9. Jada
The only place Twyla would sleep was in my arms. So the second Bryce walked in the house, I whisper-yelled, “Did you know Quentin was going to ask Rei out?”
The surprised look on Bryce’s face was only a small relief. “Quentin’s going on a date with Rei?” With his eyebrows drawn, he hung his coat up on a hook by the door. “I knew he’s been interested in someone for several months now… but it’s her?”
“She called me to tell me that he’s the one who’s been writing her notes all this time.” The worry I felt for my friend had tears stinging my eyes. Blinking quickly, I sat down at the kitchen island, still holding Twyla.
Bryce came and kissed my forehead, making my heart lurch. I leaned into him, letting him hold me as he said, “Quentin doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to write love letters.”
“They’re not really letters,” I mumbled. “He puts little messages on the sticky note wall at MyHome.” It was sweet, when I didn’t know he was angling for a marriage of convenience with my best friend.
“That’s wild...” Bryce walked to the crockpot resting on the counter, letting the smell of Glamma’s pot roast waft more strongly through the room.
My mouth began to water—breastfeeding was no joke.
I was hungry constantly, my nipples hurt, and if we went too far past a feeding, my boobs felt like exploding.
“Can you make me a bowl too?” I murmured.
He nodded, reaching into the cabinet to retrieve vintage white bowls with delicate painted blue flowers wrapping around under the outer rim. I watched him carefully serve us both and collect silverware from the drawer. “Where’s Glamma?” he hummed. “Should I make her a bowl as well?”
“She’s out with Irma,” I explained. “Senior night at the church.”
He nodded toward the doorway and led the way to our living room sofa, where we’d eaten almost all our meals since we brought Twyla home a few days prior. “Want me to hold her?” he offered.
I shook my head. “Eat first. She’ll probably wake up as soon as we move her.” Just the whispered sentence made me feel so tired. I loved Twyla, I did, but being a mom to a newborn was the hardest thing I’d ever done, and with my past, that was saying a lot.
After a bite of roast, he said, “So Rei and Quentin...”
My stomach turned at the thought. “I think we need to tell her about the marriage clause.”
He coughed, quietly. I hadn’t even known that was possible before this moment, but he made it work. When he finally stopped coughing and took a sip of water, he said in a rough voice, “That would violate our NDA.”
“Then make her sign one. It’s not fair for her to get attached to him not knowing that there’s something more coming. I don’t want her to be blindsided like I was.”
A pained expression crossed his face. “I know you’re protecting your friend.”
It felt like there was more he wanted to say. “But? And?”
“Quentin’s my friend.”
I blinked at him. “So you’d have Rei go out with Quentin thinking there are no ulterior motives?”
“Quentin should handle the delivery of the news himself,” Bryce said lightly. He scooped another bite of his food into his mouth and then reached for Twyla.
Irritability rose up in me, making my jaw clench even as I handed her over softly.
Her little face screwed up like she was ready to scream, but Bryce stood up and rocked with her, shushing her so gently my heart softened just a fraction.
“But when will he tell her?” I pressed. “Once they’re three dates in?
” I gave him a pointed look. “Once she’s attached, so he can have a better chance at a ‘yes’?
It’s not fair to Rei. It was one thing to keep our business private when it only affected us; it’s another to keep secrets from my best friend that could change the course of her life. ”
“You signed an NDA,” he reminded me. He gazed down at Twyla, so much love in his eyes. It was hard to be mad at him when he looked at our little girl like that.
But then again, I was a woman of many talents.
“So if I tell her, you’re going to sue me?” I retorted under my breath.
He kept his gaze on our girl a moment longer before giving me a tired look. “If she finds out, it’s not going to be hard to guess who told her. I won’t sue you, but I wouldn’t put it past any of my co-founders, especially—”
I held up my hand, not wanting to hear that man’s name in my house. “So I just have to watch her get ready for a date and not say anything? It would be like letting her drive into oncoming traffic!” My hands waved to match my growing frustration, but Bryce arched a brow.
“You’re saying a date with Quentin is like a head-on?”
I glared at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Frankly, Jada, the marriage clause is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
My heart warmed, easing me out of my anger. “It worked out well for us, but Quentin and Rei?”
“Are adults,” he emphasized. “You can do what you want, but I’m telling you I think we should let them handle it on their own.”
I shook my head, feeling unsure about it all. “I’m going to eat in the bedroom.” I got up and walked away with my bowl, ready to stew about it while I ate my stew.
I fell asleep instead.
When I woke up, blinking my tired, groggy eyes, the bowl of soup had been moved and a soft throw blanket tucked up around my shoulders. Twyla lay in her bassinet on my side of the bed for easy feedings, and Bryce slept on the opposite side, back facing me.
His ribcage expanded and relaxed with each breath, emphasized by the sliver of light coming through a gap in the curtains.
Usually, seeing Bryce and Twyla sleeping was a balm to my soul, but my heart still felt heavy for Rei.
Her date with Quentin was tomorrow afternoon, and she was coming over here before. I still wasn’t sure what to do.
Keep a secret from my best friend, or risk Jude’s wrath and tell her the truth.