Chapter 33
Gabriella
The sun was beginning to set, casting orange, pink, and violet hues over the dark hardwood floors of my apartment.
The same floors my father had stepped on and off of hours earlier, and I still remained on the floor in a blubbering heap.
It felt like my entire world had collapsed around me, and I didn’t have the one person I went to for advice because he had left me here remembering the look of disappointment on his aging face.
There was a knock at my door and I perked up slightly, hoping it was my father returning to talk this out some more.
Maybe he had just needed some time to cool off.
I gripped the couch behind me and pulled myself from the floor that had been my home for several hours, my legs giving out on me because they were still asleep.
I shook them out slightly and wobbly walked for the door.
I opened it to find Juliet standing there, her eyes immediately filled with worry at the sight of me. I could only imagine what I looked like in my wrinkly, pink pajamas, messy hair, and damp face. I looked at her through bleary tears.
“Hi,” I said softly, pushing the door open.
She rushed to give me a hug and led me inside.
“What happened?” she asked worriedly.
I couldn’t even get the words out, and just began to sob. She led me to the couch and sat me down, pulling me in for a long hug.
“I’m calling reinforcements,” she said. She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and quickly typed a text before pulling me in for another hug. I must have cried wordlessly on her shoulder for longer than I thought because soon there was another knock at the door.
“Coming,” called Juliet as she released me and stood from the couch.
I watched her open the door and saw my good friends, Sadie and Erica standing there. Juliet murmured something to them that I couldn’t quite hear and they peeked around her at me, their expressions grim.
“You didn’t have to come,” I said with a shake of my head, feeling thankful that my friends rallied around me so quickly without even knowing what was going on.
I still hadn’t told Sadie or Erica about Chandler or the baby.
I knew I could have. They would never judge me.
I think I just figured I wasn’t sure what I was doing yet, so why drag more people into my messy life?
Now that they were here in my apartment, I knew I should have told my friends.
Out of anyone, Sadie and Erica would be the most understanding, having gone through their own surprise pregnancies and trials and tribulations with their now husbands.
I didn’t know why I hadn’t called them sooner, but again, I was so unsure of everything.
It felt like if I spoke about it, it would become all the more real.
“Juliet said it was bad, but seeing those pajamas, now I know it can’t be good,” said Erica, biting back a bemused smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was right. I looked ridiculous. It felt good to laugh, and I pulled her in for a big hug. Sadie, too.
“Sit,” I said, gesturing to the couch behind me. “We have a lot to talk about.”
When we were all sitting with our legs crisscrossed on the couch, covered in fluffy blankets, Juliet gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I smiled at her and turned to my two friends who waited patiently for me to tell them what the hell was going on.
“I’m sure you saw on the news that I didn’t get the CEO position at my father’s company,” I said meekly.
Erica harrumphed. Sadie smiled weakly. “I saw, but didn’t want to bring it up until you did,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Gabs. I know how much you deserved the job. How much you wanted it.”
“Your father is an idiot,” said Erica with a roll of her eyes.
“Erica!” said Sadie, her voice shrill.
“What?” she shrugged. “He is.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Erica was blunt, always to the point.
I loved that about her. Sadie was softer, more understanding.
It was like a yin and yang of best friends.
I was so glad that Juliet had fit in so well among us.
My past and present had come together to help me through this difficult time.
I realized then I didn’t need to always go to my family for advice. I had three sisters right here.
“Whatever his reasoning was, he gave the job to Chandler White.”
“The raven-haired hottie,” said Erica with a smirk.
“Erica!” said Sadie again, her voice even more shrill than before.
“Sure, if that’s what you want to call him.”
“And your father knew him prior? Or…what? Why did he choose him over you?” asked Sadie.
“I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it. He usually brushes me off, saying, ‘It’s for the good of the company,’” I said in my best impression of my father.
“Pfft,” said Erica through her lips.
“I was assigned to teach him the ropes. Be his ‘handler.’” I put my fingers in air quotations.
“At first, we despised each other. Like really despised each other. It started with a spilled coffee and progressed from there. The guy is a total asshole.” I shook my head.
I was really painting him in a horrible light to just drop the bomb on them that I had slept with him.
“But?” said Erica, raising a brow. She seemed to be on to what happened next. She knew me too well.
“Somehow we ended up having sex.”
“Somehow?” asked Sadie confused.
“It was a crime of passion. Passionate hate.” I groaned, putting my face in my hands as my cheeks turned red.
“When? Where?” asked Erica.
“At a charity gala months ago.”
“In public?” asked Sadie, wide-eyed.
“Yeah, like a few rooms away from where my father and the rest of Manhattan’s elite were eating dinner.”
Erica let out a laugh, while Sadie’s cheeks turned a shade pinker. Juliet just sat and patiently listened, knowing the story already.
“We continued sleeping together after that. It was about the only time we really liked each other or got along. It was stupid. I can’t believe I let things go on as long as I did, when there was so much at risk. My job. His job.”
“He must have been really good,” said Erica, waggling her eyebrows.
“Really good doesn’t cut it,” I said. “But we ended things because it got really complicated…”
“What happened?” asked Sadie.
I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, not ready to see their expressions when I delivered the next two words.
“I’m pregnant,” I said wincing.
I heard two audible gasps and opened one eye to see both my friends looking at me wide-eyed.
But then they threw their arms around me, squealing, and shaking me excitedly.
It wasn’t exactly the reaction I was expecting, but I soaked it in.
It was really the first time that I felt safe and supported in my pregnancy.
I laughed as I hugged them back, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Happy tears because after I had made my pros and cons list, even though it was really just a list of cons, I realized how much I already loved the baby.
There was no way I could give it up. I was going to be a mother, and as terrified as I was, it felt right.
And right now, with my friends surrounding me with love and positivity, I felt a little less scared.
“We’re going to be aunties. Again!” they said excitedly.
They went on to ask all the details about the baby. How far along I was, who my doctor was, and if I had names already picked out. It felt good to talk about it so positively, just fueling my nervous excitement.
“And Chandler?” asked Sadie hesitantly, probably scared to ruin the good mood, but it was a necessary question.
I just shook my head sadly.
“I don’t think he wants to be a part of the baby’s life. Or mine,” I said softly.
“Good!” said Erica brazenly.
“It probably is for the better. We can hardly stand each other unless we are naked. I can’t imagine parenting together. Plus, my father hates him now…”
“Your dad knows?” spat out Juliet.
I nodded. “He came by today. Apparently, someone called and congratulated him on becoming a grandpa.”
My friends all groaned.
“I know,” I said in agreeance. “It was a disaster. I lost my job and my father will never forgive me.”
“You don’t know that,” said Juliet reassuringly. “He just needs time to cool off probably.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But you didn’t see his face.”
I tried to block it from my memory for risk of crying again. I wasn’t sure if I had any tears left anyway.
“The worst part is, I keep wondering what’s going to happen to Chandler. After everything, a part of me cares. It’s really annoying.”
“Maybe you care for him more than you want to admit,” said Sadie, chewing on the inside of her cheek.
I didn’t admit it out loud, but she was right.
Erica clapped her hands just then, as if waking us up from all the serious talk. She stood from the couch and put her hands on her hips.
“You know what we need?” she asked with a smile.
“What?” I asked curiously.
“Pizza. Greasy pizza. And mocktails. We need to celebrate! Block out all that bad shit, and celebrate you being pregnant. It will be like a little impromptu baby shower,” she said excitedly.
“I second that,” said Juliet with a nod, standing up next to Erica.
“Third that,” said Sadie, standing up.
The three of them faced me. All so beautiful in their own right. A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. They had all the makings for a crude joke, but they were my best friends. As beautiful as they were on the outside, they were just as special on the inside. They had showed up for me tonight.
I smiled up at them. “Let’s do it.”
An hour later, we sat around the coffee table chowing down on pizza and sipping virgin mojitos, talking excitedly about the baby.
We were already plotting out a new layout of my apartment to welcome the baby and thinking up names, even though I didn’t know if it was a boy or girl yet.
We even tried some of those silly old wives tales to see if we could find out.
We ended up in a fifty-fifty split that had us in a fit of giggles over how ridiculous we were.
Around midnight, Sadie and Erica left to go home. I hugged them tightly, thanking them for coming to my rescue when I needed them most. They squeezed me back, reassuring me that everything was going to be okay. After tonight, I almost believed them.
When I walked back to the living room, Juliet was cleaning up our makeshift picnic.
“Thank you for calling them,” I said, helping her pick up the plates and glasses.
“Of course,” she said. “I knew you needed them.”
“I need all of you,” I corrected her.
Once the coffee table was clear, Juliet headed for the door, but turned to say something before she opened it.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to be a mother.
It’s a dream of mine. I would have supported you either way, but I’m happy you’re keeping the baby,” she said softly, her eyes tired from the long night.
“Even though I know it’s scary to go through this without a partner, you’ve got this.
You have friends behind you every step of the way, okay? I promise.”
I wiped a tear from my cheek, never knowing how much Juliet wanted to be a mother. I never knew how much I missed her until she was in my life again. It was like she was sent to me right when I needed her.