9. Kelsey #2
The porcelain is cool beneath my palms as I grip the edge of the toilet, my knees slamming against the tile. My stomach heaves, and I retch, the force of it wrenching a choked sound from my throat.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, my vision swimming as I gasp for air between waves. My whole body trembles, muscles locking and releasing in violent spasms, and for a moment, I'm sure I'm going to split in half.
When it finally passes, I stay there, slumped against the side of the bathtub, my forehead resting against the cool rim of the toilet seat. My breath comes in ragged gulps, my skin slick with sweat, and my throat burns like I've swallowed acid.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, my fingers trembling.
What the hell is wrong with me? Did I eat something bad?
The question echoes in my skull, bouncing around like a pinball.
Food poisoning?
But then nothing stands out. Nothing should be making me feel like this.
Then another thought slams into me, cold and sharp.
My period.
My breath catches, my fingers freezing mid-wipe. I go still, my pulse suddenly roaring in my ears.
I'm late. My stomach twists again, but this time, it has nothing to do with nausea. I scramble for my phone, my fingers fumbling over the screen as I pull up the calendar. My thumb hovers over the dates, counting backward, then forward, then backward again, just to be sure.
The numbers don't lie.
It's been more than a month.
A cold sweat breaks out along my spine, my throat tightening as I stare at the screen. The nausea isn't just nausea anymore. It's something else. Something bigger. Something that makes my chest feel like it's caving in.
I could be pregnant.
The thought slams into me like a freight train, stealing the air from my lungs. My hand drifts down, pressing against my stomach, as if I could somehow feel the truth beneath my skin.
And then I think of them.
What would they think?
Would they be happy?
What if they fight?
No.
I shake my head, my fingers digging into the cold tile beneath me. I don't want that. I don't want this to be the thing that tears the house apart.
I sit there on the bathroom floor, the cold seeping into my skin, my phone still clutched in my hand. The screen glows in the dark, the dates blurring as my vision swims. My thoughts spiral, a tangled mess of what ifs and maybes, each one more terrifying than the last.
But first, I need to make sure.
Then I'll figure out what to do.
I press my hand against my stomach again, my fingers trembling.
This might change everything.
For better or worse.
And I'm not ready.
* * *
The bedroom door creaks open as I finish cleaning up, the sound slicing through the thick silence like a blade. My pulse jumps, my fingers tightening around the hem of my shirt as I turn around.
"Kelsey." His tone is rough, edged with something I can't quite place. "You need to see this."
Is it my mother?
I rush out. The hallway stretches ahead, but the living room beyond is bathed in golden light, warm and inviting.
"Where—"
Then I see it.
The yard is different.
Twinkling lights are strung across the trees, their soft glow spilling over the grass like liquid starlight. Lanterns hang from the branches, swaying gently in the evening breeze, and the scent of something sweet drifts through the open doors.
A small table is set up near the patio, covered in a white cloth, with three plates and a bottle of something sparkling chilling in a bucket of ice.
My breath catches.
It's beautiful.
But what's the occasion?
Kieran pushes off the wall, his shoes thudding against the floor as he steps toward me. "We wanted to surprise you."
Kyler's gaze burns into me, heavy and intense. "Let's go."
I hesitate, my fingers twisting together in front of me. The nausea from earlier still lingers, a dull ache in my stomach, but the way they're looking at me makes my skin prickle with something else entirely.
We head out, and as I'm about to sit down, Kyler stops me.
Kieran exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair before dropping to one knee in front of me. My breath hitches, my pulse spiking as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
Kyler follows, mirroring his brother's stance, his own box appearing from nowhere.
My heart slams against my ribs.
"Kelsey." Kieran's voice is low, rough. "We've spent our whole lives making sure we never wanted for anything. Never needed anyone." His fingers brush against my knee, warm and steady. "Then you walked in, and suddenly, we didn't know how to breathe without you."
Kyler's jaw tightens, his free hand curling into a fist at his side. "We're not easy men. We're possessive, jealous, demanding as hell." His throat works as he swallows. "But we love you. More than we've ever loved anything."
Kieran flips open the box, revealing a beautiful ring—platinum, with a single, brilliant diamond nestled in the center. "We want you. Forever."
Kyler opens his next, and my breath catches. It's a matching band, but where Kieran's is simple and elegant, Kyler's is bold, the metal twisted into an intricate design, three diamonds set beside each other.
"Marry us." Kieran's voice is a command, but his eyes are soft, vulnerable in a way I've never seen before.
Kyler's fingers tremble as he reaches for my hand. "Be ours."
I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. My throat is too tight, my chest too full. Tears blur my vision, and I blink them back, my gaze darting between them.
"But—" My voice cracks. "What about my mother? I mean, what about your marriage"
Kieran's expression darkens. "Already handled. The divorce is in motion."
I suck in a sharp breath, my fingers pressing against my lips. "You… you did that for me?"
Kyler's thumb brushes over my knuckles. "We'd burn the world down for you."
Kieran nods, his grip tightening. "Say yes."
I swallow hard, my heart pounding so loud I'm sure they can hear it. My fingers shake as I reach for them, one hand gripping Kieran's, the other Kyler's.
"Yes." The word is barely a whisper, but it's enough.
They both exhale, like they've been holding their breath for years, and then they're moving, slipping the rings onto my left finger… Kieran's first, then Kyler's, the metal cool against my skin.
Kyler stands first, pulling me up with him, his arms wrapping around me in a crushing embrace. He lifts me off the ground, spinning me once before setting me down, his forehead pressing against mine.
"Fuck, I love you," he growls, his voice rough with emotion.
Kieran's hands slide up my arms, his touch gentle, reverent. "I love you," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple.
I melt into them, my body trembling, my heart so full it feels like it might burst.
Then Kyler's hands tighten on my waist, his grip almost bruising.
I freeze. "Be careful. You're going to crush the baby."
He freezes, his gaze dropping to my stomach. "The what?"
"She said baby," Kieran adds.
My breath catches, my fingers flying to my lips. I hadn't even realized I'd said it.
I swallow hard, my pulse roaring in my ears. "I…I'm pregnant."
The words hang in the air, thick and heavy.
Kieran goes still beside me, his body tensing like a coiled spring.
Kyler's grip on me loosens, his hands sliding down to press against my stomach. His breath hitches, his eyes widening.
"Pregnant." Kieran's voice is barely a whisper, but it cuts through the silence like a blade.
I nod, my throat tight. "I just found out. I didn't… I wasn't sure how to tell you."
"Why?" Kieran asks.
Kyler's hands tremble against my skin. "You think we'd be mad? That we won't be happy?"
I bite my lip, my gaze dropping to the floor. "I don't know. I thought… What if you fight over it? What if you want to know who the father is?"
"Kelsey." Kieran's voice is sharp, cutting me off. His fingers tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. "We don't care whose it is."
Kyler's hands slide up, cupping my face. "We're both their father. That's all that matters."
My breath hitches, tears spilling over as I look between them. "You're not mad?"
"Mad?" Kyler's lips curl into a slow, dangerous smile. "We're fucking ecstatic."
Kieran nods, his thumb brushing away a tear. "We only care that you're the mother," he murmurs again, his voice rough with emotion.
Kyler's arms wrap around me, pulling me against his chest.
"I love you," they say at the same time.
I smile. "I love you, too."