30. Griffin #2
“You’re pregnant.” The statement leaves my lips in a hurry Julie grows stiff, her heaving lungs trying to suck in a sharp breath.
“Yeah?” It sounds like a question but she’s nodding, chewing her lip off raw as tears start to fill those pretty eyes. “I-I’m sorry, I know we didn’t plan this! I know it’s not what you wanted and I promise I can do it on—”
I shut her up before she can utter the next words, my drenched body colliding with hers as I take her lips and wipe those awful thoughts from her mouth.
The world, the growling people around us…it all disappears when she’s in my arms.
When they are in my arms.
“Never,” I breath into her mouth. “Never say that again. Don’t even think it.” I twine my fingers through her silky hair, waving them into it as I bring her mouth closer, deeper, kissing her until I feel her body slowly release the tension she was holding it in.
“But you didn’t want this,” she whispers.
“How do you know?”
“We never even spoke about tomorrow , let alone this .” I know what she means. We live it one day at a time.
Because that’s what I need.
Only it never applied to her. Never.
I cup her delicate face with one hand, my thumb wiping off the stray tear on her cheek as my other hand lowers to rest on her stomach.
It’s still so flat, so…normal looking, yet there’s magic growing inside already. A tiny seed. Our future.
Julie sucks in a sharp, quick breath.
“How are you feeling? Nauseous?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“No, it already took my soul this morning. There’s nothing left.”
“I’m so sorry, Birdy. I wish I could take that away from you.” I kiss her forehead.
“Griffin—”
“We can blame the lavender. That fucker’s been messing with us from the start,” I whisper, and Julie snorts. That quick, sudden bark of laugh cutting through a bit more tension.
I lean my forehead against hers, bringing the somber mood back. “There’s something I need to show you,” I tell her. “Let me go get changed and—”
Julie suddenly gasps as if just realizing that I really am, drenched indeed, and it’s slowly seeping into her as well.
“Sweet daisies, Griffin, you’re soaked through all the way. We need to get you a towel!” She starts looking around.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Cal spreads his arms out, water dripping from them.
“You will be after I’m done with you,” Julie grits through her teeth, sending another glare at him. “And stop interrupting!”
“Missed you too, sis, it’s not like I just tried to defend your honor or anything?”
“Want a medal?”
“And compensation for moral damage.”
“You’re such an idiot, Callum.” She sighs, wiping another bead of water off my face that keep on dripping from my hair.
“See! He’s already a bad influence on you! You never cursed before.”
“Mm-hmm, or it also could be because I’m a thirty-two-year-old adult. I grew up. Wanna try that, Cal?”
Callum narrows his gaze at me. “My sister! It had to be my fucking sister, you asshole! And stop mauling her when I’m right-fucking-here!”
“Yes. It had to be. Always.” I gaze into Julie’s eyes and then holler, “And suck it up!”
Cal sighs, closing his eyes as I nuzzle my face into Julie’s neck.
“Okay.” Luke claps his hands. “This was fun! Now, before you run off into the sunset, both of you, clean up.” He points to me and Cal, his voice all stern. “I don’t hear you?”
“Yes, Chief,” I mumble, and the most Luke gets from Cal is a grunt, but that seems like an accomplishment all on its own.
Luke, though, is getting a sick kick out of this power game because he grins like an idiot and says, “God, I love being in charge,” before sauntering off with his wife in tow.
“That was so heartbreakingly romantic,” Grace whispers to Luke as they close his office door.
My eyes are tracking the asshole with a shake to my head. Forget Joy, it’s Grace who needs a monument in the middle of LC for putting up with my best friend.
I turn back to my girl because no one else matters right now. Or ever.
“Can you go wait for me somewhere? I’ll come meet you right away. There’s just something I need to do before that.”
“Wh-where?”
“Home, beach, anywhere.”
“Can it be my garden?” she asks, sniffling in the most adorable way and my shoulders shake with a silent laugh.
“Yeah, Birdy. It can definitely be your garden.”
“Okay.” It’s barely audible.
So freaking adorable.
“I’m sorry you found out like this.” She motions around us at the shit show that just went down.
“Hey, if you get to find out by throwing up and peeing on the stick, this is the least I can do.”
“And what’s the most?” she asks, making me smile as I remember the night that started it all.
“I’ll teach our kids to call their uncle Clover. Never Callum.”
"Hey! I heard that, you asshole, and don’t you dare!” he says, and both Julie and I start laughing.
“Hm, I do like that punishment,” Julie muses.
And it so is because if there’s one thing Cal hates with passion, it’s his hippy middle name.
“Go.” I kiss her lips in a quick, short peck. “I’ll meet you shortly, okay?”
She nods but before disappearing, Julie quickly runs toward Callum, throwing her arms around him as he lifts her off the floor.
“I want to stay mad at you but it’s bad for my aura. And also, I’m really, really happy to see you,” she tells him, and I see the way Cal’s arms wrap around her tighter at those words.
“I’m really happy to see you, baby sister. But did it have to be him ?” the petty asshole asks, and I roll my eyes.
Julie wiggles out of his hold. “You’re insufferable, you know that?” she tells him.
“Oh God, you had to do that to get a baby.” Cal twists his face. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Okay, no growing up for you, got it.” Julie kisses his cheek disappearing from the station.
“My sister! It had to be my freaking sister, you asshole!”
“Yeah, we already established that.” I turn to the supplies closet for some towels.
Callum is quiet for a long beat and then… “My sister! It had to be my freaking sister, you asshole!”
I groan. “Jesus Christ! Get over yourself, finally. We are gonna be brothers-in-law.” A grin pulls up my face and Cal groans again.
“Wipe that grin off your face, sister defiler.”
There he is…the guy I remember. My best friend. My brother.
“Callum,” I say. My voice suddenly heavy with emotion. “You’re back.”
“Yeah, I’m back,” he agrees quietly, and the office door flies open with Luke charging at us.
“Finally! My whole family is back together!” Luke throws his arms around us and the look on Cal’s face is fucking priceless.
It’s a cross between shock, amusement, and utter disgust. Luke never used to hug. None of us did. “Who the fuck are you and where is our grumpy asshole?”
“Don’t look at me like that! It’s all her fault.” He throws his thumb over his shoulder to where Grace is standing in the doorway and then turns my way. “What are you still doing here?”
“The floor?” I motion down to the puddles.
“Fuck the floor! This asshole can clean it by himself. Go get your girl.”
A huge smile breaks over my face and I bring my two closest friends into a tight hug. “I’m going to be a dad,” I whisper to them, wishing Caleb could be here for this too.
“Shit, I think I’m going to be an uncle.”
There might be some sniffling laughs involved after that and a second later I’m hightailing it out of the station and off to my mom’s attic.
I too have some secrets to share with my Birdy.