Page 39 of Shameless With Him

Chapter 8

Caleb

“Why exactly am I here again?”I asked, wondering why I had been asking that question so often these days. Why did I always find myself in places I hadn’t planned to be?

Maybe I could get into an existential crisis at that point, or perhaps I could just blame the fact that everybody in my life was getting married and popping out babies. Every single fucking person.

Dimitri just raised a brow as he sipped his beer. “I don’t know why you’re complaining. You get food, you get beer if you’d like it, you get all the soda and water and juice and sparkling beverages that you want, and you don’t have to actually deal with baby games.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t actually have to play baby games, do I? Because I’m pretty sure there are baby games at a baby shower.”

Yes, I was at the Montgomery/Carr shower. Not that Thea was actually a Montgomery anymore. No, she had changed her last name to Carr since there were already enough Montgomerys sprawled around the state—and probably around the world at this point. However, the Montgomerys hated giving up their name, so it was branded on every single invitation, and even on the damn wall on some printed-out banner that they had made. Apparently, there was more than one artist in the family, so they had hand-done the damn thing.

I didn’t know why I was so cranky. Probably had to do with the fact that I’d had blue balls since kissing Zoey, not once but twice. And both times hadn’t been just a kiss. That second time? Dear God, I’d almost fucked her right there in her mom’s bathroom. I hadn’t been that horny and idiotic about where I was making out with a girl since I had been a teenager.

And even then, I hadn’t crossed that line. Apparently, I was losing my mind.

And that sobered me quicker than an ice-cold shower. I didn’t want to lose my mind. I didn’t want my brain to be hurting at all. I hadn’t had a hallucination since that first time, nor had I had a migraine in a few days. But that didn’t mean one couldn’t come out of the blue. So, I wasn’t going to drink tonight, not when I had an hour-long drive home. And I wasn’t going to ignore any symptoms that might arise. So far, so good. But I still didn’t trust myself. Not anymore.

“Okay, you’re not thinking about baby games and being at a co-ed baby shower anymore. You doing okay? How’s your head?”

I looked at my big brother and shrugged, stuffing my hands into my pockets. “I’m fine. Haven’t had an incident since you came over.”

“Good. Because you’re going to tell me every time you have one.”

I glared at him but I nodded. “I will. Promise.”

“I’m surprised I didn’t have to fight you on that.”

“I guess I’m scared shitless enough that I’m not going to hide anything from you anymore.”

“Fuck,” Dimitri whispered before he set down his beer and held me tight in a hug that I hadn’t been expecting. I let out a shocked breath and then released my hands from my pockets so I could hug him back. I was scared, and I wasn’t too manly or dick-sure to admit it. I didn’t want to be sick. I didn’t want to be weird. And I sure as hell did not want to die.

My throat went dry, and bile coated my tongue just at that thought, so I pushed it from my mind, however broken it might be. I was fine. The doctors were going to figure things out, and I was going to be just fine. The fact that the doctor I currently had kept running test after test and didn’t seem to know what he was doing might worry me, but it wasn’t like I actually knew what needed to be done.

“You know, my friend who also has the serious migraines is here. Remember, she’s marrying into the family?”

I frowned. “I thought her brother was marrying into the family.”

Dimitri shrugged. “I honestly have no idea anymore. All I know is that she was invited because, somehow, she’s connected. Their whole family is here. In addition to a few other families who married into the Montgomerys.”

“I have no idea who some of those people are.”

“You don’t have to worry about it. At all. Just make sure that you watch what Thea’s eating.”

I frowned. “Excuse me? You want me to get between a pregnant woman and food? Do you want me to lose an arm?”

Dimitri snorted, and I shook my head. “This is a cheese-themed baby shower. You know our love of cheese.”

“You mean your unholy fascination with it?”

“There’s nothing unholy about cheese. Cheese is good. Cheese is life.”

“Yep, how right that is, husband,” Thea said from across the room. She was back into her own conversation before I could even comment on the fact that she had somehow heard that stupid cult-like saying from across the room.

“The fact that you have a motto with your cult means you may have a problem with cheese,” I calmly pointed out.

“There’s nothing wrong. Plus, it’s a joke between us now. Hence the oddly themed cheese baby shower for a woman who’s not allowed to have soft cheeses.”

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