Chapter 14 Piper
PIPER
Felix and Ian are in a standoff when we walk back into the kitchen—there’s no other word for it. Two football gods going toe-to-toe, all that strength and gridiron power vibrating between them. The testosterone in the room could choke a donkey.
Ellie’s nowhere to be seen, which means Felix managed to get her down for her nap despite how agitated she was for most of the morning. Small miracles and all that.
Ian is obviously pissed. His shoulders are about as relaxed as granite, and the way his jaw is clenched so tight, I’m surprised his teeth don’t crack.
Felix looks just as irritated, probably because he thinks Ian is acting like a know-it-all pain in the ass, which could be the purview of older siblings everywhere.
This is some gladiator-coded shit, and I kind of hate that I find it hot.
“I have something to say.” My voice cuts through whatever silent battle they’re waging.
Felix’s deep blue gaze flicks to me, and he starts to take a step closer. “You don’t have to—”
“I do.” I hold up a hand. “I’m done with secrets.”
Sadie moves to Ian’s side, placing a hand on his arm. “You need to listen without reacting.”
Ian’s eyes narrow, but he nods. Then he looks at me with his big-brother smile, the one that’s gotten me through more hard moments than I can count in the past year. “You can tell me anything, Pip.”
The words stick in my throat for a second, but I take a breath and let them out. “I’m pregnant.” My voice sounds steadier than I expected. “And Felix is the father.”
All three of us watch Ian, whose face goes through about seventeen emotions in three seconds. Shock. Confusion. A glare at Felix. Understanding. More shock. And then, finally, something that looks almost like acceptance.
He glances at Sadie, who confirms it with a nod. Then he walks to me and pulls me into a hug.
“Congratulations, Piper,” he says into my hair, his voice calm and steady. “You’re going to be an amazing mom. Anything you need, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, emotion clogging my throat. Even more than Sadie, Ian’s support makes me feel like I’m not alone in all of this. I’m also impressed that he’s taking it so well. Maybe even a little suspicious about how well.
He releases me, walks directly to Felix, and punches him in the face.
Felix staggers back, hand flying to his cheek. “The fuck, Ian?”
I gasp and take a step forward, but Sadie grabs my wrist. “Let them figure it out,” she says quietly enough that only I can hear. Not that either Barlowe brother is paying a lick of attention to us at the moment.
“That’s for messing with my sister-in-law.” Ian shakes out his hand, wincing. “Jesus, your face is like concrete.”
“I hope you broke your jackass knuckles.” Felix massages his jaw as if testing whether it still works. “For the record, she’s your sister-in-law, not mine. And I didn’t mess with her. We—”
“I know what you did.” Ian flexes his fingers. “And now she’s pregnant.”
“I’m aware.”
“After telling everyone at Christmas you never wanted kids.” Then, Ian’s lips twitch. “Fucking concrete.”
Felix touches his jaw again. “Serves you right. Feel better?’
“Much.” Ian claps him on the shoulder, the gesture somehow both affectionate and threatening. “But if you hurt her—”
“I won’t.”
“You’d better take care of her.”
“I will,” Felix promises, his eyes flashing as they meet mine.
“I can take care of myself,” I mutter, pretty sure I’m convincing no one.
My sister moves to her husband’s side. “Is your hand okay?”
“Better than Felix’s face.”
Felix snorts. “My face is fine.”
“It’s swelling,” Sadie tells him.
“Your husband has a decent right hook for a guy who used to throw a football on occasion.”
“Quarterbacks have strong hands,” Ian says mildly. “It’s kind of our thing.”
As I watch this insane exchange between two overgrown children in adult bodies, something bubbles up in my chest that might be laughter. Or maybe it’s hysteria. Either way, it spills out before I can swallow it back.
Three pairs of eyes land on me. “Did you seriously just punch your brother for getting me pregnant?” I ask Ian.
“Yes,” he answers. “I’ll do it again if you want.”
“Hey,” Felix protests.
“No,” I say at the same time. “How does that help the situation?”
“It doesn’t, but it made me feel better.” Ian grins, apparently satisfied with his unnecessary defense of my honor. “And it put him on notice in case he hurts—”
“I’m not going to hurt her,” Felix grumbles.
“Then we’re good.” Ian wraps an arm around Sadie’s shoulder. “We should go.”
“You guys can stay,” Felix says quickly. “It’s your house.”
“Right,” I agree. “Felix and I can—”
“We just came up to check on Piper,” Sadie interrupts, giving me a meaningful look. “You’ve been weird in your texts. Not answering calls.”
“Now we know why,” Ian adds with a smirk that earns him an elbow from Sadie.
“We’ll get out of your hair,” Sadie continues. “I’m guessing you two have some things to talk through.”
The thought makes my lungs feel like they’re being squeezed in giant NFL player hands. “It’s an hour and a half back home,” I protest weakly. “You should stay.”
“We’re fine.” Sadie walks forward and pulls me in for another hug. “Call me later.” She lowers her voice and says against my ear, “Remember, you’re stronger than you think.”
I don’t feel strong at the moment. I feel weak and overwhelmed. And like I just want to sit on the couch and eat my weight in sourdough.
Ian gives Felix one more warning look—the kind only an older brother can pull off—before scooping up Beast and following Sadie to the door.
Then they’re gone, and it’s just me and Felix in the kitchen, the silence so loud that it almost hurts my ears.
There’s a red mark blooming across his cheek. “That’s going to bruise. You need some ice or a pack of frozen peas.”
One corner of his mouth lifts. “I’ll survive.”
“You didn’t deserve it.”
“Oh, I definitely deserved it.” He meets my eyes. “We should talk.”
“Yeah.” My arms wrap around myself automatically. “We should.”
But neither of us moves, and the space between us feels like endless miles I don’t know how to cross. Not when I’m afraid anything I say could heighten the awkwardness between us.
“This morning was…um…” Felix runs a hand through his perpetually tousled hair. “A lot.”
I choke out a small laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Especially since neither of us got much sleep.” His eyes darken slightly, and I feel heat creep up my neck.
I don’t answer. I’m not sure I can without revealing what last night meant to me.
And I’m sure as hell not ready for that.
What would I even say? ‘Yeah, last night was amazing. And by the way, I’m already halfway in love with you and terrified that our baby is going to be born into a situation where their father is looking for an exit strategy? ’
Felix frowns at my silence, then tilts his head. “I think I heard Ellie.”
I glance at the monitor on the counter, which is not making a sound. “I don’t hear anything.”
“I definitely heard her.” He’s already moving toward the stairs. “I should check. She had a rough morning, too.”
“I can do that,” I say, moving to follow him. “I’m the nanny, remember?”
He stops moving, back to me and shoulders rigid. When he turns around, his expression is neutral in a way I’m coming to recognize—one that means he’s pissed. “Despite what some people think, I’m capable of handling my responsibilities.”
“I never said you can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t? Which one is worse, Hart?”
I take a step back, cowed by the ferocity in his tone. “Felix—”
“But I will, and I am. I’m taking care of Ellie because she’s my responsibility. At least for now.”
He turns and heads upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen with the echo of “for now” ringing in my ears.
I sink onto one of the barstools, my hand automatically going to my stomach.
For now.
That’s what terrifies me most, isn’t it? That we—my baby and I—will fall into the same category as Ellie. A temporary responsibility he’s managing until he can find a way out or pass us off.
My sister had no relationship with her father after he made it clear his new wife and kids were his priority.
She was still only a kid when he pushed her out of his life.
I saw the damage that kind of inconsistency caused and figured I was better off never knowing my dad.
I also swore I’d never put a child of mine through the hell of being with someone who saw parenthood as an obligation rather than a gift.
But here I am, pregnant by a man who’s made it crystal clear he doesn’t want to be a father and is actively searching for a way to rehome the little girl upstairs—the one he’s so sweet and tender with and who clearly adores him.
If he can walk away from sweet Ellie, who lights up when her Uncle “Fee” enters a room, what makes me think he won’t eventually walk away from our baby, too?
From me?
I press my palms against my eyes, fighting back tears I refuse to shed. I have to be smarter than this. It’s time to protect myself and my baby from the inevitable hurt that’s coming. Felix Barlowe wants me, that’s a given. Hell, he might even care about me.
But wanting someone and choosing them and the life they come with are two very different things.
And I’m terrified he’s never going to choose us.