Page 82 of My Kind of Trouble
Tinks came trotting towards her the second she arrived and meowed loudly, an order to be picked up. Noa lifted her and buried her face in her fur, letting her soft rumbles ease her nerves slightly.
When she was younger, her parents had warned her about avoiding accidental pregnancy. In fact, her mum had sat her down several times, using Ryan’s surpriseconception as an example. A mental image that she could have done without, but Bethan Drake was not a coy woman, and no topic of conversation had ever been off-limits to her.
And those were the conversations that played on Noa’s mind now, as she worried that they, too, would jump to conclusions just like Ryan. That they’d assume this was a hook-up gone wrong and be disappointed that she’d ignored everything they’d taught her. She tried to tell herself that she was catastrophising,again, and that it was nothing a simple conversation wouldn’t fix. But, sometimes, rationalising was easier said than done.
Alex had offered to come with her after they’d spent the morning talking about the logistics of having a baby, but shetold him that she needed to do this herself.
Right now, she was questioning her decision. She wished she had the soothing feel of his hand on her lower back to ground her. But, big girl pants in place, she stepped into the house, ready to face the music.
She also owed it to Ryan to explain. For all he knew, this was just a one-night fling, not his sister and best friend falling madly in love. Granted, he’d chosen to fly off the deep end without allowing either of them time to explain. But she hoped that her parent’s presence would diffuse the tension, allowing her the time she wished she’d had on Sunday to explain everything to her brother.
To Noa’s surprise, telling her parents went off without a hitch. Her mum was a blubbering mess, pulling her into her arms, surprisingly excited by the news. And her dad gave her one of his most supportive smiles before quickly moving into rambles about what kind of grandad he was going to be and what he’d have the baby call him.
It seemed Noa’s sneaking around had not been as stealthy as she thought, and her mum very much knew about her relationship with Alex, even if she didn’t know the extent of it. When Noa told them the depth of her and Alex’s feelings for each other and the decision that they had made to move in together and make a good go of it, her mum cried some more. Apparently, she’d been waiting for this moment since they were young, and Noa tried to bite her tongue to fight from saying ‘well, thanks for telling me that’. All that was in the past, though, and the only thing she wanted to focus on was their future.
The feel of her mum and dad’s warm hugs brought tears to Noa’s eyes, too. The unwavering love and support they had always given her felt more comforting than ever as she thought about embarking on her own journey to parenthood. She had role models like no other and, even if she could be half the parent they were, she thought she’d be doing okay. They’d set the example, and she would follow, trusting that they would be there to catch her if she stumbled. It was like the storm inside her settled at the thought, the waves stilling, creating a silent calm and allowing her to see more clearly. They were her village. They’d be there to fortify the foundations of this baby’s family life. And that made her want to hold onto them and not let them go.
As Noa finished telling her parents, Ryan walked in, a sullen look on his face as he avoided eye contact with her. She was relieved to see him attending family dinner and not hiding away in his cottage, because it meant he was ready to talk instead of avoiding her like she’d feared. He did that once whenthey were kids. She’d broken his PlayStation, and it had been one of the longest weeks of her life.
This was better. Even if he was determined to look anywhere and everywhere but at her. Minutes passed like that but then, taking a long, soothing breath, Noa took the first step to break the tense silence that engulfed them.
‘Hey, Ry. Can we talk?’
He nodded and, clearly aware that they needed their privacy, their parents left the kitchen without a word.
Noa beckoned Ryan over to the dining room table that was littered with mugs and trays of biscuits from her earlier conversation with her parents. Ryan followed her over as she sat, but he remained standing, leaning against the oak kitchen counter-top as he dropped his head to look at the floor.
‘Noa, I don’t know what to say I—’
Noa cut him off. He’d already said enough and now it was her turn. Raising his eyes to look at her, his lips pressed into a hard line as she spoke.
‘Well, that’s good, because I have a few choice words for you. The Ryan I saw Sunday night, I don’t even know who he was. I didn’t recognise him as my kind and caring brother, that’s for sure. And that disappointed look you gave me? Well, join the damn club! You were so quick to jump to conclusions, so quick to demonise Alex, your own best friend, that you didn’t even stop to consider our feelings. The things you said about his father, I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides that they are unforgivable. And, to be honest, I won’t even blame him.’
‘I’m sorry, Noa, but I’m not currently looking for his forgiveness. He took advantage of your vulnerability, all so he could get another notch on his belt, with you of all people. That is unforgivable.’
‘This isn’t one drunken night between the sheets, Ryan. We love each other. And if you’d taken a minute to listen to us instead of flying off the handle, then you would have known that.’
Ryan staggered back like she had hit him.
‘You what?’ he spluttered.
His brow furrowed as he clearly tried to make sense of her words before a look of realisation crossed his face.
‘He has been your best friend for two decades. Has he ever given you reason not to trust him? Ever given you reason to think he would do bad by me? God, you trusted him enough to send him following me across the world. Which I’m still pissed as hell about, by the way, but it gave me the man I love, so I’ll choose to forgive you.’
‘I…’
‘Why did you trust him then but don’t now? And why don’t you trust me to be a grown woman and make my own decisions?’
She was shouting now. She didn’t mean to, but her brother had hurt her when he’d gone behind her back months ago, and he hurt her again at the bar.
‘Of course, I trust you. I’m sorry, Noa. Maybe I haven’t gone about this in entirely the right way, but you’re my sister and I love and worry about you. I just want the best for you.’
‘Well then, trust that he is the best for me. Surely you couldn’t think of anyone better to own a piece of your sister’s heart than the man you yourself have loved as a best friend most of your life.’
‘Well, when you put it like that…’
He grinned at her. A wide, dorky grin.
