Page 100 of My Brother's Best Friend

“Avery, why haven’t I heard about this?” Blaise shouted across the room while Mrs. Abara checked him out for potential head injuries. “I should’ve been the first person to know. We’re besties.”

The disgusted look that crossed Avery’s face nearly made me shit myself. I bit back a snicker and turned back toward Sakura, who had pulled her sweatshirt back down to hide her bump. If she was due at the end of June, that meant that … they’d been banging for a while.

“Sakura wants to keep it a secret,” Callan said, eyes narrowed at his nephew. “If you tell anyone, Harleen, I’m not afraid to kick your ass like your father should’ve a long, long time ago. So, keep your mouth shut.”

Blaise held up his hands in defeat. “I won’t say anything. But Vera might.”

“I will not!” Vera said, crossing her arms and turning toward Sakura. “I promise, I won’t.”

After Sakura smiled, Callan grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the house. I loved having Sakura around, but I didn’t want her to get into any trouble or put herself in any danger for us anymore with the gang-related activities, especially if she was having a little babe.

When the door closed, Nicole clapped her hands together. “We have to have a baby shower for her in the spring! We can rent out Grand Hall by the beach and throw her a huge bash with all these cute lil’ baby gifts.”

“I want to decorate too,” Allie said.

“Do you think they know if they’re having a boy or a girl?” Imani asked.

“If she doesn’t know now, she’ll tell us when she does,” Vera said.

“I hope it’s a girl,” I said.

“Oh my God,” Oliver said, rubbing his forehead. “You’re all giving me a headache.”

“Cover your ears then,” Blaise said. “They just saved all our asses.”

When the boys began arguing with each other, I glanced over at Alec, who Mrs. Abara was checking out for injuries. He winced when she gently moved her fingers over the egg forming on his forehead.

“All right, boys, you all look fine to me.” Mrs. Abara said after a couple of moments. “Just make sure that you go easy tonight and tomorrow, Alec.” She glanced over at me. “Make sure he doesn’t go to hockey practice. He needs to rest.”

“Thanks,” Alec said, leaping up. “Because I have something to take care of.”

Before he could run out of the house, I grabbed his elbow. “Where are you going?”

“I need to see Sandra.”

“Why?”

“Because if I find out that bitch did this …”

“No,” I said, yanking him back toward me. “The only place we’re going is home.”

“But—”

“I said, no. You need to rest. You can talk to Sandra tomorrow at school.”

“Maddie …”

So he couldn’t argue with me anymore, I grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. I didn’t care who he wanted to see tonight for whatever reason. My boy needed rest, and I wouldn’t let him do anything else after the day he’d just had.

CHAPTER62

MADDIE

“You’re staying the night here,” I said to Alec as we walked into my bedroom. “And every single other night for the rest of your life. You don’t need to go back to your house ever again if you don’t want to.”

Alec stayed quiet and dumped his belongings—which were essentially just his keys—on my desk and slumped down in my comfy gaming chair.

I kicked off my shoes and headed for the door. “I’ll go grab some clothes from Oliver.”

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