Page 54 of Inked Devotion

Beckett leaned closer. “I never wanted her like that. That’s the whole point. We’re friends. You don’t fuck friends.”

“Well…” Lee said, and Archer snorted.

“Yeah, we don’t say that because a lot of our friends tend to fall for one another. However, we’re going to be calm and rational about this.” Archer looked at me. “Jacob is at the sonogram appointment with Annabelle. Everything is fine. It’s just a routine appointment. Colton is working, as is Marc. I’m sure they would have loved to be here for the show. Dad isn’t here because we decided not to be here with the parents where you’d have to explain to our mom and dad why you chose to sleep with a girl who’s been in our lives for what seems like forever and get her pregnant.”

I somehow followed all of that and growled. “I didn’t decide to get Brenna pregnant. It happened.”

“Do you not know how to use a condom? I’m pretty sure we went through the same talk with dad.”

“What is your problem?” I glared at Beckett. “Why are you acting like this?”

“She’s our best friend,” Beckett shouted, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hurt her before. By not telling her everything, not opening up to her when I got hurt, and then you just come in and, what? Sleep with her?” He let out a breath. “She’s our Brenna, Benjamin.”

I pressed my lips together. “Brenna and I have nothing to do with you. I’m sorry that might hurt your delicate sensibilities, but you are not part of the equation, Beckett. You have never been, other than being my brother and her friend. I needed to go on that road trip because I needed to think. I needed to think about what I was going to do about Laura and Michelle.” I didn’t mention that they were also pregnant because that was not going to help the situation. “Brenna had her problems, and one thing led to another, and we slept together. It was mutual consent, something we both wanted at the time. We’re friends now. We’re going to stay friends. Somehow, we’re going to raise a fucking baby. Don’t you go to Brenna and make her feel like she did something wrong, because she didn’t. We made a choice, and now we’re dealing with what’s happening. We don’t have a plan because this is still new for us. We would like it if you would stop being a fucking asshole and get over yourself.”

“I’m not the asshole here,” Beckett grumbled, but there was no heat in it. “Brenna?” he asked incredulously.

“Yeah, Brenna. I wasn’t expecting it either. But here we are.”

“Here we are,” Archer said.

I cursed under my breath and turned to my brother. “Congratulations.”

Archer beamed. “Thank you. That wasn’t exactly how we expected to tell everybody. I had just put on the ring again once I heard the doorbell, knowing it was him. We were going to make it a whole thing. And then it became a whole thing.”

“I’m sorry. This might spoil everything, the surprise, but Brenna is baking you guys a cake.”

“Well, Brenna’s making it up to me, and I’m sure you can help make it up to me by helping us move.”

“You’re moving?” I asked, frowning.

“I’m moving into Marc’s place. That was part of the whole thing we were going to tell you guys about, but yay. I’m getting married. Moving in with my fiancé. Not just my boyfriend, but my fiancé. Now everybody’s getting married or having babies or long-term relationships and look at us. The Montgomerys are growing up.”

“We’re growing up all right. I still can’t believe it,” Beckett said, looking at me. “I’m an asshole.”

I cringed, then realized that I needed to lay it all out there. At least my part. “By the way, before you try to punch me again, Laura called. She and Michelle are having a baby. It’s been a big day. A big week if you will.”

Lee looked at me then, his eyes wide, before he burst out laughing. “Go you and your sperm.”

“Let’s not.”

“I bet Brenna could bake a cake shaped like a sperm,” Archer said. “Not for Marc and me, mind you, but for you. A ‘thanks for getting me pregnant, you asshole. Here’s a sperm cake’ cake.”

“No, no,” Lee replied, shaking his head. “Little sperm cupcakes all leading to a giant egg cake.

“Oh my God, I am texting Brenna right now,” Archer said, whipping out his phone.

“Please don’t,” I muttered.

“There’s no stopping him,” Beckett said as he met my gaze. “That’s a lot, Benjamin. You’re having a kid.”

My knees nearly went weak, and I swallowed hard. “I know. I have no idea what the fuck I’m going to do about it, you guys. When I say this is unexpected, it was unexpected for everybody. I’m not just going to walk away. That’s going to be my child, just like it’s Brenna’s. So the whole being a father thing, that’s something I’m going to have to deal with and learn, but I will do it. I’m not walking away.”

“Never in my mind did I ever think you would,” Beckett said softly.

“Thanks,” I whispered. “As for Brenna? I don’t know what the hell I’m doing there, guys. Everything was just so unexpected.”

Lee reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “We all have to get to work, but afterward, let’s go to Riggs’ and get drunk. And then you can tell us exactly what happened on that road trip.”

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