31. A United Front
THIRTY-ONE
A UNITED FRONT
Lach
I can’t move. Fifty-ton concrete blocks are strapped to my feet. She’s pregnant. I’m going to be a dad. Diaper changes. Late-night feedings. This isn’t something I ever expected to happen. It certainly wasn’t planned. Oddly enough, I don’t have the urge to flee. I’m more excited than apprehensive, maybe because it’s with Eve.
“Shit, that came out wrong.”
Eve’s voice yanks me back to reality.
“You’re not the father.”
All the previous hope and excitement plummets off a cliff. I rear back, needing space between us.
Her eyes widen in terror. “Oh god, I’m ruining this.” She pauses, pressing her lips together. “I’m pregnant. And I got pregnant before I met you. It’s my ex-boyfriend’s.”
Fuck. She said words, but I’m still fully digesting them. “The married boss?”
She nods slowly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
She’s pregnant with her ex’s baby. What does that mean for us? “Are you getting back together with him?”
“Hell no. There is no chance Pax and I will ever be a thing again. I haven’t even told him yet.” Her gaze drops to the floor, and she wrings her fingers together. “I know this isn’t what you signed up for. Hell, it isn’t what I signed up for.” Slowly, her chin lifts, and her eyes connect with mine. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. I know this is a lot, and this baby isn’t your responsibility, so I want to give you an out. A clean break. No judgment.”
Do I abandon the woman who’s become my anchor, the only person who truly sees me, or do I stay and give her everything she needs, knowing I need her just as desperately? The silence of the decision weighs heavily. It’s obvious there’s only one choice. I grab her hand, running my fingers over her soft ones. Tears well in the corners of her bright hazel eyes as she looks up, meeting my gaze. I raise my other hand and cup her cheek. A lone tear tracks down her cheek, and I brush it away with my thumb.
“What if… I don’t want an out?” Her eyes drift closed, and she leans into my palm. “I’m not going anywhere. I need you just as much as the baby needs you. My life would be nothing without you in it. It has been nothing without you.”
Tears roll down her cheeks like an open faucet, and I wipe them away with my fingers. “I need you too, Lach. I need you so much,” she whispers, her voice trembling with desperation. She throws her arms around my neck and buries her head against my chest.
I wrap one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder. My fingertips brush over her silky strands. “We got this, Sunflower. We got this.” I press a kiss to the top of her head and just hold her in my arms, giving her all the comfort because I finally found my place in the world. With a finger under her chin, I force her to meet my gaze. “I want to be with you, no matter the circumstances.”
Her mouth curves into a smile, her body shaking with quiet hiccups as she dries her tears. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“I could ask the same.” My palms rest against her cheeks. She releases a deep exhale, and her shoulders drop. I thought we were in a good spot. How many more truth bombs does she have left to drop?
“Alright, so not only do we have to tell Jake we’re seeing each other, but I also have to tell him I’m pregnant with my ex-boyfriend’s baby. Should we dump it on him all at once? Or sprinkle it on him in tiny doses? Technically, it would be two sprinkles.”
If I would have just told Jake about me and Eve, we would only be in half this situation.
“I’m really thinking this should be a tag-team effort now. A united front.”
I nod. “I agree. You got my back. I got yours.”
“Always. The next question is when? Because there will come a time when I won’t be able to conceal anything under a baggy t-shirt.” She rests a hand on her flat belly.
If she didn’t say anything, I would have never known she was pregnant. She’s going to be an amazing mom. Her patience at the bar far exceeds mine. There isn’t anywhere else, besides by her side, that I’d rather be.
She slides her hand down my arm, drawing my attention. “We still have a few hours alone.” She jerks her head toward her room.
“You don’t need to tell me twice.”
I lean against the headboard, the blanket draped over my waist, and I have Eve tucked against my side, her head resting against my stomach. I’m still half comatose from the orgasm. Sex with Eve is like a fine wine. It gets better the longer we’re together. Is what we’re doing reckless? Absofuckinglutely. Right now, I have no desire to leave her bed. She has a door. The basement doesn’t. I’ll sneak out in the morning, but in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy having her warm body snuggled against mine. It’s something we rarely get, but hopefully, that will change. First, I need to get a few things in order. As Eve softly snores, I grab my phone and pull up the web browser. With one hand, since Eve currently holds my other captive, I type on my phone and scroll through several pages before blonde hair tickles my side.
Eve groans before peering up at me. “What are you doing? And why are you still awake?” Her warm breath skates across my bare skin.
“Looking for jobs.”
Her brows pinch together. “Why?”
“I’m preparing for the aftermath of when we tell Jake about us.”
Eve sits up, stifling a yawn. She leans against the headboard next to me, linking her arm with mine and resting her head against my shoulder. “You think he’s going to fire you?”
I want this all the time. Snuggled in bed with Eve next to me. Not this sneaking-around, teenager bullshit. I only have myself to blame when I’ve had many opportunities to tell Jake but failed. Miserably. “It’s a possibility. I’ll definitely have to search for a new place to live sooner rather than later. That’s next on my agenda.”
“You’re his best friend. He’s not going to fire you.”
I set my phone down on the bed next to me. “Yeah, I’m not confident he won’t.”
“Look, I know he’s going to be a little angry.” I raise an eyebrow. She huffs. “Maybe a lot angry. But there’s no way he’s going to fire you. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I appreciate you looking out for me.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. The coconut scent of her shampoo is the only thing comforting to me. “I should have told Jake about us weeks ago.”
“I could have easily told him too. He means a lot to both of us, and neither of us wants to hurt him.”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.”
“What kind of apartment are you looking for?”
“I don’t know. Dessa once mentioned there are some nice two-bedroom townhomes in her neighborhood that even include a yard.”
Eve’s body tenses next to me. “Why do you need two bedrooms and a yard?”
I glance down at her, and she meets my gaze. Curiosity swirls in her irises. “Because if we’re doing this, I want to do it right.”
All the color drains from her face. “You want me to move in with you?”
Never in my life have I lived with a woman. I’ve always liked my space, but deep in my gut, this feels right. Not only would I get to spend all my nights falling asleep next to her, but I can be there and take care of her and the baby. And that feels right. I know what it’s like to grow up without parents. To not have a stable home. If I can help it, I want to make sure Eve’s baby doesn’t have to endure half of that. “Only if you want to. Unless you have your heart set on living with Jake, but I want to give you options.”
She taps her chin. Cold air rushes under the blanket as she lifts the corner to straddle my lap. Her fingers run up my chest and over my shoulders. “Live with my ultra-grumpy brother or with his amazing, smart, incredibly sexy best friend? How will I ever decide?”
I slide my hands around her back, holding her in place. “I have a way for you to decide.” Her fingers comb through my hair. I love her hands on me. It doesn’t matter where. Her touch sparks hope inside me.
“What’s that?”
“One orgasm for no and two orgasms for yes.”
She throws her head back in laughter. “How can I argue with that decision-making?”
“Exactly.” I slide my hand up to the back of her head. I lift my chin and press my lips to hers.
I woke up at 6 a.m. and sneaked out of Eve’s room. I hated leaving her and her warm, naked body pressed against mine. But Jake would have surely caught us if I didn’t leave. Of course, I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I sat in bed and sketched. The pencil gliding across the paper always soothes me and drowns out all the other noise in my head. I could always escape to drawing. I can spend hours sketching anything and everything, finding inspiration in whatever’s in front of me. Currently, I’m sketching a sunflower breaking through concrete. As of late, most of my sketches have been of sunflowers.
Next to me, on the bed, my phone buzzes with an incoming message. I pick it up, and Eve’s name flashes on the screen.
Eve
I’m so sad you had to leave this morning.
Lach
Same. Did I wake you up?
Eve
Yeah. It got cold real quick once you left. I didn’t want to say anything because I knew you’d stay, and climbing out my bedroom window might have been the only way to escape.
Lach
I would have done it for you.
Eve
I know, but you were in your boxer briefs, and there’s snow.
Lach
Since someone kept me up late last night, I’m going to take a nap before my shift later.
Eve
Okay. I’m going to try not to make awkward eye contact with my brother. Wish me luck.
Lach
Good luck, Sunflower.
I’m standing behind the bar at Porter’s when the front door opens. A familiar face emerges, a dusting of snow covering his shoulders. He finds an empty stool at the bar a few feet away from me. He shrugs out of his coat and neatly hangs it over the back of the stool. I wait a few minutes, expecting the rest of the Single Bros. Life crew to follow, but no one comes. I mosey to where he’s seated.
“Hey, Miles. What can I get you?” I grab a cardboard coaster and slide it toward him.
“Actually, I was wondering if Rylee was working?” He adjusts his black-rimmed glasses.
“No. She’s not here.”
His shoulders drop, a frown falling on his face. “I know she’s good with advice, and I could really use some right now.”
He looks like someone just stole his puppy. Rylee always gives straight-to-the-point advice. It can’t be that hard, right? I rest my palms on the bar and lock my elbows. “Lay it on me. Maybe I can help.”
“There’s a girl I like.”
Oh fuck. If he’s looking for dating advice, I’m the last person he wants to listen to, seeing as how I’m in my own dating predicament myself. I nod along anyway.
“And I’ve gone out with her twice. But somehow, the second date went worse than the first. I don’t know what to do. I have a feeling I only have one more shot with her. If I don’t do it right, she’ll never want to go out with me again.”
“How do you know that’s the case?”
He rests his elbows on the bar. “Because if I screw it up, I wouldn’t want to go out with me. So I really need to wow her.”
Color me curious. I wonder what he considers a bad date. Did he spill a drink on his shirt? Food stuck in his teeth? Maybe he had a streamer of toilet paper stuck on his shoe after using the restroom? The perk of not dating: you don’t have bad dates. “How bad could the dates have been?”
“Our first date turned into a double date with my parents. Not by choice. They happened to be at the same restaurant I took her to. That was awkward, especially when my mom pulled out baby pictures she had in her purse. After the date, I convinced myself I wouldn’t get a second date, but she said yes. For the second date, I made sure my parents had plans, so I could stay as far away from them as possible. I was so nervous about making it the best date that I rambled about anything and everything. Did you know sea cucumbers can expel their internal organs to ward off predators?”
I shake my head.
“Neither did she. But she does now.”
I blow out a deep breath. We now know the downfall of knowing random facts. This is going to require a beer. Pushing myself to my full height, I grab a pint glass and fill it with beer from the tap. Since he’s been in here several times, I know what he drinks. I place the full glass on the coaster. “It’s on me.”
He eyes the beer before reaching for it and taking a sip. “Thank you.”
What do I tell him? It’s obvious he needs help, but I’m not the one who should give it to him. Where’s Rylee when you need her? I can’t stall much longer. By then, he’ll have finished his beer. Dates. Dates. Dates. OneDate. I perk up. “I think I know what your problem is. You need to build up some confidence for when you go out on your dates.”
“And how do I do that?”
“Nora’s creating a dating app?—”
“I have the date. I just need to not have her hate me by the end.”
“No. This isn’t a traditional dating app.” I pull out my phone and unlock the screen. I click on the app, and my profile pops up. “This app is for when someone needs a date to a function but doesn’t have one. It’s no strings attached. No expectations. You just show up as someone’s date. You could use it to go on some practice dates. Get comfortable dating without all the pressure.”
He checks out my profile and some of the menu options while nodding. “How do I join?”
He passes back my phone, and I shove it in my pocket. “You’ll have to talk to Nora. It’s still in beta testing, but it should be live soon. I’m sure she’ll hook you up.”
“Thanks. OneDate seems like it could be the cure to my problem.”
I’m a fucking genius. Move over, Rylee. There’s a new advice giver in town. Just kidding. Rylee can keep the position. This shit’s stressful. On the note of providing amazing advice, I really wish someone could give me some in return. It’s getting harder and harder the longer we wait to tell Jake.