Page 34 of Unexpected Forever
I laugh. “Well, it’s a guy.”
She rolls her eyes. “Smartass. Do I know him?”
Better than I do and I’m carrying his baby.“Uh, yeah.”
“Hmmm…someone I know.” She taps a finger to her lips. “And you just said you wouldn’t break your sabbatical for a guy here.”
Damn, I had said that, hadn’t I?
“So, he doesn’t live here?”
I avert my eyes from her stare. “No.”
She frowns. “Who would I know that doesn’t live here but…”
I meet her wide eyes and watch as realization dawns on her. Her jaw drops. “You slept with my brother?”
Shit, this is what I was afraid of, her hating me.
I bite my lip and tears blur my vision. All I can do is nod.
Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times before she finally forms words. “When he was here for my party?”
I twist my fingers in my lap. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” Megan sits a moment, staring out into space before sliding her gaze to me, tilting her head.
“I saw you guys talking at the bar and then dancing later. But I didn’t think it would go anywhere. You’d sworn off men and Nate doesn’t date much, but he also doesn’t do one-night stands very often.” She pauses. “I assume this was a onetime thing?”
“Yeah.” I rub my hand on my legging-clad thigh. “Are you mad I didn’t tell you?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m stunned, though. I mean, I don’t regale you with stories of having sex with your brother, so I appreciate you not telling me the deets on having sex with mine.”
She shudders a little, then squeezes my hand. “But I need you to listen to me. There’s something you need to know.”
The way she says it, along with the earnestness in her eyes, makes my chest tingle. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what she has to say. “I’m listening.”
She rolls her lips inward and stares at our hands, then looks back into my eyes.
“I love my brother. I adore him. He’s been my hero my whole life. He protected me from our parents when we were little. But by protecting me, he took the brunt of a lot of shit from our parents and, after they died, from my aunt and uncle. They never laid a hand on us, but the emotional abuse and neglect were there for Nate. Because I had him, I didn’t suffer like he did.”
In my mind’s eye, I see a dark-haired boy holding a younger girl, keeping her safe from the people whose only job is to bring security to their lives. It makes my chest heavy with sadness for those little babies.
Megan blows out a sigh. “Because of our childhood, Nate has always said he never wanted kids. With his career being like it is—baseball being his life—he never wanted to neglect his kids the way our parents did us. I’m telling you this to prepare you. You may not get the reception you’re looking for when you tell him.”
I don’t know how to respond so I stay quiet.
She continues. “I love you like a sister so I’m warning you, don’t let your emotions get too involved when it comes to him, Charley. I don’t want him to hurt you. And he will.”
She shakes her head sadly. “As much as I hate it for him, it’s just how he’s built. And I don’t see him changing.”
I nod, my stomach turning and what feels like an anvil weighing me down. “I just want to tell him and be done with it. Then I can tell my family and start planning how I’m going to handle all of this. Whether he’s on board or not.”
“He’s coming to visit later this week. He’ll be here Wednesday. Want me to tell him to stop by?”
My stomach drops. I can’t help but wonder if he would have called to tell me he was here? Would we have hooked up again or avoided each other?
Not that it matters now. I can’t avoid him, and I definitely can’t hook up with him.
