TWENTY-SIX
JACK
I did some stupid shit in my life, especially regarding interactions with other human beings. I was unapproachable and distant most of the time, but what I did yesterday felt like a major screw-up—worse than anything I’ve done so far. The way I left Emma after our weekend—after we slept together—was a serious dick move.
I should have tried to explain myself better. Instead, I took off without giving her any reason why I had to. Once I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, our time together, and her painful expression when I rushed off. She didn’t want to say she was disappointed, but her eyes said it all.
So when my inner, scolding voice wouldn’t shut up, I returned to Emma’s place—back into the arms of the woman I’ve fallen for so hard. I made love to her, and I tried to dissipate every bit of doubt she might have had about me—about us. That no hint of an anxiety attack showed itself certainly dissipated my last doubts.
The following morning, before we have to work, we sit in front of one of the exam rooms at the hospital and wait for Emma’s doctor to perform the next ultrasound scan.
“Hey, guys.”
We look up at a smiling face. “Rob!” Emma beams at him. “What are you doing here? I thought it was your day off.” She rises from her chair to hug him .
“Susan called in sick today, so I’m filling in,” Rob explains with a stupid smile after giving me a nod—probably the only greeting I’ll get from him. “Are you okay with me performing the ultrasound?”
I’m about to tell him to fuck off and not even think about touching Emma, but she beats me to it. Well, sort of.
“Of course I’m okay with that,” she says. “I want to see the baby.”
My gaze snaps to her, and when I notice the huge smile on her face, I keep my mouth shut and follow them into the exam room. I sit next to Emma, who lies on the exam table, and I watch Rob lift her shirt and tuck some paper towels into the waistband of her pants. He spreads the gel on her exposed skin, and I realize that my entire body is tense and I grind my teeth. When he touches her belly, I wonder what else he’s touched.
What the fuck? When did I turn into that guy? Why am I jealous? Because I know he hasn’t touched anything, but the thought that Rob is Emma’s best friend doesn’t sit well with me.
“Can you see if it’s a boy or a girl?” Emma asks in a hopeful tone. Damn, I was so involved in my internal monologue that I missed the first minutes of the scan.
“Um—let me check—ah, yes, there,” Rob says with a grin that I want to wipe off his face. “It’s a boy, as you said.”
“A boy! Jack, it’s a boy!” She grasps my hand but doesn’t take her eyes off the screen. I wonder if she can make out any distinct body parts because it all looks like a blurry mess. Oh, no, wait. There! I saw a foot.
Wow, this is fascinating. There’s an actual human being in there. My heartbeat quickens, and I move closer to Emma, giving her hand a tender squeeze. An unfamiliar warmth spreads through my body, and my gaze falls on Emma’s face and the blissful smile, making me feel even more protective over her than before. She’s mine, and I hope to make that baby mine too. I hope Emma will let me once it— he is born. I want to provide them with all they need.
Once we’re sure everything is okay with the baby, Emma wipes the gel from her belly before Rob sees us out. Out in the hall, Emma turns to me. “I have to run to the bathroom. Will you wait for me?”
“Of course.” With a smile, I gently press my lips on hers before she heads to the restroom.
I watch her until she’s out of sight, and when I turn, I notice Rob’s intense stare on me. “What?” I ask with one eyebrow raised.
He narrows his eyes. “I’m questioning your motives. What do you want from her? She’s pregnant with someone else’s baby.”
He doesn’t beat around the bush—I must give him that. “Someone else who isn’t around,” I grunt. “So besides the fact that I like Emma, I want to help her as much as possible.”
“So you’re playing baby daddy?” he asks in a tone that doesn’t sit well with me.
“What the fuck is your problem? Is this really about my motives, or is this about me being the one who gives her what she needs? In every aspect? Do you want to be the one who does that?”
He steps closer, and I have to try hard to stifle a laugh because I don’t know if he wants to appear threatening. His eyes narrow even more, and this is turning into one of those staring contests of epic proportions. “If you give her a single reason to cry—”
I would have loved to hear what he plans to do to me, but Emma returns from the restroom, cutting him off. “Hey, guys. What’s going on?” She looks back and forth between us with furrowed brows.
“Nothing,” I mumble. “Come on. We’re leaving.” I grab her hand and pull her after me.
“Jack, what—”
I don’t give her time to say more, and she just waves goodbye to Rob with a confused expression. Luckily, the elevator opens on our floor a second later, and as soon as we step in, the doors close, and we’re alone.
Emma tears her hand out of my grip and glares at me. “What the fuck, Jack?”
I huff. “Rob is questioning my motives, and he threatened me.”
“He what?” Emma laughs. “Aw, come on. Rob wouldn’t do that.”
I glare at her. “Are you saying I’m making this up? He probably thinks he has some sort of claim on you, being your best friend.”
“Are you serious right now? Stop air-quoting and rolling your eyes. I thought we talked about this. Why are you jealous?”
“He gets so fucking close to you, and he’s a guy. Just because he insists he isn’t more than a friend doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind getting inside your pants.”
Emma throws her hands up in the air. “That’s ridiculous. And what would it matter if he did? I wouldn’t let him. And now that you brought up people who want to get inside other people’s pants: what about Kate? Because she sure wouldn’t refuse another quick fuck.”
“Oh no, we’re not talking about Kate again,” I growl. Damn, why am I mad at Emma when Rob was the one who pissed me off?
“Then we’re not talking about Rob either,” Emma returns through gritted teeth. Yes, excellent. Now we’re yelling at each other.
“Fine,” I huff.
“Fine,” she puffs.
The elevator doors open on the ground floor, and I step out, expecting Emma to follow me, but she stays put. I narrow my eyes at her. “What are you doing?”
“Going back to the maternity ward. I have to work,” she says in a carefully controlled tone as she presses the button for the floor we just left.
“But—” I stand there dumbfounded, incapable of reacting fast enough to keep the elevator open. And before I can do or say anything else, she leaves me staring at the closed doors. I run my hand over my face with a frustrated groan.
Ugh! Good job. What was I thinking? I pissed Emma off, and now she goes back to the one guy I don’t trust. Of course, I can’t stop the pictures in my head where she comes running to him, telling him what a fucking idiot I am, and he will laugh up his sleeve, comfort her, and advise her to dump my sorry ass.
I don’t want to run after her, though. I don’t think we can have a civil conversation and talk things out calmly. With a heavy heart, I take one last deep breath before turning around and going to work.
What a shitty day this has been. I could hardly concentrate on work, and any conversation I had with anyone lasted for about two minutes before I scared them off with my grumpy mood. I sent Emma several texts, telling her I was sorry, but she never responded.
As my last attempt, I send her another message when I leave work.
Jack: Can we talk? Please?
Relief washes over me when I receive her text.
Emma: Okay. I’m home now.
I take that as an invitation to come over, so instead of returning home, I go to Emma’s place. When I stand in front of her door, I draw in several deep breaths to gather my thoughts because I’m a mess. I hate that we argued over something this stupid.
Emma buzzes me inside the building, but when I knock on her closed door, she doesn’t open, making me wonder if she does it on purpose. And when she answers after my second knock, I’m sure she wants to torture me.
She wears shorts that show off her beautiful legs and a T-shirt that leaves little to the imagination. I barely manage to hold back a groan when I try to keep eye contact and not let my gaze wander over her body. “Hi,” I croak .
“Hey. Come in.”
This feels like a déjà vu of the worst kind. I follow her into the living room, as I did every time we fought. This is what we do: I show up at her place, and she leads the way to her couch, where we sit down, facing each other.
Emma clears her throat. “I talked to Rob,” she says with a deep sigh.
“And?” I ask when she doesn’t go on.
“And I think all men are stupid.”
I blink at her and open and close my mouth several times. I expected a lot, but not that. “Stupid,” I say.
“Yes, stupid. You are stupid because you’re jealous of another man who is one of the most important people in my life, but on a whole different level. He will never give me the things you give me or make me feel what you make me feel. And Rob is stupid because he thinks he has to protect me and that I can’t care for myself. So you’re both stupid for not trusting me. I don’t get why you two can’t coexist in my life without acting like complete morons.”
“Oh wow.” I let out a long breath. “I guess I messed up, huh?”
She smirks at me, which I take as a good sign. “I already know from what Liv told me that you’re the overprotective kind of guy. But please, stop acting like the jealous boyfriend. Because I crave no one’s touch more than yours.”
I scratch my chin before scooting closer and grasping her hands. “Okay,” I breathe on her lips, which are mere inches from mine. She closes her eyes and bites her lower lip, and I rest my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry I ruined that ultrasound moment for you today. You were so excited, and being the idiot I am, I had to start a fight.”
“No, Jack,” Emma says, “you didn’t ruin anything. Nothing could have ruined that moment.” Her lips stretch into a wide smile. “We’re—” She hesitates before correcting herself. “I’m having a boy.”
I grin when I understand what she almost said.
We’re having a boy.
Judging from the blush that suffuses her cheeks and how she averts her gaze, I assume she doesn’t want to say it.
“Yes, we are,” I whisper before closing her mouth with a kiss, keeping her from contradicting me. She tenses up for a tiny moment, but when we deepen the kiss, her body relaxes. To make sure she doesn’t ponder what I just told her, I grab her hips and lift her onto my lap. After only a few moments of kissing her, tasting her, and feeling her, I lose track of time and space.
I slip my hands under her ridiculously tight T-shirt—so tight that I’m surprised I manage to cup her breasts. She squirms under my touch when I caress her sensitive nipples through her bra, and when she grinds her hips over my painful erection, I groan, growing impatient.
“Ah, yes, Jack, don’t stop!” Emma moans into my mouth.
Oh, I’m not planning to. In my mind, I’m already picturing her naked body underneath mine, but then I’m having the second déjà vu for tonight. Before we can move this to her bedroom, the doorbell echoes through the place.