Page 100 of Last Round

“I’m sorry,” he says. Molly and I both remain tight-lipped. “I fucked up.” He takes our continued silence as an indicator to keep going, because that’s totally what it is. Sean stands and paces the small space. “Look, you both caught me off guard, okay? Seriously, do you know how traumatizing it was to walk in on your best friend and little sister, naked, in bed, in a room that still reeked of sex? Did I handle it well? No, I didn’t. But you can’t blame me completely. I mean, come on. You’re you.” He points to Molly with love in his eyes. “And you’re… you…” His gesture towards me holds a little more contempt.

“I thought you were supposed to be apologizing, not insulting us?” Molly has definitely grown a pair when it comes to Sean. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her talk to her brother like this.

“I am.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It’s just… this is going to take a bit getting used to. But I’m trying.”

“And Tony?” Molly doesn’t let up.

“FuckIl Douche.”

I chuckle because, of course, my best friend and I would come up with the same name for that asshole.

“Again, I beyond royally fucked up there. I was mad, confused about you two. So when he came in with his line of bullshit, I fell for it. I’m not proud of myself. Actually, I hate myself. If I hadn’t been so fucking stupid and caught up in…” His nostrils flare. He can’t even bring himself to say her name. “I would’ve seen the red flags. I feel like an ass about how I reacted when I found you two. But, then again, both of you expected it. There was no scenario when it came to finding out about you guys where you were dumb enough to think I was gonna pop the champagne. That douche, though, I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for bringing him here, into your life. If I had known, I never…”

I look at Molly, see the tears in her eyes. She told him. I pull her in closer. Telling Sean must have killed her. She peers up at me, as if asking permission to forgive her brother. Not that she needs it. Regardless of what my and Sean’s friendship looks like from here forward, he’s her brother. I’d never make her choose between the two of us. Still, I nod, because she needs to know it’s okay.

“You were a real asshole,” she starts. “And it’s going to take some time. But…” Sean is almost blue in the face as he holds his breath, waiting for her to finish. “I might be able to forgive you.” His shoulders sag with relief. “Might,” she reminds him. “This apology was a good start, but you have some serious groveling in your future.”

“I can live with that.” Sean wipes a tear of his own. And that’s how I know he means it. Not even on the day he got the news about his father or at the funeral did I ever see him shed a tear. I’m sure he bawled his eyes out in private. But in public, especially in front of Molly, he refused to show any weakness. He has been her strong big brother ever since that day. “Are we cool?” he asks me.

Molly might have thrown him a lifeline, but that didn’t necessarily include me.

“Are you going to be okay with me dating your sister?”

Sean takes a deep breath and lets out a long sigh. “If Paulie was cool with Rocky dating his sister, I guess I can be too.”

Molly looks confused, but I smile at theRockyreference. “We’re good.”

“Thank god,” Sean mumbles quietly under his breath, so quietly I almost don’t hear him.

Much like Molly, just because I forgive him doesn’t mean I’m going to take it easy on him. “Besides, we’re about to be brothers soon. Don’t want to start our new family off with bad blood.”

“You two?” Sean glances between us, that ease from a moment ago gone. Molly and I look at each other and smile before turning back to him. Sean collapses into his chair. “Seriously? Can’t give a guy a second to adjust?”

“I say it’s best we just rip off all the Band-Aids now,” Molly teases.

“Are there any more surprises?” he asks, his eyes dropping to his sister’s stomach.

Molly bites her lip. Sean goes pale. When he looks like he’s about to faint, she bursts out laughing. “No, we aren’t pregnant.”

“Yet,” I chime in just as Sean looks like he’s about to relax. “Give it a month or two.”

“Excuse me?” Molly pins me with a stare. “I thought we were justpretending.”

“Okay, I’m going to go wait out in the lobby.” Sean moves to the door. I won’t lie. It’s fun watching my buddy squirm. “Do you guys need anything? Think about it. Text me if you do.” He rushes out but comes right back. “Oh, here’s your phone.” He tosses Molly her cell and leaves.

“Where were we?” Molly taps her chin. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Month or two?”

“Why wait?” I shrug. “As soon as this heals, because I don’t want to look like a cyclops in our wedding photos, I say we get married and start up this baby train. You wanted like two or three, right?”

“Yeah, in a few years.”

“Let’s split the difference… How about one year?”

“You’re serious?”

“As a depressed skull fracture.”

She doesn’t laugh at my joke.

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