Chapter 9
Liberty sat at the kitchen table and stared at her little brother, wondering what the hell was going on in that brain of his. He could process information, although sometimes it got jumbled through emotions he couldn’t handle. He could learn certain tasks, which he’d proven tenfold working with Miles. Gabriel thrived in that environment.
But the one thing Gabriel couldn’t do was deal with the harsh realities of the world, deep-seated wounds, and the emotions they stirred.
And she just dumped a world of hurt on the man.
“Gabriel,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”
He rocked back and forth, picking at his thumb. “Yes,” he said.
“That’s all you have to say about what I just told you about Charlie?”
“It’s the opposite of what he says.” Gabriel rocked faster. He rubbed his hands on his shorts. His gaze shifted around the room but never landed on her. At least he hadn’t bolted. After one fight she’d had with him, he took off. He’d been missing for an entire night. That had been the worst day of her life.
Maybe even worse than losing her baby.
Gabriel was her world. He grounded her in ways no one could understand.
“I told you the truth,” she said.
“Is it possible that you’re wrong?”
“No, Gabriel. I’m sorry. But I’m not wrong.” Using a word like gaslighting might not be appropriate, but that’s what Charlie had done to both of them. “When I first found out Charlie had been with another woman, I wanted to believe it wouldn’t happen again. I desperately wanted our marriage to work. It was for all the wrong reasons because I didn’t love him, but I did want to trust him, for both our sakes. However, Charlie kept lying to me and I turned a blind eye to it.”
“Not about that. I believe you when you say Charlie wasn’t faithful.” Gabriel nodded. “I’m talking about the baby.”
She took Gabriel’s hands. “I didn’t fall down the stairs. Charlie pushed me. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone the truth. I wanted to grieve, and then I wanted to get out. The whole thing was just so…” She wiped her tears away. “I’m sorry.”
Gabriel jerked his hands away and abruptly stood. He stomped his feet and clenched his fists. “I can’t believe that. Charlie was heartbroken. I watched him cry over that baby and you pushed him away. You wouldn’t even let him hold her.”
“That’s not true,” Liberty said with her heart in her toes. “You were there at the hospital with me. You never left my side and Charlie never once came. I didn’t tell him he couldn’t.”
“That’s not what he says. Nor his parents. Are they lying too? Why would they do that?”
“They wanted to control me and they did that through you. Making you believe I was to blame was one way to keep me there. But I was so miserable. Charlie wasn’t good to me and I couldn’t stay a second longer. Not after what he did.”
“Sometimes you can be so selfish,” Gabriel said. “I’m going to go work on the golf cart. Miles said I can do that whenever I want. He gave me the code to his garage.”
Before she could say a single word, Gabriel was marching his grown ass out the door and across the yards.
Fucking wonderful.
But the truth was out. That was something. Gabriel would come to accept it soon enough.
She hoped.
Grabbing the bottle of bourbon and a glass, she made her way to the front porch. Part of her was concerned Gabriel might run. He’d done it before and he didn’t have too many places to go in this town. More than likely if he did take off, he’d call Charlie.
At least in his present state of mind.
The second reason she went outside was she hoped she’d see Miles. She’d been hard on him and she wanted to rectify that before their date.
She found it a little odd and unsettling that she wanted this date so badly with Miles.
But it was the one thing she could call her own.
Miles sat in the waiting room of the hospital in the wing for high-risk pregnancies. He didn’t understand why they had checked Rumor into the ER, then they moved her there immediately, but what the hell did he know about babies?
Okay, he knew a little. He babysat all the time for his brothers and their kids.
But he knew jack shit about this part.
Emmerson strolled through the glass doors with his face whiter than Rumor’s.
Fuck. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“I need to sit down,” Emmerson said as he ran a hand over the scruff on his face, holding a small piece of paper clenched between his fingers in his other hand.
They’d been at the hospital for two hours. They had hooked Rumor up to fluids and something to give her the nutrition she was sorely lacking. Then it became a waiting game for the doctor to arrive so they could do some ultrasound thing. Once the doc showed up, they kicked Miles out of the room.
That had been thirty minutes ago.
“I don’t know what to say. Sorry doesn’t seem to cut it right about now.” Miles shifted, placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, and squeezed. He couldn’t imagine what Emmerson was feeling. Or Rumor. The twitch in Miles’ heart over the loss stung worse than a bullet.
“I’m in shock.”
“I would be too,” Miles said. “I know how much you wanted this.”
Emmerson chuckled. “You don’t understand.”
Miles figured he deserved that because he didn’t, so he chose not to say anything, but he was taken aback by Emmerson’s response.
“Here. This says it better. Besides, I don’t think I can say it out loud yet.” Emmerson handed the piece of paper to Miles.
Miles held it up toward the ceiling and stared at a gray, black, and white image. “Dude, I’m sorry. But I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking at.”
“This doesn’t run in either family, so it’s not like we’d ever expect it or even think about the possibility.”
Miles brought the image closer. Damn thing meant nothing to him. “I know you’re hurting. I’m not going to say all the usual things about trying?—”
“Give me that thing.” Emmerson yanked the paper from his hands and shoved it in his face, pointing. “See that blob right there?”
“Yeah.”
“And then that one right there?” Emmerson tapped his finger.
“Um, yeah. But I don’t know what it is. Is there something wrong? Did the doctors find something? Is Rumor going to be okay?”
“Once she stops swearing at me, she’ll be fine.” He shook his head. “Two fucking heartbeats. Two fucking babies. Twins. Goddamned twins. My wife produced two eggs and I fertilized both of them. Fraternal freaking twins, which I guess does kind of make this my fault. Two kids at one time. How the hell am I going to do that? I was freaking out over having one child. Now I’m going to have two at once. And the doctor said Rumor has to stay in the hospital for a day or two while he figures out this morning sickness shit. Not necessarily from being pregnant with two babies.” Emmerson talked so fast that Miles couldn’t get in a word, but he didn’t even try.
He just sat there and stared at the image of two new little Kirbys and smiled.
“You’re going to be a great dad.” He slapped Emmerson on the back. “You and Rumor got this. And you’ve got all of us to… sit back, watch, and laugh our asses off while you try to navigate it.”
“You’re a dick, you know that?” Emmerson dropped his head back and lifted his hand, holding up two fingers, wiggling them. “Of all the things I thought could be happening tonight, finding out I was going to have twins was not one of them.”
“Sweetest damn surprise.” Miles chuckled.
“Yeah. It kind of is.” Emmerson turned his head. “Thanks for being here for us. It means a lot. But you can go now. Rumor is half-asleep and Lord knows she needs it. I’m going to go home, change my clothes, and get a few things for her. Looks like I’m sleeping in this damn hospital again for the next couple of nights.”
“Call me if you need anything at all.”
“You know I will.” Emmerson jumped to his feet. “Mom already knows. She heard we were here and called right before I came out to tell you, so I’m sure the whole family knows by now. I told her to tell them to communicate when everyone comes to visit. I don’t want Rumor to get overwhelmed, but I do want everyone to come.”
“We’ll do what we always do and make a schedule.” Miles gave his brother a big bro hug. “I’ve got a dumb question, though.”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“Will these babies be identical?”
Emmerson laughed. “Thank God, no. Fraternal means two different eggs and sperm completely. For all we know, we’re having one of each.”
“Are you going to find out?”
“We sure are.” Emmerson nodded. “Now get the fuck out of here and make things right with Liberty.”
“I’ll try.” Miles turned and made his way to the elevators. Hopefully it wasn’t too late for a nightcap.