Page 52 of The Devil's Spawn

With a sigh, I handed Simone her phone. “She’s going to be devastated, unless…”

Simone shook her head. “Give yourself a day or two, then figure out what you’re going to do. Maybe you’ll be back in the devil’s lair by then…” She halted upon my scowl. “Or maybe not. Either way, teleport across that bridge when you get to it.”

How she managed to turn my scowl into laughter was beyond me. “What do you need help with?”

She quirked a brow. “Only everything. I kinda suck at cooking. I managed to get the turkey stuffed and in the oven.”

“Good thing I’m here then.” We got to work, and as I peeled potatoes, she chattered about some relationship drama at the hospital between a doctor and a head nurse. But she was also trying to follow the directions on putting together a green bean casserole. Watching her multitask was entertaining, and a little scary when she almost dumped in too much cream of mushroom soup.

“Jeez, Simone. I think you need to take a breather.”

She plopped onto a barstool. “I’m sorry. I’m just really fucking nervous right now.”

“How come?”

“Because I invited Ian.”

The peeler stalled in my hand. “Oh, well…that makes sense. You guys are dating now, so why shouldn’t you spend the holiday together?” As I resumed peeling the last potato, I didn’t have to peek at her from the corner of my eye to know she was studying me.

Rising from the stool, she crossed to the oven and checked on the turkey. “Are you sure about this? I was your friend long before his…”

“You can say it, Simone. I’m not going to burst into pregnant tears, I swear.”

Closing the oven, she afforded me a sheepish smile. “Just checking. You’re already in enough turmoil. I don’t want to make it worse.”

“You’re my friend. Mybestfriend, in fact. And he’s Gage’s brother,soo…” I said, moving the pot of peeled spuds onto the stovetop. “This is something I’m just going to have to get used to.” Needing to keep busy, I rinsed the few dishes that had collected in the sink before stashing them away in the dishwasher.

“You think you’ll be able to work shit out with Gage?”

“I hope so.” I propped against the counter and let my hands dangle over the sink. “Maybe I made a huge mistake by leaving.” If he knew I was about to spend the holiday with not only Simone but Ian too, he’d blow a gasket. But after the dirt Katherine had spilled, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

“I don’t think you made a mistake at all. He kept a huge part of his life from you while demanding you give him everything. That’s pretty fucked up.”

“That’s Gage,” I said, a note of tender sadness strangling my words.

Simone sighed. “I’m not blind. You’ll go back, probably before the turkey’s done. But Sometimes, a girl’s gotta breathe. Especially with you being pregnant. A little time to deal and process won’t hurt anyone.”

She made perfect sense. It was a talent of hers. But usually, her logic defied my heart’s, because my bleeding organ beat for Gage.

Except it skipped a treacherous beat upon the knock that sounded. Simone rushed through her moderate-sized apartment and flung the door open. I remained motionless in the background, unnoticed as Ian drew her into his arms and planted one on her lips.

I wouldn’t lie, least of all to myself. Seeing him with someone else wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I couldn’t stop the curve of my lips at witnessing how happy he seemed.

Or how head-over-heels Simone was for the man who’d at one time held my heart in his gentle hands. I’d returned his kindness and devotion by ripping him to shreds. But she’d weaved him back together, and I refused to let my drama get in the way of that, or ruin this holiday.

Simone broke away as Ian shut the door, but his hazel eyes widened upon the sight of me standing just outside the kitchen, wringing my hands because I didn’t know what else to do with them.

“Hi…” His surprise registered in his deep voice.

“Hi,” I said, my cheeks heating from the sudden awkwardness in the room. I looked to Simone for help.

“Kayla’s spending Thanksgiving with us,” she rushed to explain.

Ian took a step toward me. “Are you okay? Where’s Gage?”

“He and I are…taking a break.”

The astonishment that washed his face attested to the momentous nature of my news, and it told me how bad of an idea being the third wheel was. I moved to grab my coat. “I shouldn’t be here. This is just…”

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