Chapter Seven.
Darren
I snuck out of bed early to handle payroll and some inventory orders, leaving War and Jess in bed to sleep in. It’s ironic that the civilians are up at zero dark thirty, and the soldiers who are bragging about settling their schedule with the sun are still passed out cold.
When I sneak back into our room with three huge coffees and bagels, I find War having his breakfast right from the source of life itself.
“Room for one more?” I ask as I drop my robe to the floor and place the items on the counter next to the cake we all forgot last night.
“NO,” War growls, and I can’t help but chuckle at the distracted look he gives me while he sucks on Jess’s clit.
“We promised to share, bro.” I lean in and take Jess’s lips with my own.
“Where were you? Your side of the, SHIT, bed was, OH GOD! cold,” Jess cums around her words hard as I smile down at her.
“Just a little work, but it looks like I finished right on time. You up for taking both of us?” Jess nods with a smile that tells me she may not have understood what I meant, but agreed anyway.
She’s about to find out.
“We need to feed her first.” War’s tone brings me up short, and his posture leaves no room for arguing.
I watch him closely, trying to figure out where his head is. This has something to do with the secret she’s been keeping from us. Has he figured it out?
“Okay, I had coffee and bagels delivered, and we also have that delicious-looking cake Jess made that we all neglected.”
“Oh, the cake!” Jess sits up too fast and swoons.
“Woo, okay, what the fuck is going on?” War demands, and Jess frowns at him.
“Low blood sugar. Relax, Colonel.” She says it playfully, but War is so worked up that he doesn’t see it through his worry for her.
“Watch your tone, Lieutenant.” I put my fingers in my mouth to whistle.
“ENOUGH! Are you two seriously going to fight over an empty stomach?” I bite my lip and realize my mistake two seconds too late.
“Warren, wait. You know that’s not how I meant it.” His face is flushed with anger, and if not for all his years of discipline, I’m sure he’s going to punch the closest wall.
War takes several deep breaths and then turns to our girl with regret in his eyes.
“I’m sorry I snapped like that. I worry, and I need to know what’s wrong.
You’ve been acting strange for weeks. I thought it was your nerves about this surprise, but now you’re scaring me with the dizzy spells.
Darren and I have all these plans, and if you’re sick, we need to know, baby.
Please,” He drops to his knees beside the bed, and I remember the ring he had in his pants yesterday.
“Um, I’ll be right back.” I run out of the room as I hear Jess sniff, and it breaks my heart that she’s crying.
I snag his pants off the kitchen floor, and I’m back in our room as War brings the cake over to the bed.
“I don’t understand how this is going to answer anything,” War says as she places it in front of her.
“Sit down. Both of you. Just watch. Shit, I need a lighter.” She looks around, but I grab one from the nightstand where we keep our wax play items.
“Remember that part about more to your present?” War nods as she flicks the lighter and touches the top of the cake.
The top layer catches and melts away, revealing a picture on top of the cake. It’s a grainy black-and-white photo of a blob, and my brain fills in the blank for me.
Ultrasound.
“I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.” I open my mouth and close it.
I look at War, who hasn’t looked up from the cake yet.
His jaw flexes, I see his throat swallow a few times, and I’m about to call an ambulance when the vein on his temple starts to throb, and I think he’s having an aneurysm, but then I see a tear fall.
“You’re having my baby?” His face came up, and I watched my big brother cry for the first time in decades.
But this time they are happy.
I clear my throat and shove his pants at him. He’s already on his knees, and if this isn’t the time to make her our wife, I honestly don’t know when.
“I’d like to point out that it could be mine, but since we’re identical twins, we’ll never know. We’ve never discussed children. Are you happy, Jess?” I ask because she still hasn’t said a word since setting the cake on fire.
It seems like I’m the only one able to speak at the moment.
“I’m fucking thrilled!”