Page 63 of Theirs

I take a seat between Colin and Ben as my brother brings the bread to the table, and takes his spot at the head. Mac takes the opposite end, and Alex sits down next to Kristen who is still trying to manage getting everyone situated.

“Are we good?” she asks, staring at the meal in front of us. “Everyone have what they need?”

“Babe,” my brother tells her, placing his hand over hers. “Calm down. They know they can help themselves. Relax.”

She stops her movements, but her shoulders are still tense as Kane dishes her out a slice of lasagna before getting his. I take a sip from my wine glass as Colin dishes out his and then serves me, watching my best friend over the rim of my glass.

“Thanks for having us, Kristen,” Alex says beside her. “Food looks great.”

“Thank you, Alexander,” she says stiffly.

I sink down in my seat enough to nudge Kristen’s foot with mine, trying to get her to look me in the eye. She tucks her feet further away from me and looks at everyone but me.

“Have you looked at any apartments?” Kane asks me, making small talk. Oblivious to his wife’s strange behavior.

“Uh, no,” I say, almost choking on my wine. “Colin, Ben, and I have a decent arrangement going on. We decided it’s best for me to stay awhile. Safer.”

Kane chuckles. “I mean, you can’t stay with them forever. And why would you want to? I bet you guys still have a revolving door of women coming in and out of that mansion, just like college. That’s got to be uncomfortable for you, sis.”

My cheeks flame, but I don’t have to respond, Ben speaks up.

“Nah man,” he says, and I hear an edge in his voice. “It’s not like that anymore. We’ve both committed to a woman. No girls coming around anymore. Lav—Teagan is fine staying with us.”

Ben tries to cover up calling me by my pet name, but I think Kane noticed.

“Yeah right,” Kane says, laughing a little. “There’s no way you two have settled down. You were the biggest ladies’ men of our crew in the frat.”

“People change,” Alex mutters from across the table.

I look over at Kristen, wondering if she’s going to interrupt Kane, but she’s just cutting into her lasagna, but not actually eating any of it. Her nose scrunches up, like she’s repulsed by what’s on her plate, but I know that’s not true. Kristen and I both share a love of carbs and wine. Speaking of wine, she still hasn’t touched hers. I cock my head to the side as she continues to stare at her plate, oblivious to the conversation around her.

“Yeah, sure, people change,” Kane agrees around a bite of garlic bread. “But I thought hell would freeze over before these two could be monogamous.”

“Not sure if monogamous is the correct term,” Mac says at the opposite end of the table, casually sipping his wine.

“See!” Kane says, extending his hand toward Mac, thinking Mac is agreeing with him. “He knows you two knuckleheads aren’t capable of one woman.”

“We are,” Colin says, and his voice also has an edge to it, the first time I’ve ever heard him be anything other than playful. They have committed to one woman, they’ve both committed to me.

It’s me that is apparently not capable of being with one man. I’ve got four of them, but no one knows.

I glance over at Kristen again, just in time for her to place a hand over her flat stomach, and caress it a little. I look up at her face and find her smiling.

“Oh my god!” I say, dropping my fork, finally drawing Kristen’s attention and bringing the guy’s conversation to an end.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asks beside me, reaching down to rub his hand over my thigh. I think I hear my brother curse; he must have seen Ben reach for me.

I don’t take my eyes off of Kristen.

“You’re pregnant!” I say, pointing a finger at my best friend.

“How’d you know?” is all she asks, not denying it.

I stand up from the table and start pacing back and forth. “I mean, not drinking the wine, looking at your favorite food with disgust, and then touching your belly with adoration...”

“Wait a second...” Kristen says, finally drawn out of whatever nervous vision she was going through when we got here. She glances at the guys, and then looks at me. Her jaw dropping. “Oh. My. God. You hussy!”

“Kristen!” Kane scolds.

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