She throws her arm out like she's a queen presenting a crown to her subjects. "Veggie omelets for everyone."
We stop in front of the host stand. There's a small line curling around the corner—there are lines everywhere in Vegas—but Tom ignores it.
A college-aged woman in the line tugs at her friend's t-shirt. She points to Tom then to Drew and whispers in her friend’s ear.
The boys have been spotted. Usually, I don't mind random shows of celebrity—sometimes it's kinda funny watching Drew turn red over the attention—but I'm not in the mood right now. I'm in more of a sit down and throw up kind of mood.
There's no way this is allergies.
Thankfully, Tom has some kind of VIP pass. Or the host recognizes him as a VIP—he is famous on Instagram in addition to his usual rock star thing. Helps that his boudoir photographer wife loves shooting artsy black and white nudes for his page. There's nothing showing—not that I check.
The host leads us through the restaurant to a secluded corner. The non-smoking section, thankfully. Drew pulls my chair out for me and fusses to help me sit. Tom and Willow are staring, but they say nothing about it.
The place is clean and well-lit. Our square table is adorned with a bright white cloth. Nothing about this feels like Vegas. It's more like a nice restaurant in Santa Monica. Except for the beeps and bops of slot machines fifty feet away, it could be any restaurant in our neighborhood.
I play with the menu. There are tons of fancy options, but none of them appeal. The vegetable omelet sounds like more than I can handle. Toast and plain tea is about all I can handle, but I've been eating nothing but bread the last few days.
I set my menu down. "You guys drove in?"
Tom nods. "Left around three A.M. We were up all night-"
Willow clears her throat. "It was a quick drive. No traffic."
"Pete come with you?" I ask.
Tom laughs. "No, he and Jess had to catch up. He's leaving sometime today. If they ever get out of bed."
"I'm sure they'll get to the couch or the shower," Willow says.
"He tell you that?" Tom asks.
"Girls talk." Willow smiles. "Not Kara though. She's probably sparing me from hearing about sex with my brother."
I nod. She's right. I feel weird talking about my relationship with Willow. I can talk about Drew, but only in a we should do something special for his birthday kind of way. Anything more intimate feels like a boundary violation.
Drew is fixed on me. It's like the two of them aren't even here.
He leans in. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Great. Just hungry," I say.
He raises a brow.
Thankfully, a waiter stops by our table with four waters. I suck on my straw. It helps ease the wave of nausea that's rising in my throat. Deep breath. I'll be fine as soon as I eat something.
Hopefully.
We take our turns ordering. Coffee for everyone else. Earl Grey for me. Omelets all around.
"This place does look good." Willow presses her lips to Tom's. "Thanks for doing so much research."
"Anytime, kid." His kiss is a hell of a lot less chaste.
Drew clears his throat. He's calm about watching his sister moan over her husband. "Did you invite us to breakfast to make out in front of us?"
"Being familial," Tom says. "The making out is a bonus for your eyes."
Willow bursts into laughter. "Where do you come up with this stuff, sweetie? You should give Drew a break, for once. You don't have to remind him about our sex life every time you see him."
Drew squeezes my hand under the table. I turn to face him. His dark eyes are intense, protective. His short hair is messy. I fix a strand that's hanging in his eyes. He never lets it get long enough to hang in his eyes.
"I like your hair longer." I run my fingers down his cheek and over his strong jaw. He's classically handsome. Good genes. Not that it matters what our kid looks like. But being attractive would put him or her at an advantage. "You should keep it like that."
He purrs as I run my fingers over his neck. "I could be convinced."
"We should get them back by making out on the table." I smile. "We could get them back even better by having sex on the table."
Drew shakes his head. He's a lot less shy with his affection than he used to be, but he's still not the PDA type.
Well, not in front of our friends.
The waiter interrupts my bliss with the coffees. They smell stronger than usual.
My stomach lurches. I push my seat back and take a long sip of water. It's not enough.
Fuck.
"Excuse me. Ladies' room."
I grab my purse and push out of my seat. The bathroom is right around the corner. It's clean, white, and empty.
I push into an empty stall just in time to throw myself on the ground and hurl into the toilet.
Fucking coffee. Okay. I can do this. Deep breath then I stand up.
I go to push myself to my feet, but it's no good. Another wave of nausea overtakes me.
I hurl again.
When I'm sure I'm done, I sink onto my feet. Sitting on a bathroom floor in Vegas. Classy. At least it's clean.
Speaking of clean, I should wipe up. As soon as I catch my breath.
The door swings open. Awesome. An audience.
"Kara, you okay?" Willow's footsteps move closer. "Are you—" Her eyes go wide. "Are you pregnant?"
Chapter Twenty
Kara
Am I pregnant? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?
Willow takes a step backward. "Sorry. None of my business. Do you want? Here-" She pulls the stall door open. She sits next to me and pulls my hair behind my head. "You have a hair tie? I don't carry them anymore. This cut is too short for a ponytail."
"Yeah. In my purse." I reach up to flush the toilet then press my back into the wall of the stall. Willow is close, and I'm sure I don't smell like flowers at the moment. "You don't have to sit with me."
"I know." She unzips my purse and digs through it. Her eyes go wide. Must be the pregnancy test. She says nothing about it. Instead, she clears her throat and hands me a hair tie.
"Thanks." I pull my hair into a loose ponytail. I'm sure Willow realizes this, but I might as well say it aloud. "I haven't taken the test yet."
Willow shifts into a cross-legged position. "Why not?"
"I only started thinking it was possible a day and a half ago." I take a deep breath. "And I'm terrified."
There's understanding in her hazel eyes. "I'm not sure how much Drew told you about..." She takes a deep breath. "About my ex raping me. I took the morning after pill, but... if that hadn't worked, if I'd been pregnant..." She presses her trembling hands together. They steady. "I wouldn't think less of you if you decided to terminate."
I shake my head. "I want to have a family with Drew. I want to teach a kid how to take on the world." My exhale breaks up the tension in my chest. I really do want a family with Drew. I can see a great future for us, for our family. But it's still as scary as it is beautiful. "Just... I thought it would be in five or ten years."
"I didn't think I'd get married at twenty-two. Or ever, really. I had pretty much given up on dating and men in general." Her expression gets dreamy. "But I'm glad I did. Tom is..."
"Tom is Tom."
She laughs. "That's about right." Her eyes go to my purse then to me. "Drew has never been happy like this. At first, I couldn't believe that it was really my brother, but it is. He loves you more than anything."
"Tom either. You should have seen him before he met you. It was like... he was always Tom, but you could tell there was something missing, that he was desperate to prove himself or to find something more. The way he looks at you... I can tell you're meant for each other."
Her cheeks flush. "Tom is amazing. But even knowing that, I was nervous about getting married. Big changes are always scary." Her gaze meets mine. "Is that why you're waiting?"
"I'm hoping it will feel less terrifying
in a few days. Once I'm used to the idea."
"Give me a second." She pulls her phone from her pocket and taps the screen. "Don't hate me for this?"
I shift up to glance at the cell screen. She's texting someone.
Dammit.
"You feeling better?" she asks.
"Not better enough to move."
"Here." She gets up, wets a paper towel in the sink, and brings it back to me.
The door swings open and Drew steps inside.
"This is the women's bathroom." I shoot him a What the hell? look then offer the same one to Willow.
Drew shrugs. "We aren't having sex in here."
"Is that something you do regularly?" Willow makes a face like she smells something bad. "You know what? Don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"I'm the one who has to hear about your boyfriend's cock piercing," he says.
Willow flashes her left ring finger. "Hey. That's my husband's cock piercing."
Drew shakes his head. She laughs.
I laugh too. It's a full-blown belly laugh. These two are ridiculous. But they're sweet.
They're my family. Both of them. Willow is a good sister. And she'll be a good aunt.
And my mom... things are still strained between us sometimes. She'll think I'm too young to have a kid, but she will support me. She will be happy to have a grandchild.
The door swings open. Fuck. This is bad news. Only it's not a woman who is going to get security. It's Tom.
Of course it's Tom.
I burst into another belly laugh. Drew is looking at me like I'm possessed, but I don't care.
They're my family. All of them.
Drew turns to Tom. "What are you doing?"
"Wanted to be where the party is." Tom nudges Willow. "Never realized you were into orgies, kid. Should have invited Pete to have a threesome before he found someone."
Willow blushes.
God, this is hilarious. I'm laughing so hard I can barely get words out. "Yeah, Drew would totally have an orgy with you and his sister. God, would you really have a threesome with your brother?" I shake my head. "Of course you would."
Willow looks at him. "Would you?"
Tom shrugs. "Not anymore. He's engaged."
"But before?" she asks.
"Sure. If you wanted," he says. "Whatever you want."
Her eyes go wide. "Really?"
"Want me to ask Ethan? Or Kit?" Tom teases.
"No..." Willow stammers. "That's okay. I'm... I'm good with one cock at a time."
"Can always fuck you with your vibe while you're sucking me off." Tom speaks like he's mentioning the weather.
God damn, what a family.
Drew must be worried about me, because he doesn't so much as glare at Tom.
I have to hold my stomach so I don't keel over from the laughter.
"What about you, Drew? You want to have a threesome?" I tease.
"Fuck no." He stares at me like I'm crazy. "Did Miles put you up to that?"
God, Miles is ridiculous too. And Pete—he acts all quiet and sweet, but he's the filthiest pervert of them all.
All of them are my family. It's not a traditional family, but so what? It's mine, and they're going to make great aunts and uncles.
If I'm pregnant.
Tom looks from me to Willow to Drew. He makes eye contact. "You hung over or pregnant?"
"Tom!" Willow squeals.
"It's okay. She asked me the same thing," I say.
Drew clears his throat.
This does nothing to move Tom and Willow.
"I don't know yet," I say. "I haven't taken the test."
Willow leans in to whisper in his ear.
His eyes light up. He nods.
The girl has his number.
She looks at me. "We'll be at the table. If you want to skip out on breakfast, we can handle it. Just text me."
"Maybe we should practice the mechanics of making a baby," Tom says. "Don't want to get rusty."
"At the table?" She raises a brow.
"No, kid, don't be ridiculous. At the hostess stand."
"We already decided we're adopting, but sure, I'll play into your fantasy. Back in our hotel room. After breakfast." She kisses him then turns to me. "Good luck. Call if you need anything."
Tom follows her out of the bathroom.
Drew comes closer. He sits on the ground next to me. The expression in his dark eyes is soft.
"We have a weird family." I squeeze his hand. "But I wouldn't trade them for the world."
"Me either." His dark eyes fix on me. "Are you ready?"
"Will you read the results?"
He nods.
"Then I'm as ready as I'm going to be."
He pulls the test from my purse and hands it to me. "You can do this."
I step into the stall and take a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter Twenty-One
Drew
Two-minutes fifty-nine seconds. Fifty-eight. Fifty-seven.
Fuck, this is going to be a long three minutes.
Kara washes and dries her hands. She stares at the test sitting on the counter. Her big brown eyes fill with anxiety. I can practically see her neck and back tightening.
There's nothing I can do to change the results or make them come faster. But I can ease the agony of waiting.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. She's a strong person. It's easy to forget how petite she is. She barely comes up to my chest.
Her voice is a little louder than a whisper. "Are you terrified?"
Only that she's going to break. She's still shaking. I rub her shoulder with my thumb. She purrs, leaning into the gesture.
I rub a little harder. "I'm ready to know."
"You're brave."
"You too."
She shakes her head.
"Say it. You're brave."
"I'm brave sometimes."
"You're lucky you're pressed against me, or I'd give you a hard time about this shit."
"You should give me a hard time as soon as possible."
Fuck yeah. Soon as we deal with this.
She digs her fingers into my t-shirt, holding onto me like I'm her life vest. It feels fucking good bringing her comfort, knowing I'm taking some of the weight she carries around on her shoulders.
I'm not sure how we manage to stay alone in the bathroom, but we do. All three minutes, I stand here, holding Kara.
The timer beeps.
The test is done.
Kara takes a step backward. She looks up at me. "Are you ready?"
I nod. I am.
I take the test from the counter and turn it over.
Two lines.
Positive.
Kara is pregnant.
Fuck.
This is fantastic.
The two of us having a family—it's real. It's happening.
"Drew..." Her voice is timid. "What does it say?"
I meet her gaze. Those big, brown eyes of hers are filled with that same anxiety.
I slide my arms around her waist and pull her closer. My voice is bright, excited. "You're pregnant."
Her eyes go wide. "I am?" She takes the test from my hands and stares at it.
Moments pass as she takes it in. I'm not sure what's going through her head. I hate not knowing what's going through her head, but I have to give her time.
"I'm pregnant," she whispers.
No sense in beating around the bush. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm pregnant." Her voice lifts. "I can't believe it." She takes a deep, slow breath and looks up at me. "This is good."
"This is fucking great."
She nods. Her lips curl into a smile. She tosses the test on the counter and jumps into my arms. "We're gonna have a baby."
I hold her closely. "Yeah, we are."
When our embrace breaks, she looks up at me. Her smile widens. Her eyes brighten. "You look happy."
"I am." I run my fingers through her hair until she l
ooks up at me. Understanding passes between us. Kara and I are a team. We come before everything else in the world. Our family comes before everything else. "As long as I'm alive, you'll never be alone. This kid too."
"Okay."
"I'll figure this out. Trust me." I look into her big, brown eyes. "I don't want to be like my father. I want to be there every fucking second till that kid is yelling at me to give him space and locking himself in his room."
She laughs. "Are you going to tell your parents?"
"No. I don't want my mom getting in his way the way she did with me. Whatever this kid wants, he's going to get it."
"What if she hates the guitar?" Kara teases.
"With half my DNA? Not possible."
"But what if she does?"
"Then she hates the guitar. But that won't happen. I'll teach her to play as soon as she can hold a guitar."
She looks up at me. A playful smile spreads over her face. "What if she only likes rap music?"
"Then we'll soundproof her room. And ours." I pull Kara into my chest again. She's warm, and she smells good. "We should soundproof our room no matter what. I'm not gonna hold back on fucking you because I'm afraid of waking the baby."
She laughs. "Good." Her voice softens. "Do you think... for the name. Alex. Alexander if he's a boy, and Alexandria if she's a girl? After my dad."
I melt. That's perfect. "Of course."
She smiles. "Really?"
I nod.
"That will make Mom happy." She squeezes me. "I'm terrified of what she'll say."
"She'll be happy."
"You think so?"
I have to admit I'm stretching the limits of my knowledge. Kara's mom hasn't always been as supportive as she could be. But the way she looks at Kara—she'll come around.
I rub her shoulders. "Yeah, but let's not worry about it right now. Let's soak in the good news for a while."
Her voice wavers. "That sounds nice, but... maybe not the most possible."
"It's okay you're scared." I lean down to press my lips to her forehead. "I'm scared too. But I think we should continue this conversation outside the bathroom."
She laughs. "True. I'm going to wash up. I'll meet you at the table."
"I love you, Kara. We can do this."
She nods. "We can. If we do it together."
***
Sinful Ever After (Sinful Serenade #5) Page 12