey, who’s still struggling after losing her mom.
I need Josh to back off, and hopefully, being married is more effective than a restraining order.
And it’s temporary. Once things settle down, we’ll get a divorce and move on. ”
“Except you’ll have a kid. Josh’s kid.”
I shrug at Hayes. “Not much I can do on the parentage other than possibly lie. Or go through the courts.”
Roman leans forward, his fierce no one fucks with my people demeanor on full display. “Skylar, we’re all worried about Josh. What he did to you—”
“Was abuse,” Hayes finishes, his jaw tightening. “The man is a textbook narcissist and treated you like shit.”
I stare down at my hands still being held by theirs, hating the way my chest constricts at the mention of my ex. “I know. That’s why I left. That’s why I’m not telling him about the baby. At least not yet. Maybe not ever unless I have to.”
“Good,” Quinn says fiercely. “He doesn’t deserve to know. And if he tries anything—”
“I’ll kill him,” Roman states bluntly.
“I believe that, which is why I’ll handle it.”
“Or Aston will,” Braelyn quips. “That’s part of the deal.”
Forest turns, his eyebrows at his hairline. “Part of the deal? So, Aston’s your personal bodyguard now? I thought you hated him. Just how close are the two of you?”
I hitch a shoulder and find my knotted fingers on my lap. “I wouldn’t call us close. We can barely stand each other.”
“Skylar Fritz Davenport!” Quinn demands. “You little slut.” She nudges my arm. “Your voice squeaked, which means you’re lying. Did you fuck your new husband?”
“What? No!” Except my face flames, and yeah, I squeaked again. I clear my throat and work to even my tone. “Nothing like that. He just… he’s helping me out.”
“Oh yeah? I bet he is. How much is he helping out?” Crew quirks an eyebrow at me.
“You’re totally fucking him.” Hayes sighs. “You have your I did something scandalous face.”
“I don’t have a scandalous face. What even is that?”
He points at me. “That. That face. Ninety-nine percent of the time you’re this sweet, good girl. But that one percent…” He trails off.
“You can lie all you want, but you forget I saw the kiss,” Braelyn reminds me.
“Oh, the kiss!” Quinn is all over that. “Wait! Did he make you come?”
The room falls silent.
“Yes,” I say in a low voice. “But before you all start getting excited or freaking out on me, he was a jerk after. He knew no one had ever… done that to me before, and he made it his mission, and he said things. He filled my head with bullshit, and I fell for it because I was stupid and vulnerable and I’m freaking pregnant!
It’s likely pregnancy hormones that did that to me and not him. ”
“Shit. I don’t know whether to thank him or kick his ass.” Hayes wraps his arm around me, and I sink into him. Into these people and this circle of friends and family.
“We’re getting off track,” I say, trying to steer us away from this. I don’t want to talk about it. “It was a one-time thing and won’t happen again. We’ve already agreed to that. So, let’s move past it. I have a complicated enough life right now without adding screwing my fake husband to the list.”
“Fair,” Roman agrees.
“Yes, but orgasms.” Braelyn simpers. “Right? I mean, you finally had one. That’s pretty big, Sky.”
“Woohoo. Go me.” I twirl my finger around in the air. “I’m a real girl,” I cry, doing a horrible impression of Pinocchio’s voice.
She rolls her eyes at me and tosses the throw pillow she was resting against at me, and I throw it right back at her.
“All joking aside,” Quinn says, her voice gentle, “we’re here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. If this arrangement with Aston is what works for you both, then we support it.”
“And if Josh gives you any trouble,” Crew adds, his expression hardening, “you’ll tell us.”
“And we’ll take care of him,” Roman follows up.
“The same goes for the pregnancy,” Hayes throws in. “We’ve got you. Always. You’re not alone. You’ve got us, and we’re your family.”
“Thank you. That means the world to me.” Let’s just hope I don’t need it.