Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
“Shut the front door,” I said in shock after I gasped for breath. Disappointed courses through me. I am trash.
“I know.” She sat down on my bed, and I heard a groan. “Who thought I’d be having a shotgun wedding?”
“Not me,” I said, heart racing.
Oh my God, my sister is pregnant with Mr. Tongue’s baby, and we’re going to be on a trashy talk show next week. Everyone in the world will know my secret and I will have to go into hiding.
I needed to call Alice right away. I needed to talk to someone about what was going on. The man I had slept with the week before was about to have a child with my sister. Shit! I’d slept with my soon-to-be niece’s or nephew’s dad. What did that make me? Some sort of Jezebel?
“I don’t know him well.” She made a face. “Am I making a mistake marrying him?”
“I just met him, Gabby. I don’t know what to say.” I wanted to shout, Don’t marry him! Don’t marry him!
He was obviously a big jerk who couldn’t keep it in his pants, but now he was going to be a father, to my sister’s kid, and I didn’t know what to say. Did I want to ruin their family before the kid was even born?
“When did he propose to you?” I asked softly.
If it was before he slept with me, I would tell her, but if it was after, I wouldn’t.
“Two days ago.” She offered me a small smile and showed me her fingers. “Do you like the ring?”
“It’s big,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
The ring was beautiful. It was the sort of ring I’d like to receive when I got engaged. If that ever happened.
“It was his grandmother’s,” she said softly and gazed at it. “I’m not keeping this one. He’s going to take me to Tiffany and let me choose one I like better.”
“You don’t like that?” I frowned as I stared at her. “It’s gorgeous, and it was a part of his family. That means something, Gabby.”
“I don’t want a used ring.” She jumped up and frowned.
“You can’t look at it like it’s used.”
“I want my own ring. I’ve already seen the one I want; it’s a five-carat princess cut diamond, set in platinum, and about thirty grand.”
“Gabby,” I said, shocked. “That’s a lot of money.”
“So what? He can afford it.”
“Oh, Gabby.” I sighed. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah. What?”
“Do you love him?”
“Do I love him?” She looked at me like I was crazy.
“Oh, Liv, you need to get your head out of the clouds. People don’t get married because they’re in love anymore.
They get married because it makes sense.
They get married because it’s better than being single.
There are tax breaks and all sorts of benefits to come from getting married. ”
“So, you don’t love him?” My heart thuds. I will not judge her. That is not my place. But I hate this. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve always thought marriage was sacred.
“I love that he’s a millionaire. I love that he’s hot. I love that he proposed to me.” She shrugged and then winks at me. “Seems good enough to me. There are ten million reasons why I’m happy to be with him and Porsche, Cartier, and First Class Airline tickets are just some of those reasons.”
“But you’re really not sure if that’s enough if you’re in here, asking me what I think.” I say hopefully. Please don’t let my sister be a gold-digger, though honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me.
“I don’t even know why I’m in here.” She sighed. “I think it’s my hormones.” She made a face. “Being pregnant sucks.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Of course not.” She scoffed. “I’m not about to tell them I’m knocked up.” She stared at me intently. “And you’d better not say anything either.”
“I wasn’t planning on saying anything.” Trust me, dear sister, I want nothing to do with your sordid setup.
All of a sudden, I didn’t feel so bad for Gabby. If anything, I felt bad for myself. I was the innocent party in this setup.
“I know you’ve always been jealous of me, Liv.” Gabby fluffed her hair and stared at me with a sad expression. “But I do hope you can grow out of those feelings. We’re adults now.”
“What are you talking about?” I shook my head, annoyed. “I’m not jealous of you. What do I have to be jealous of you for?”
“I have a good job. I have my own house. I’m beautiful. And now I’m pregnant and getting married to a millionaire.”
“So?”
“Well, you have a shitty job that pays you, what, like ten dollars an hour?”
“I make thirty grand a year.” I glared at her.
“And you live with roommates.”
“I share an apartment with my best friend, not some random joe from the street.”
“And, well, you’ve always been jealous that I’m a natural blonde and you’re not.”
“Is this a joke?” I looked around the room. “Am I on Candid Camera? Is that show even on anymore?” My jaw dropped as she acted like the Gabby I remembered from my teenage years.
“What are you talking about?” She stared at me blankly. “Anyway, Liv, I wanted to say I want us to move on from whatever kept us apart all those years. You’re going to be an aunt now.”
“So?” I scratched my head.
“So, you need to be more responsible now.”
“What does you having a kid got to do with me?”
“I don’t want you being a bad influence on my—”
“Gabby, I think you need to leave my room right now.” I marched to the door and opened it and stared at her. “I’m not going to be responsible for what I say next if you don’t get out of here.”
“Liv, don’t be like that. I was just trying to say that—”
“Honestly, Gabby, I don’t care.” I shook my head. “I just need to be by myself.”
“Fine.” She huffed as she exited the room. “I just thought you’d be happy for me.”
“I’m very happy for you, Gabby.”
“Good.” She smiled at me. “And if you play your cards right, maybe I’ll hook you up with Henry.”
“Henry, Xander’s brother?” My eyes widened. And I feel kinda sick.
“Yes.” She grinned. “He’s very handsome, and, well, wouldn’t that be fun if we were married to brothers?”
“Oh, yeah, oodles of fun.” I smiled weakly.
Here we come, Jerry. I groaned inwardly. There was no way in hell that I wanted to be hooked up with Henry. Talk about creepy and gross.
“I’m pretty sure he’s single.”
“That’s good,” I said and then sighed. “Um, we’ll chat later, yeah?”
“Okay.” She nodded. “And don’t tell Mom and Dad about the baby, okay?”
“Okay,” I said and then closed the door, my heart racing as I stood there, taking everything all in.
I watched as Xander squirmed out from under the bed and stood up.
“So then …” He stared at me with an expectant look.
“So, what?”
“Now you know why we’re getting married.”
“I can’t believe you want to marry her after listening to all that.”
“Why?” He frowned.
“She’s a gold digger.” I made a face. “And God forgive me for saying that about my sister.”
“She doesn’t hide what she’s after.” He shrugged.
“You’re okay with that?”
“Gabby and I haven’t lied to each other about anything. We know what this is about.”
“So, she knows you slept with me?”
“No.” His eyes narrowed. “But then I didn’t know who you were until about an hour ago.”
“Are you going to tell her now that you know?”
“No, of course not.” He paused. “That would unduly complicate things.” His word choice seems so formal to me and I wonder if he wants to distance himself from me.
“Because they’re not complicated now?”
“Well, not really.” He brushed some lint off of his jeans. “Nothing is really complicated right now. Though they could become more complicated if you still want to sleep with me, which I think you do.” He stared at my breasts.
“What?” My jaw dropped at his audacity.
Was he for real? I stared at the smirk on his handsome face, and I tried to ignore how sexy he looked.
He’s a jerk, Liv. He’s not a sexy male god with a miracle tongue.
Oh, I am going to miss his miracle tongue.
No. Stop it, Liv. You must forget his miracle tongue.
I groaned.
“Something wrong?” he asked in a low voice that made me think of midnight whispers and soft kisses..
“No,” I snapped and glared at him.
“You still want me, don’t you?” His eyes danced.
“No,” I said adamantly.
“Okay, if you say so. Though I think you’re lying.” He grinned and licked his lips again. This time, his tongue was sticking right out, as if to taunt me even more. “Some people say I’m cocky,” he said after a few seconds.
“Who, you?” I feigned shock. “Who would ever think that?”
“Are you laughing at me?” His eyes were light as he studied my face.
“Does it sound like I’m laughing? Can you hear the sound of laughter coming out of my mouth and falling into your ears?”
“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” He took a step toward me.
“I’m not a comedian, and I have no aspirations to be one, so, no, not really.”
His green eyes sparkled in mischief as he questioned me, “So, are you trying to say you don’t think I’m cocky?” He tilted his head and smiled at me.
I didn’t want to stare back at him. I mean, who could resist a hot guy with a cute, teasing smile?
The moment was light and silly, and I so badly wanted it to be dark and stuffy.
I didn’t want to like Xander. I had every reason to dislike Xander, but I was finding it very hard to follow through on my dislike when he stood so close to me.
“What do you want from me, Xander? This is highly inappropriate, as I told you before.”
“Why?” He took another step toward me, and this time, I could feel his hand grazing against my leg. Like he couldn’t stop himself from touching me. Like I couldn’t stop wanting his touch.
“You’re engaged to marry my sister.”
“Yes, but we don’t love each other.”
“So, you’re not going to marry her then?” I asked softly and hopefully. I knew it was wrong of me to hope he’d say he was going to call off the wedding. “You’re going to call off the wedding?”
“Why would I do that?” He put his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach.
“Are you seriously turned on right now?” I asked, shocked.
He grinned at me wickedly, not answering me. His eyes laughed into mine, and he grabbed my hand and held it.