Chapter Forty-Two
Brooklyn
I wipe away tears and rush to pull on my pants. When I make it upstairs, everyone is sitting around the kitchen staring at me without saying a word.
“Everything okay?” Zadie finally says.
“Where did he go?” I scan the room. He’s nowhere to be seen.
“Kip?” Juno says.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, he’s standing outside in the middle of a blizzard without a coat.”
“Shit,” I say, walking over to the window. Sure enough, there he is trying to catch hypothermia in a snowstorm.
“Did you tell him?” Will says. I whip my head around.
“Tell him what?” Juno asks, her brow is furrowed.
I shake my head. “He figured it out.”
“Figured what out, Brooklyn?” James says, his eyes are like lasers locked on me.
I scan all their faces for a moment and then sigh, “I’m pregnant.”
Eli just covers his mouth with his hand. James’ eyes grow about six times their normal size. Keene and Juno are exchanging excited glances. James looks at Elizabeth and says, “Did you know?”
“Zadie and I figured it out.” She’s looking at me, not him.
“And you didn’t tell me?” His voice is sharp.
She turns to him. “No, James, it’s not my body. It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Who else knew?” He’s pissed. He hates being in the dark about anything.
“Declan and I figured it out a few weeks ago.” Will says. Olivia looks at Will with surprise.
“Is that why you invited him? James asks.
“He needed to know,” Will says.
No one says anything for a moment, and then James says, “You’re sure it’s his?”
“Positive.”
“Does he know it’s his?” he asks.
“Not yet. We didn’t get that far.”
James just nods slowly and then rubs his forehead.
Zadie steps forward and gives me a side hug. I whisper to her. “Thank you for not crushing my boobs. They are so sore. Hugging feels like an act of war.”
She laughs. “Been there, done that. I haven’t forgotten. That will get better soon.”
“Really? Thank god.”
Eli walks over. “We’re here to support you in any way you need.”
I nod. “I’m planning to do this. I want this baby.”
Juno smiles. “This is the best news. You’re going to be an amazing mom.”
“We’re all here to help,” Elizabeth says.
They all nod in agreement, and my eyes start to water. I wipe them quickly.
“I need to go,” I nod toward the window.
Declan walks me to the door and helps me get into my coat. “Whatever happens, we have your back.”
He puts my hat on my head and wraps a scarf around my neck.
“Thanks.” I whisper and then head out the door.
The cold immediately takes my breath away. I'd much rather have this conversation in front of a fireplace, but that’s not where he’s decided to stand.
He turns as he hears me coming behind him.
“Is it mine?” he yells.
I wince.
He points at me, his finger stabbing toward me with each word. “Is it fucking mine?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” He’s still pointing.
I narrow my eyes. “Of course, it’s yours. We can do a paternity test, but I already know what the results will be.”
“What about your boyfriend Craig/Greg? Whatever his name is?”
“I was never with him,” I say.
He jerks back head back.
“I haven't been with anyone but you in over a year.” My voice is hardly above a whisper.
He shakes his head. “But you were going home with him?”
“I lied. He’d already left.”
“Thought he was bigger than me,” he says bitterly.
I laugh. “He might be. I’ll never know.”
He just glares.
“I only saw him once, at the restaurant. I told him I wasn’t ready to date, and he left. If you hadn’t been such a complete asshole, I would have gone home with you that night. I just said the thing about your dick to be mean.”
This shuts him up. He tilts his head up to the sky. He’s covered in snow; his clothes are soaked.
“Are you angry?” I ask.
“Am I angry you didn’t tell me you were pregnant? Yes. I’m fucking angry,” he snaps.
“No, are you angry that I’m pregnant?” I’m blinking back tears.
He recoils. “No.”
He’s shaking his head. “I’m not angry at all about that. It’s not like it’s your fault.”
“Well, it’s not not my fault,” I counter.
“Brooklyn, I know we didn’t plan this, but I’m not mad. I am definitely not mad at you over it.”
I don’t respond right away, and then I say softly, “Kip, I’m scared.”
He looks at me, and for the first time, his face softens.
I step toward him. “I’m really scared.”
I take another small step. “We’ve never talked about children. I didn’t know if it’s something you even wanted.”
“I do,” he interrupts.
I’m trembling. “I’m scared about everything. I'm a planner. I’m a rule follower. I didn’t plan this. There are so many things to worry about.”
He closes the distance between us, wraps his arms around me, and starts to pull me into his body. I press my hands against this chest. “No.”
He stiffens.
“My boobs.” I hold my body back but lean my forehead against his chest. “I’m so sore. You have no idea. Sore isn’t the right word. It’s so painful. It wakes me up at night. Sometimes it hurts to walk. I had no idea it would be this bad.”
He rubs my arm.
I look up at him and continue, “I’ve thrown up every day for the past two months. I’ve had a headache since the beginning of November. I can’t sleep. I’m starving, but nothing sounds good. And I’m horny. I’m so, so horny.”
He laughs. “I noticed.”
“You still owe me an orgasm,” I mumble. He laughs harder. He lifts my chin, so he can see my face. He doesn’t speak immediately, and then he says, “I’m here for you, one hundred percent. I’m all in. You don’t have to do any of this alone.”
I nod.
“Is this something you want?” he asks softly. “It’s your...”
I cut him off. “I do. It’s what I want.”
“Good.” He kisses my forehead. The snow whips around us, and I’m trembling.
“Let’s go inside. You’re freezing,” he says as he kisses me one more time.