Page 70 of My Ex-Boyfriend's Brothers

I softened instantly, forgetting the slight panic I felt at talking about kids already. It wasn’t that I didn’t want them, it was just that I was scared. I still wasn’t convinced they wouldn’t leave me again.

Doctor Hall walked in, rubbing hand sanitizer in, and came up to my bedside, interrupting whatever I’d been about to say. “Well, I found a few things. You’re dehydrated, malnourished, and low in iron and vitamin D. That’s not the biggest thing, though.”

The energy in the room shifted. Luke gripped the back of my neck. “What is it?”

“Your body would be suffering from how you’ve been treating it no matter what but you’re being hit twice as hard, Maggie. You’ve got one of the most expensive parasites in the world growing in you.” He immediately saw his mistake when tears welled up in my eyes. “Oh, no! No, no. I’m so sorry. You’re pregnant, Maggie. I just meant that you’re pregnant.”

Luke grabbed Doctor Hall’s shoulder and marched him out of the room, scolding him for scaring me the entire time. I was still staring at the spot the doctor had been with my mouth hanging open. Pregnant. I was pregnant?

“Oh, shit.” I laid back in the bed, wishing I could faint on command.

58

***Maggie***

“We have to talk about it at some point.” Luke’s measured voice drifted into my room from where he sat in the adjoining sitting room. They’d left the bedroom door cracked so they’d hear if I needed them.

“She doesn’t seem ready. We’ve pushed so much already that I feel like she’s going to freak out.” Ryan’s voice was quieter but I could still make it out.

We’d left the hospital and checked into their hotel suite and they’d been on eggshells around me the whole time. At first, I’d been so shocked that I was pregnant that I couldn’t say anything. When they didn’t mention it either, though, I got worried that they weren’t happy about it. They wanted kids, sure, but not in eight months. I hadn’t even begun processing how I felt about everything because I was terrified of them running.

They thought I was sleeping soundly in the bedroom so I was taking my chance to eavesdrop. I wanted to know how they felt, how they truly felt.

“I can’t believe it.” Jackson was pacing, I could tell. “Obviously, it makes sense that it happened, but I just didn’t expect anything to happen that fast.”

“This changes everything.” I heard Ryan walking towards the bedroom door and shut my eyes, pretending I was still asleep.

My heart, which hadn’t had time to even begin putting itself back together, sank a little lower. The pregnancy changed everything. They weren’t going to want to be with me.

Maybe before the two weeks I’d spent at the lodge I would’ve stayed in bed and let them work out what they wanted on their own. I wasn’t okay with that, anymore. What I wanted mattered.

I flew out of bed fast enough that I had to grip the door frame for a moment to steady myself. The guys heard me, of course, and came charging towards the door but I pushed it open and stepped out, hands on my hips.

“If you think that you’re going to take back everything you said because I’m pregnant, think again. I’m not doing this alone. This wasn’t in my plans, either. I’d planned on having a geriatric pregnancy like Mom. I didn’t expect this. There’s another human growing inside of me and that kind of freaks me out a little bit but you three aren’t allowed to freak out. I need you.” I wiped away a stray tear and lifted my chin. “It changes nothing. If you try to leave me now, I’m going to have Gregor drive you off a cliff. Do you understand me?”

Luke shocked me by throwing his head back and laughing. Jackson and Ryan quickly followed and I stomped my foot, angry that they were laughing at me.

“What’s so funny? You promised me a lot earlier today and I want it. Take me to the courthouse now and marry me because you’re not abandoning me again.” Even as I heard the words coming out of my mouth, I was embarrassed and wanted to take them back. It was too late, though, so I stood taller and scowled at them. “This baby is going to have a weird, but stable home,dammit. You’re going to play ball or dress-up with them and you’re going to be there for their games or recitals. You’re going to love and support us with your time and commitment. I’m serious. I don’t know why you’re still laughing.”

Jackson sobered up first and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Baby. We aren’t going anywhere.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “It sounded like you were panicking…”

“Maggie, I meant what I said when I said it changes everything. It changes our timeline, our plans for the immediate future, but mostly, I meant that it changes how we handle you. You’re pregnant and haven’t been taking care of yourself. This changes how we take care of you and especially how we fuck you.”

My core throbbed at the mention of them fucking me and I cast a shamed look down at my crotch. It wasn’t the time.

“We’ve missed you, Maggie. I think we all had it in our minds that we were going to bend you over and have our way with you as soon as we got you alone. Obviously, this changes that.” Luke trailed his knuckle down my cheek. “We’re not going anywhere. I was starting to worry about you sprinting out of here. It’s a lot on you. We’re older than you. We’re ready to start a family. This whole thing has happened so fast for you where it’s been happening for us for six years. We’re just worried about you, baby.”

“So, you don’t want to leave?”

Ryan grunted. “You’re in for a rude awakening, Maggie. I’m retired now. I have all the time in the world and I’m going to spend it all on you. You’re going to wish I’d leave.”

“Honestly, I was thinking we needed to get married as soon as possible so you didn’t have a chance to get cold feet once you see how protective we’re going to be.” Jackson shrugged. “You’re itfor us, Bubbles. You’ll understand that eventually and until then, I have no problem reminding you.”

I let out a bone deep sigh of relief and slumped into Jackson’s chest. “I’m pregnant.”

“Yeah, you are. You’re having our baby.” Luke smiled bigger than I’d ever seen. “You’re stuck with us.”

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