FOURTEEN
JACK
“And you’re sure you want to make it official today?” I glance at Emma, who sits in the passenger seat of my car, as I drive into Queens.
It’s the following weekend, and Emma and I are on our way to my niece’s birthday party, as I offered her Monday when we talked long into the night. And we continued to talk a lot over the past week, getting to know each other better—as friends. But we didn’t discuss how we said we liked each other—or the kiss. It was barely a kiss anyway, and honestly, I don’t know if it meant anything to her at all.
It was such a surprise when she told me she was pregnant. Not knowing what else to do, I offered her my friendship because she sure couldn’t use some guy hitting on her in her current situation. I have no clue what it is about her that cast a spell on me, but I find myself attracted to her in new and unfamiliar ways. She’s even the reason I’m seeing my therapist again. And the fact that she’s carrying someone else’s baby changes nothing. But she has more pressing matters to worry about, so I have to ignore the feelings I still have for her, at least for now. For now, I will be her friend, and as her friend, I’ll introduce her to my sister today so she has someone to talk to about pregnancy and everything that goes with it.
Emma turns her head to look at me after my question, and before I direct my gaze back to the street, I catch her smiling. A smile that makes me suck in a breath because it’s so sweet and sexy that I want to forget about my earlier resolutions. She makes me feel all these incredible things.
“Yes, I’m sure. I have to take the next step. You mentioned Paul is gonna be there too? It’s time I told my friends. And then I have to tell my family,” she adds with a deep sigh.
Over the past few days, she told me more about her family, especially her mom, who sounds like someone I don’t want to meet. That was another reason I offered her my support. She’ll undoubtedly need a friend once she faces her mother.
When we walk into my sister’s house, laughter and music echo from the living room. We head to the source of the noise, and I laugh once we enter what seems like a different universe. Balloons and a sparkling Happy Birthday banner decorate the walls, indicating that this, in fact, is a unicorn party. They are everywhere: on the cups and plates and the napkins. And, of course, on the cake that sits in the center of the tablecloth-covered table with—correct—more glittering unicorns.
“Oh wow.” Emma gasps, obviously impressed with Liv’s party-planning skills. “Can I hire your sister for my next birthday?”
I chuckle. “Sure, she’d love that.”
“Hey, guys!” Paul shows up behind us, looking rather funny with the unicorn cup in his hand. “Welcome to the party of the year.” He raises his drink before taking a sip.
Emma laughs. “I didn’t know you were into glittery, girly stuff. ”
“Hank is the one who was invited; I’m just his chauffeur and here for the food.” He points to the kids who placed a party hat on his poor dog’s head. But Hank seems to enjoy the attention. “Okay, see you later. I’ll grab some cake now,” Paul says as he takes off.
“Hey, guys! Welcome!” My sister joins us, and I greet her with a smile.
“Hi, Liv. You remember Emma?”
She nods and beams at her. “Sure! From the ER. Hi, Emma. How are you?”
Emma smiles back at her. “I’m fine, thanks. And how are you? How’s your shoulder?”
“It’s okay.” She sighs. “Once this party is over, I can rest.”
“By the way,” Emma says, “this looks awesome. How old is Lucy?”
“Thank you.” My sister’s lips stretch into a proud smile. “She’s five.”
Emma’s eyes widen. “Five? I hope you don’t mind me saying—you were pretty young when you had Lucy, weren’t you?”
Liv chuckles. “I was seventeen when I got pregnant.” She squints at me. “That’s what happens when you grow up with two overprotective brothers.”
I snort. “Please, that had nothing to do with Will and me looking out for you. You were always the rebellious one.”
She smirks at me. “Yes, always doing what you forbid me to do.”
I turn to Emma. “This is a terrible case of big brother’s best friend like in one of those cheesy romance novels.”
Emma laughs. “Really? ”
“Yeah. Ethan, my husband and Lucy’s father, is my other brother Will’s best friend,” Liv explains. “They weren’t friends for a while, though. When he found out that Ethan knocked me up, he was close to beating the shit out of him. But when we announced the pregnancy and thus made it official, it slowly sank in that we were in love.”
I snort. “In love. Pff! How long had you been together when you got pregnant? A month?”
Liv waves off my question. “Oh please! We started dating secretly when I was fifteen. And by the time I got pregnant, we had been fucking behind your back for over a year.”
I groan and cover my ears. “Too much information!”
Emma laughs. “You guys! This is hilarious.”
When Liv joins in, I glare at them. “Yeah, hilarious. Talking of which, where are they all? Are Dad and Will here yet?”
Liv nods. “They’re in the backyard, starting the barbecue as men should.”
“Great. Real food. Can’t wait. Or are you serving unicorn tenderloin?” I smirk at my sister.
“Shut up, you idiot,” she says, hitting my chest.
“Happy to! Why don’t you girls chat more while I join the guys outside?” I meet Emma’s gaze, silently asking if she’s all right with it. She nods and gives me that sweet smile again, the same one she gave me in the car earlier, and again, it does funny things to me.
“Good idea,” Liv says, linking her arm with Emma’s. “Come on. You have to see the cake I made.”
I watch them with a probably very goofy grin before walking over to my niece to wish her a happy birthday. She’s so busy that she only has time for a quick hi. So I walk outside, where I indeed find all the men gathered around the barbecue.
“Jack!” My brother, Will, is the first to notice me, and at his greeting, everyone else turns and smiles at me.
“Hello, son!” My dad gives my brother a friendly shove to move past him. I take a deep breath because I know what’s coming. Once he’s reached me, he wraps his arms around me, and just like with my mom, I endure his hug. “How are you, Jack?” he asks when he pulls back and I let out the breath I was holding.
“I’m good. How about you?”
And in no time, we’re talking about ways to grill the perfect burger—manly stuff and all that.
After a while, Paul turns to me. “Hey, can I ask you a question?” He gestures for me to move to the side so the others can’t hear us. “Why did you bring Emma?” he asks once we are out of earshot. “Are you two a thing?”
I shake my head. “No, and it won’t happen.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Why not?”
I shrug. “I don’t think she wants me.”
“For someone who doesn’t want you, she sure looks at you funny.”
I step from one foot to the other, contemplating if I should tell him. Emma said she wanted to make it official, and to be honest, I need to talk about this with my best friend. “She’s pregnant.”
“What?” He gapes at me. “Why? How?”
“It was some drunken one-night stand three months ago.”
“Wow. That changes things. Now what? ”
I let out a long, frustrated sigh. “No clue. I told her she could count on me as a friend.”
“But you want more,” he states. He’s not even asking; he knows.
“Yeah.” I avert my gaze and direct it at something in the distance. “I’m seeing Dr. Jeffries again.”
“Really? You are serious about her.”
“I guess. But right now, it can’t happen, so I’m just gonna work on my issues.”
Paul squeezes my shoulder with a sigh. “Come on, let’s get some cake and drown your sorrows in lemonade.”
Paul and I walk back inside just as my mother emerges from the kitchen with a tray. She places it on the table, and all the kids eagerly grab what’s on it: popsicles.
I watch how Liv introduces Emma to my mom, and she must have said something like “friend of Jack’s” because my mother’s eyes search mine, and when she spots me, a huge grin forms on her lips. Damn, I know exactly what she’s thinking.
My mother turns back to Emma and hands her a popsicle, too, which she accepts with a laugh. That’s when my ordeal begins. I can’t tear my gaze away from Emma as she licks the popsickle, and when she puts it in her mouth, I groan.
“What is it?” Paul asks.
I point my head over to where Emma is currently challenging my self-control. The way she lets her tongue run over the bright red ice on a stick and—what’s even worse—when it disappears in her mouth … that evokes thoughts of the dirtiest kind. “Damn, whose idea was it to serve popsicles? ”
Paul covers his mouth with his hand to suppress a loud laugh.
I squeeze my eyes shut and lower my head. “Please, kill me now! You think my sister serves booze?”
“No.” Paul still struggles not to laugh out loud.
“Sorry, I can’t watch this any longer.” I turn and hurry outside to join the guys at the barbecue for more manly talk. Anything that serves as a distraction. And luckily, once we talk about work and my dad’s health, those thoughts from earlier disappear.
While we discuss details about my father’s upcoming minor knee surgery, Liv brings out the burger patties. “Here you go. Knock yourselves out.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone else walk through the French doors out onto the terrace. I turn my head, and when I recognize her, I gasp. I grab my sister’s arm as she is about to return inside. “Liv, what the fuck is Kate doing here?” I ask through clenched teeth.
She turns her head, too, and looks at the woman in question. “Oh, she’s back in town. I ran into her and invited her.” She frowns. “Is this weird? Especially now that you’re here with Emma?”
I shake my head. “It’s not like that between Emma and me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sure. That’s why you’re looking at her like that.”
“Has she told you yet?”
“What? That she’s pregnant? Yes, but I saw your longing gaze, so I thought it didn’t matter to you.”
“It doesn’t. But for now, I’m trying to be her friend. ”
That’s when Kate spots us and comes rushing over. “Jack!” she screeches before falling around my neck. “How are you? It’s been forever.”
She steps back, giving me her widest smile. Wow, seeing her causes all kinds of confusing feelings. “Hey, Kate. You’re back in New York?”
“Yes, I was transferred back. I’m so glad I caught you here today. I’m just gonna say a quick hi, and then I’m off again, but maybe we can go out sometime and catch up?” She gives me a hopeful look.
“Sure, I’d like that,” I tell her with a forced smile.
“Okay, sorry, I have to leave. I’ll say hi to the rest of the family, but I’ll call you, and we’ll arrange dinner or something.”
“Sounds great.”
She hesitates before stepping closer to whisper in my ear, “It was great seeing you.” She plants a peck on my cheek and hugs me again. When I put my arms around her waist and return the hug, memories of us flood my mind. I close my eyes and let her hug me. She places her hand on the back of my neck and runs her fingers through my hair like she always used to do.
After letting go of me, she walks over to Ethan, Will, and my dad. I watch her say hello, and a sense of familiarity washes through me.
My sister clears her throat. I glance at her, and she tilts her head toward the French doors. I follow her gaze, and my heart stops when I spot Emma standing next to Paul, staring in my direction with an expression of utter disbelief.
Fuck.