“I would ask if everything’s okay,” said Ashley, “but by the looks of it, I’m guessing you’re ready to kill someone.”
“Ha!” laughed Kennedy, “I do want to kill someone, and his name happens to be Dane fucking Winters.”
“What did lover boy do now?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“He asked me to move in with him,” she replied indignantly, still banging the pots and pans. What on earth was she doing that for?
Ashley and I traded looks of surprise. It was a little soon for Dane and Kennedy to live together, wasn’t it? They’d only been dating a few months, and they were still working through their family drama.
“What did you say?” I asked carefully.
“What do you think I said?” Kennedy turned, and I could see in by the expression on her face that it was really bothering her.
“Where have you girls been?” Kennedy’s question came so fast I wasn’t sure if it was a diversion tactic or not.
“Ash took me to the Doctor,” I replied. “I started cramping after getting into a fight with Reid.”
“Are you okay?” She rushed out, “I should’ve been here.”
I waved her off. “I’m fine, really. And so is baby.”
“I’m sorry, Jade. I wish I was here when it happened.”
“Ash was here, so don’t worry about it. Now,” – I clapped my hands together – “call Grady and tell him we’re having an ‘I Hate All Men’ night. He’s the only guy allowed to set foot here, unless Dane and Reid want to be junk punched.”
“That sounds perfect,” replied Kennedy. “Then Ash can fill us in on her sexcapades with Chase.”
We both smirked at Ashley, who had the decency to look both stupefied and embarrassed. “You guys know about that?”
“Of course we do,” I snorted. “It’s hard to hide a good post-orgasm face.”
Ashley dropped her head in her hands, and mumbled, “Oh my God, I thought we were being discreet. This is so humiliating.”
I patted her arm, and resisted the urge to laugh at how she thought we hadn’t known. “We’ve all been there. But tell me, is the sex any good?”
Her head came up, and she bit her lip. “He’s, uh, very...enthusiastic.”
Kennedy and I burst into a fit of giggles. “Better spill before Grady gets here,” I mused. “I doubt he’d want to hear what a great lay his brother is.”
And just like that, our ‘I Hate All Men’ night was a go. After a rather tiring day, I needed to be surrounded by friends, and soon came to appreciate that our baby would be born into a loving family, whether it included Reid or not.
Chapter 10
Reid
I’d Rather Fight With Her, Than Love Anyone Else
The bar I’d spent the last few hours in was just off campus, and had already started filling up with the Friday night crowd. I was tucked away into a dimly lit corner booth, away from the excited bustle of my fellow students.
What I wanted was to speak to Jade, but after our row earlier, I thought it better to give her some space, and myself the chance to process her news. It had come as a shock, but what surprised me was the relief I felt knowing it was my baby she was expecting, and not some other assholes’.
The waitress came by and placed another soda in front of me before removing the empty bottle on my table, and I nodded my thanks. It would have been easy to get drunk – I sure as hell needed a drink – but I wanted a clear head in order to put everything in perspective. When someone sat down on the bench opposite me, I looked up and saw that my father had taken a seat. His dark blond hair stuck up in all directions as a result of the rain, and his fancy suit was all but dripping on the floor. The likeness between us was uncanny, and no one would doubt that I was his son.
“I was hoping I’d find you here,” he said, taking off his wet coat. He shook some water from his hair, and relaxed, eyeing me with wariness and concern.
“A little out of your way,” I replied. I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks, and couldn’t deny that I was happy to see him. Out of everyone close to me, he was probably the only person I could talk to right then.
“Dane called me, he said he was worried about you.”
I fiddled with the cap of my bottle, and gave my father a half-smile. “Doesn’t surprise me, he was never good at keeping his nose out of my business.”
“He cares about you, and the fact that he called me, means something must be wrong.”
My father’s eyes green matched mine, and when he looked at me I saw that he really was worried. He wouldn’t have sought me out if he weren’t. He was a busy man, and although I missed him, he’d always taken the time to be there for me when I needed him. Aside from Dane, my father was also my best friend, and I knew I could trust him with anything. I never feared his judgment, or worried that he’d be disappointed. He simply listened, and helped me where he could.
“You didn’t have to come all the way out here, Dad,” – I took a sip of my soda – “A phone call would have sufficed.”
He waved his hand, and rested back into the booth, his bulking shoulders taking up most of it. “I’m here now. Start talking, son.”
If I weren’t feeling so all over the place I would have chuckled at the authoritative way he spoke to me. It was one of many reasons why people respected him so much, both in and out of the courtroom. You’d think being a tough-as-nails attorney would have hardened him too much, but he was a family man at heart, and he’d taught me what it meant to be a man, a loving father, and a devoted husband. All the things I wanted to be for Jade and our baby, and that scared me.
I was going to be a dad.
I rubbed my hand over my head, and let out a heavy breath. “Where do I even start?” I mused. “It’s such a fucking mess.”
My father ordered a beer, and then rested his clasped hands in front of him. “Easy, you start at the beginning.”
Was there even a beginning?
I started telling him everything that had transpired between Jade and me, from the moment we blurred the line between ‘friends’ and ‘lovers’ to how I dated Stella in the hopes of moving past my feelings for Jade. While I left nothing out, my father listened with intent, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. His occupation had taught him to analyze every fact, and every detail, and to determine the appropriate course of action. I needed him to do that for me now, or at least guide me in the right direction because I was at a loss.
“And then today, I found out she’s pregnant. I freaked out because I thought it was someone else’s, and I humiliated her in public because I was too angry to be rational about it. Turns out the baby’s mine.”
I avoided my father’s knowing gaze, afraid that his concern would shift into disappointment, but that’s not what I got, at all.
He let out a loud woosh of air, and leaned forward. “That’s...shit, that’s a lot to take in.”
This time I did chuckle. “Lucas Cole, at a loss for words? That’s a first.”
My father’s response was to give me a crooked smile, and immediately I relaxed. That one gesture gave me the reassurance I’d been looking for.
“Shut up. You just told me I’m going to be a grandfather. I need a minute.”
“Join the club,” I muttered. “I’m going to be a dad, and I don’t even know if Jade wants me to be part of the baby’s life.”
With thick, furrowed brows, he asked, “Why wouldn’t she want you to? That doesn’t sound like the Jade I know.”
My lips twitched at his comment. He’d always had a soft spot for Jade.