Christ, stop it! You can’t keep doing this to yourself or to Jen. It’s not fair.
“I’ll try, Jen isn’t the easiest—”
“Dante.” Both our heads turned at the sound of Liora’s voice. Her green eyes were wide and she was holding her stomach. “I think my waters broke.”
None of us moved or said anything for a long moment. Dante dropped the knife he was using on the counter before striding over to her.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s all over the bathroom floor. Please, I think you need to take me to the hospital.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“Shit, okay. Fuck.”
She clutched her stomach, almost doubling over as she let out a quiet yelp.
“Dante, please,” she groaned. “Fuck, it hurts.”
He sprang forward and rubbed her back with one hand.
“Shh, it’s okay, my heart. I’m here.”
She grabbed his free hand and held it tight. Dante looked up at me.
“Can you get the bag and ring her parents? Fuck, he’s not supposed to be here yet.”
I nodded, edging by the two of them to get their things so they could get to the hospital.
“And don’t forget to let the twins and James know.”
“Yeah, okay, I got it, D.”
I got the bag and opened the front door, handing Dante the car keys as he led Liora out. He’d got her shoes on whilst I was getting their stuff and wrapped a coat around her shoulders. I followed them out and put everything in the car.
“Let me know what’s happening, okay?” I said before Dante got in the car after helping Liora in.
“You’re not coming?”
“I will, just let me get in contact with everyone.”
He nodded and slid in. I shut the door behind him and watched them drive away. I wanted to go, but Liora needed Dante not me. Even though they were both my friends, they needed each other to get through this. Logan was coming whether they were ready or not.
I walked back in the house and tugged my phone out. I spent the next five minutes on the phone to Liora’s mum, Heather. She panicked because the baby was early, but I assured her it’d be fine and Liora was in safe hands. Dante would let me know when they got to the hospital what the situation was.
Before I called anyone else, I went upstairs to their bedroom and made sure to clean up the en-suite. I didn’t want either of them coming home to a mess. Not when they’d have Logan to contend with. Making their bed before I left, I wandered back downstairs with my phone pressed to my ear.
“Hey Brent, what’s up?” came James’ voice.
“Liora’s gone into labour.”
“What? Shit, really?”
“Yeah, her waters broke. D’s taken her to hospital. I don’t know any more yet.”
“Do the girls know?”
“No, I’m going to call them. Jen went out so it was just me, D and Liora.”
“Fuck, okay. Let me know if they need anything.”
“Sure, will do.”
We hung up. I called Fi next. She had a relatively calm reaction to the news and asked if Jen knew yet. She said she’d get over to the hospital since Liora didn’t have her mum down here yet. I was pretty sure Dante would appreciate having Fi with them.
Lastly I tried Jen but her phone went to voicemail so I left her a message along with a couple of texts. I wanted to make sure she knew. It concerned me she hadn’t answered. Was she really that pissed off at me? Surely she knew I wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency.
Could I really leave to get to the hospital when Jen didn’t know? Shouldn’t I stay here and wait for her? Fuck. What if she needed someone to take her? Jen didn’t drive, but she could get the tube or something. I paced the hallway, wondering what the fuck to do. I rang her again but it went to voicemail.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, hanging up.
What I needed to do was be there for Liora and Dante. I grabbed my keys, writing a quick note for Jen and placing it on the kitchen counter before leaving. If she didn’t see the texts or voicemails, she might see that.
Halfway to the hospital, Dante rang to let me know where they were and that Liora was fine. Judging by the worry in his voice, I knew he needed me there. Him not being able to do more for her would only cause more stress for him.
By the time I got there and found their room after the midwives let me in, he was pacing the room whilst Liora was in bed with gas and air in her hand. She gave me a significant look and indicated Dante with her chin. I think he was doing worse than she was.
“Hey D, it’s okay,” I told him when I reached him.
“It’s not,” he muttered.
“It is. You’re both in the best place now.”
Dante looked up, his blue eyes wild with fear and concern.
“He’s not supposed to be here yet.”
“What did they say?”
“Logan’s fine but he’s early. What if there’s complications?”
I put a hand on his arm to stop him pacing.
“You can’t think like that, D. He’s going to be okay.”
Dante and I had never really been touchy-feely. He wasn’t the type, but the worry in his eyes had me wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. You know why? He’s got Liora for a Mum and you for a Dad. He’s going to be perfect, okay?” I patted his back. “Now, go be with your wife and stop worrying. I’m pretty sure she needs you.”
He nodded at me before slipping out of my hold and going over to Liora’s bedside, taking her free hand. She looked up at him, adoration in her eyes as he kissed her fingertips.
“I won’t leave your side, my heart,” he whispered.
“I love you,” she whispered back.
They were still completely enamoured with each other. Getting to see Dante happy finally gave me a funny feeling in my chest. My best friend, who’d suffered far too much in his life, had the girl he’d always wanted and now they were about to extend their family. Honestly, I’d been waiting for this moment just as much as they had. I might not really want to deal with another kid after all of Cam’s but this was Dante and Liora’s baby. For some reason that was different.
I sat in one of the chairs whilst Dante helped her breathe through her next contraction. An hour later, Fi and Jensen showed up. The midwives told us there were only two people allowed in the delivery room at once so after hellos were exchanged, Jensen and I went to the waiting room. Of course, Dante had brought her to a private hospital, nothing but the best care for his heart. I texted James and rang Heather to give her an update before trying Jen again.
“Fuck,” I muttered when she didn’t answer.
“What’s up?” Jensen asked, peering at me from where he was sat with a magazine in his hand.
“Jen isn’t answering her phone so she doesn’t know Liora’s in labour.”
He raised an eyebrow. He knew all about us which made this a little uncomfortable for me. I didn’t know him very well, but he wasn’t a bad guy. Fi thought the world of him after all and I trusted her judgement.
“Do you know where she is?”
“No, though I’m pretty sure I know who she’s with.”
Whatever she said was going on between her and Max Graves, I didn’t exactly buy it. Dante told me Jen hated him, but those photos plastered over social media told a different story. She wasn’t the type to do things for just publicity. Something else going on and I was damned if I wasn’t going to find out what.
“She’s a law unto herself so I’m not surprised she didn’t tell anyone.”
“You can say that again,” I muttered, throwing myself down into a chair and tapping my foot on the lino.
He wasn’t going to bring up my weird fucked up friendship with Jen. For all he knew, Jen hadn’t told me she’d spoken to him about it in therapy. It’s not like
he’d break her confidence anyway.
“You okay there, Brent?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
I wasn’t, but discussing my issues with Jen with her therapist? Not a good idea.
By the time James and Ellie showed up an hour later, there were no signs of Logan arriving any time soon and Jen still wasn’t answering her phone. I’d all but given up getting in touch with her.
As nothing seemed to be happening any time soon, Dante asked me to drive back to the house as they’d forgotten the car seat. Not wanting to be sitting around doing nothing, I obliged, hoping beyond hope Jen would be back so I could let her know her nephew was coming earlier than expected.
Chapter Thirteen
Jennifer
Having to go to Max’s parents for dinner was not my idea of a fun evening. What I really wanted to do was spend the evening in my pyjamas lamenting over my broken heart. There, I admitted it. Brent had broken my heart and it fucking sucked. How or when it happened, I had no idea. He’d torn down my iron fortress and now I was left picking up the pieces.
I hate the day you decided to come into my life, Brent Coleman. I hate how much you’ve hurt me.
But I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.
Fuck it. Fuck everything.
So here I was being greeted by Max’s parents and acting like I was happy to be there. And it turned out it wasn’t just me and Max at dinner, it was a whole host of his family, cousins, aunts, uncles. I forgot their names as soon as they told me them, not really caring who or what they were or how they were related to Max.
“So Jennifer, how’s business?” I think Max’s uncle asked me.
“Fine, just fine, we’re busy with the autumn collection.”
“I suppose you must have to plan early.”
“Most definitely. We have a very busy schedule throughout the year preparing for each season.”
I hated talking about work. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job, but when I left, that was it. I didn’t take it home with me unlike my brothers. I’d been giving Dante the courtesy of debriefing him when I got back whilst he was at home with Liora because he asked me to. Otherwise work didn’t consume my every waking moment.
“I can well imagine. It must be nice to have Max here to discuss these things with.”
I stifled the urge to roll my eyes.
“Oh yes, it’s wonderful to be with someone in the industry.” Actually I’d rather get eaten by sharks, but he doesn’t need to know that.
The sound of my own voice grated on my ears. Here I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t and I hated it.
“Oh yes, Jennifer and I have many lively discussions, isn’t that right, sweet pea?” Max interjected, wrapping an arm around my waist.
My skin crawled and I had to fight the urge to step away from him. His mere presence made me queasy. How on earth would I get through dinner with him so close to me? I’d already lost my appetite. And what the fuck was with him calling me sweet pea? Gross! I did not sign up for some cutesy pet name. I already found it nauseating enough when Jensen called Fi, little one, Dante with his ‘my heart’ business for Liora and let’s not forget James and his ‘sweetheart’, Ellie. Honestly, the girls might find it all adorable, but I didn’t. Thank fuck Brent knew better than to ever call me anything other than Jen. I mean, he called me a maddening woman, which I was actually secretly proud of since it meant I’d gotten under his skin.
A sharp pain spread from my heart outwards at the thought of him. I rubbed my chest, finding it hard to breathe. How had that stupid man managed to get past all my defences? I’d never felt this way about anyone before and to be honest, I hated every moment of it.
“Oh yes, my lovebug and I are always talking about business,” I said, trying my best not to allow my internal war to get the better of me.
Max raised an eyebrow at me. If he was going to give me a stupid pet name, he was getting one back. I gave him my brightest smile. He wanted me to act like the perfect girlfriend, so he just had to suck it up. Perhaps I was laying it on a little too thick.
For the next ten minutes, Max stayed glued to my side, watching me like a hawk as I interacted with his family. It’s like he was waiting for me to slip up. And I was pretty determined not to. A wrong move could mean ruin for my family.
At dinner, I was sat in between him and one of his cousins, Bertrand Graves or Bertie for short. He gave me the creeps. Especially since his eyes were glued to my tits whenever he spoke to me. He had to be at least twice my age.
Ugh! Gross!
I mean I had nothing against older men, some of them were incredibly hot, like my therapist for instance. Not that I would say it to Fi ever again since I got the impression me thinking her boyfriend was hot bothered her a little. Besides, Jensen might be well be incredibly attractive but he really wasn’t my type and he only had eyes for my sister. You could tell by the way he looked at her. She was his sun, his moon and his stars.
Bertie would probably like nothing better than to fucking motorboat my breasts.
Never happening, buddy!
“So you’re a twin, right?” he asked.
“Yes.”
That happened to be common knowledge so who knew why he’d asked me.
“Must be difficult for you.”
I frowned.
“Why’d you say that?”
“Oh well, you know, having men ask you if your sister would join in.”
His voice was low enough that no one else could’ve heard him, but I immediately stiffened and clenched my fist under the table. Where the fuck did he get off saying shit like that to me? I might not have objected to him leering at my tits like some dirty old creep but suggesting anyone would ask me and my sister for a threesome was just despicable. Especially since I was sitting next to his cousin who was my supposed boyfriend.
How fucking dare he!
“Excuse me?”
“I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard that.”
I almost spluttered with sheer indignation at his blasé tone. Like it was a normal thing to say to a woman he’d just met.
“Listen here, do you think that’s a polite way to speak to a woman? Because let me tell you, it’s not. I don’t give a shit who you are, you don’t get to ask me whether or not someone has asked me and my sister for a threesome like some dirty old creep.”
It suddenly went very quiet around my end of the table. I looked around, finding half of his family staring at me and when I met Max’s eyes, I knew I was in the shit. Irritation flashed behind those blue depths, making me want to shrink back in my seat. I’d never been cowed by a man apart from my father, but something about Max reminded me of my dad. And not in a good way.
“Excuse me,” I said quietly, pushing back my chair and practically dashing from the room.
I never backed down from a fight, but I’d really fucked up. That wasn’t good girlfriend behaviour. That was embarrassing both me and his cousin at the dinner table. And jeopardising my deal with Max. Some fucking deal. I’d got the raw end of it.
I found the nearest bathroom and locked myself in, taking several deep gulping breaths of air. My face felt hot and my skin itched. It wasn’t my fault Bertie decided to overstep the mark, but I should’ve kept my voice low.
No, I just had to make a fucking scene, didn’t I.
There was a knock on the door and I stiffened.
“Jennifer, it’s me,” came Max’s voice.
I didn’t want to open the door to him, but I had no choice. I’d barely unlocked it, when the door was thrust open and he walked in. He slammed it shut behind him, flipping the lock. Next thing I knew, he had his hand around my neck and I was pushed up against the wall.
“What the fuck was that?” he seethed, his ice blue eyes cold.
“Get your hand off me!”
I tried to push at his chest, but he was like a wall of fucking muscle and wouldn’t budge. Instead, he stepped
closer, pressing against me and restricting my ability to move.
“I’ll say it again, what the fuck was that?”
A cold wave of dread slid up my spine, reminding me of the one and only time I’d been restrained before. When Dad tied me up and forced me to watch him rape Fi. Images came flooding back, making me want to scream, but the sound died in my throat because Max only squeezed tighter, restricting my airflow.
“Your cousin,” I choked out, “is a creep.”
“So, you decided to embarrass me in front of my family, did you? I don’t give a shit what he said, you keep your mouth fucking shut and play your part.”
I pressed at him helplessly.
“Do you want me to ruin your family? Because I won’t hesitate to. You’ll all burn under the weight of your dirty little secrets.”
“I… can’t… breathe.”
His smile became deadly and he merely tightened his grip.
“You need to learn your fucking place. You think you’re such a fucking tough act, but you’re nothing but a weak, pathetic little slut.”
My lungs began to burn. His words slammed into me. Was that all I was? It’s what my father had said. That me and Fi were nothing but dirty little whores who wouldn’t amount to anything in our lives. All we were good for was to fuck. Nothing more.
“Please…” I wheezed. “Let… me… go.”
He laughed. The sound echoed around the room. Max wasn’t just a dickhead, he was evil and soulless. There was a manic look behind his eyes which made me want to run far, far away. Why couldn’t I push him off me? Why wouldn’t he stop?
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