Page 5 of Waiting for Her

“Because my sister needs you. And as much as I hate the image of you with my sister, you’re a good man and she deserves good after all the hell she’s been through.”

If that’s not a seal of approval, I don’t know what is.

“So, you’re okay with this?”

I need to hear the words before I go any further because as much as I want to believe I would sacrifice my friendship with Drew for the chance to be with Addison the way I’ve dreamed for over a decade, the reality of the situation tears me up inside. Drew is silent for way too long, causing my heart to beat faster and faster before I hear a sigh from his end of the iPhone and I smile, knowing what he’s about to say.

“Yes, I’m okay with it. But promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Don’t fuck with her, man. Don’t do what you’ve done to every other woman you’ve been with since college, because my sister doesn’t deserve that. She deserves to be cherished, loved, and protected.”

I nod, agreeing with every single thing he just said. I’ve watched her struggle for years, especially these last few months, and now that I have my foot in the door, I can’t walk away. I refuse to walk away from her when I can see the future I always wanted within reach.

“I promise.”

He hangs up right after listing off a few things he’s bought her these last few weeks. Just as I’m checking out, my phone rings and when I see the name light up my screen, I roll my eyes, knowing that Drew can’t keep his mouth shut.

“Hello, brother,” I say, placing all the food on the conveyor belt for the cashier to scan.

“What is this I hear of you finally making a move on Addison?” he teases, a lightness filling my chest.

I smile at the idea of there even being such a thing as Addi and me in the future, wanting nothing more than to protect that dream at all costs.

“Drew has a big fucking mouth,” I mutter, smiling at the cashier as I hand her some cash and watch as she bags all my food into paper bags.

“You know that man can’t keep a secret to save his life. I don’t know why this surprises you. He loves drama more than Kate.”

I burst out laughing at the thought of what date nights must look like between Drew and his girlfriend.

“So, what are our plans here, Max? Are you sure this is a good idea? She is pregnant with another man’s child.”

“Really? I had no idea!” The sarcasm falls from my lips and when Mark chuckles softly, I clear my throat. “I know what it looks like from the outside, but I’m telling you right now, I just want to make sure she’s okay. She just found out she’s going to be a single mom, and she’s freaking out, even if she doesn’t show it.”

I don’t tell him that I plan to make sure she doesn’t know what any of that feels like, since that leads to an even longer and more complicated conversation.

“What if she doesn’t feel the same?”

It’s a fair question and one I’ve thought about long before I knocked on her front door this morning. But from the way her body reacted to my touch earlier, I know full well she has some feelings toward me and I promised myself before going into this that I would do whatever she wanted. If she wanted to go slow, I would go slow. If she begged me to fuck her, I would ask a million times if she was sure, but I would do it if she asked. And I know down to my bones that if she rejected me, had no feelings for me whatsoever, that I would help her until she told me to leave. As long as she and the baby are okay, I’m a happy man.

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” I wonder aloud as Mark chuckles on the other end of the phone.

“Fair enough. I just know how you feel about her, and I don’t want you to ruin your life because of this.”

As much as I respect his opinion, I want to tell him to fuck off. But I don’t.

“Even though I’m learning that I wasn’t as stealth at hiding my feelings for Addison over the years, I want to remind you who we’re talking about here. This isn’t some chick I met at a bar on a whim and decided to fall in love with. This is Addison. The girl that cooks meals for us, hosts hockey nights every Saturday night, and the girl who if I remember correctly, beat up your high school girlfriend for cheating on you.” I smile as the memory flickers through my mind as if it were a movie.

“I know, Max. I get that you’re protective of her. I just worry about you.”

I roll my eyes, both simultaneously loving and hating being a twin.

“I get that, but let me do this for myself, okay?”

He agrees and says his goodbyes as I pile all my groceries into the cart and wheel it out to my truck. I know everyone around me is skeptical. And if I were them, I would be too. But in my shoes, I know my relationship with Addison, and I will do whatever it takes to show her just how much I love her and the baby she’s carrying.

Addison

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