Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  “I will, scouts honour,’’ I grin, hoping the dimples get her to hurry up. She just rolls her eyes and tells us to wait where we are while she goes and gets me one. I sigh with relief. I’m not sure how much longer I can handle the fire burning down there.

  “That was so fucking funny,’’ Lake giggles and I turn, advancing on her. She loses her smile and steps back. I take one step forward, caging her into the reception desk. I lean down, my mouth hovering over her neck before slowly making my way up to her ear.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten for one second the pain you inflicted on me. I’m going to make you pay,’’ I whisper huskily, my mind conjuring up all the ways I can make her pay. On her back, legs spread, on all fours, but even better, her pussy waxed and sitting on my face.

  Getting a boner right now, in this kind of situation, and not to mention the pain, has me silently cursing, my head moving back to look at her.

  “Yeah? How you are you planning on doing that?’’ she asks with a twinkle in her eye. Little minx.

  “Let’s just say it will involve a lot less pain, your ass, my hand and you naked on my bed.’’ My voice turns deep, my voice husky as I stare into her deep blue eyes that dilate at my words.

  Fuck, she likes the sound of that.

  “Rreally,’’ she coughs, gaining her voice back.

  “Really,’’ I promise, moving closer, my lips hovering over hers. That’s when the old nurse decides to interrupt, ruining my fucking moment to get some pleasure after an evening of pain.

  “Here, this is all I could do at such short notice,’’ she tells me, handing me a cold press.

  “This is great.’’ I thank her.

  She gives me a nod and I turn towards the way we came, Lake following beside me as we walk back to the waiting room. I make quick work of placing the cold press inside my boxers, trying my best while moving to put it in the right place. Patients and other people look at me in disgust as we pass them. That’s when Lake starts giggling and I turn to see what’s so funny.

  “What?’’

  “Well, you are messing with your man parts in the middle of a hospital where sick people are. I’m pretty sure there’s a word for it,’’ she giggles and that’s when I groan. I’ve got both hands down my pants and it must look like I’m messing with myself to other people.

  “This is great, just fucking great,’’ I hiss and nearly collide with Maverick when he steps out of the waiting room.

  “There you are. Where have you been?’’

  “What’s wrong? Are Harlow and the baby okay?’’ I ask worriedly.

  “We haven’t heard anything,’’ he sighs sadly. He looks too old for his twenty-four years. He’s had to grow up quicker than most people. It’s times like this that I notice just how much he has had to grow up. “So, where did you go?’’

  “To get an ice pack,’’ I admit. Realisation dawns on Maverick and he tries to cover up his deep chuckle by turning his back on us and walking back into the waiting area but I heard it.

  Everyone is still sitting in the same position as we left them. The chairs are arranged in a square around the room, then six in the middle, three either side facing away from each other. We’re all huddled in the far corner; the only other people in the room are a couple that are sitting nearer the door. The room is cold and not comforting at all which has done nothing to ease the tension in the room.

  Joan is still looking out of the window where the rain drips down the window. Another thing that adds to the gloom that surrounds the air in the room. The depressing bloody weather.

  I’ve just taken a seat, adjusting the cold press on my balls when the door opens revealing a pale, dishevelled Malik. Lake gasps from beside me and my fists clench at the sight of him. He doesn’t look good which means, whatever he’s about to say isn’t good.

  “Harlow wants everyone in the room. The doctors agreed so she would calm down.’’ Okay, not bad, but then it’s not good either. If Harlow wants us all there that means she needs us all there for support.

  We all stand up, Mark and Joan asking Malik what’s been said. Malik answers but it’s short and sweet. They can’t find a heartbeat. My body freezes. Doesn’t that mean? No! It can’t.

  I want to punch something. Hit something. My brother, fuck, even Harlow doesn’t deserve this shit. After everything he’s been through, he doesn’t need this. Not now. Not ever.

  I thought I had commitment problems caused from daddy and mommy issues, but Malik’s issues ran much deeper than mine. Now look at him. He’s finally moved forward, found happiness, and now it’s going to be ripped away from him, just like that.

  “You’re hurting me,’’ Lake whispers softly and I shake myself from my thoughts and look to her. It’s the first time I notice I’m holding her hand tightly.

  “Shit, sorry. Did I hurt you?’’

  “It’s fine,’’ she whispers as we arrive outside Harlow’s room. Walking in, Harlow is in a small bed, her back propped up by millions of cushions. Tears are streaming down her face and that’s when I notice her attention is on a doctor sitting on a stool by the side of her. My first thought is to punch the fuck out of the doctor for making her cry; the second is to remind myself he’s there to help her. It’s not easy sitting back and watching the light slowly leaving her eyes.

  “I wasn’t expecting this many people. Are you sure you want them here?’’ the doctor asks Harlow quietly. I’d normally take offence to his comment but at the moment the only thing I care about is Harlow and the fact she’s in pain. She wasn’t in pain before. She clutches her stomach again and I watch, feeling helpless as Malik moves around the other side of the bed, taking her hand in his. He says something to her that we can’t hear, but whatever he said seems to have relaxed her somewhat.

  Joan moves towards her and from here I can see she’s holding it together for Harlow, but even still, you can see the pain clear on her face. She doesn’t like seeing her granddaughter suffering and possibly… I choke on my thoughts, a few eyes coming my way, but I don’t bother acknowledging them or finishing my trail of thought. My main focus is to stay positive for Harlow and the baby.

  “Okay, the gel will be a little cold but you should get used to it after a couple of seconds,’’ the doctor tells Harlow.

  The rest of us are standing back against the far wall; not wanting to get in the way.

  We all move closer when a thumping drums around the room. We all look to the small screen, all of us preparing ourselves… For what, I don’t know. I just know my entire focus is on that screen.

  “Oh, look what we have here,’’ the doctor speaks again and everyone’s attention focuses on him.

  “What, what’s wrong?’’ Harlow demands, her voice filled with emotion. You can see the pain etched on her face, yet, the fear that’s filled in her eyes is much clearer and painful to witness.

  “This is the baby’s heartbeat,’’ he smiles, pointing to the screen. Harlow’s moan turns into a sob, her shoulders shaking and her body leaning a little into Malik who is sitting half on the bed comforting her. His eyes haven’t left the screen either and from here, I can see he had prepared himself for the worst and not for the positive outcome. The tears in his eyes are a clear indication of relief. Relief Harlow is okay and that his baby is okay.

  But then the doctor opens his mouth, moving the device on Harlow’s stomach a little. “And here’s the second baby’s heartbeat,’’ he adds, and everyone gasps, another fast thumping sound echoing around the room.

  Malik is frozen in place, however, Harlow’s head whips around to the doctor, looking terrified. “How are there two?’’

  The doctor looks around the room, his eyes staying on me and Myles a second longer and we both grin. Harlow’s eyes follow his and when our eyes meet hers she gives us an accusing gaze, her eyes narrowed on us.

  “You did this,’’ she snaps, though, her tone has lost conviction.

  “Pretty sure I’d remember if I did,’’ I wink, speaking up
for the first time. Harlow narrows her eyes then starts smiling.

  “Two! Two, Malik,’’ she whispers, looking up at him. Then realising where she is she doesn’t wait for an answer before turning back to the doctor. “Are they okay?’’

  “Yes. Your blood pressure is really low so that could be the reason why you fainted. It’s common in pregnancy. The pains in your stomach could be due to your stress levels so I do advise you to relax for a few days. You have no signs of concussion from your fall, so I see no worries,’’ he promises as he passes Harlow a tissue to clean up.

  “I need another job,’’ Malik barks out, his face pale. We all laugh but he doesn’t join us. “And we need a house, a big one. One with a garden. We’ll need a safer car but then, we knew that already. We’ll have to get double of everything. I’ll pick up some more work, more shifts and leave college to get a full time job.’’

  My brother’s a nut and if he thinks he’s going to do this on his own, he’s got another thing coming.

  “Malik,’’ Harlow whispers, looking up at him with soft eyes. “They’re okay, we’re okay.’’

  “Yeah, but there’s two, babe. Two! I don’t think I’ll cope if they’re boys. Are they boys?’’ he rants to the doctor.

  The doctor smiles before replying. “We won’t know the sex until her twenty week scan. Your midwife will already have that booked in. But I would like you to make weekly visits to your midwife in the meantime.’’

  “So, how far gone is she?’’

  “She’s eight and a half weeks. I’ll leave you to get cleaned up and a nurse will be with you shortly. You’ll be able to go home, but I strongly advise you to have lots of rest, at least until you’re feeling one hundred percent better.’’

  “You promise there is nothing wrong?’’ Harlow whispers, tears in her eyes.

  “I can’t promise anything. But right now, yes, you and the babies are fine. It’s still early on in the pregnancy so anything can happen. Just try to relax.’’

  Harlow nods her head and we’re all quiet as we watch the doctor leave the room.

  “I cannot believe we’re having twins. What are we going to do?’’ Harlow asks, tears running down her cheeks. “How will we cope? I can’t do it. I can’t! How am I going to look after two?’’ Harlow asks, doing a complete three sixty. Not two seconds ago she was on cloud nine knowing that they were safe and everything was fine. Now she looks like she’s about to blow.

  It’s the first time I’ve seen her lose it like this. No, that’s a lie. When some bitch at school took a photo of her in the school showers, that’s when I first saw her lose it. She wanted to leave home to move to a new town, pleading for it all to end. It was horrible seeing her crumble like that. We were all worried at first that she would do something stupid. It wasn’t just about the photo. She was also having some trouble off another kid at school, she just moved in with her Nan whom she had only just met and was still in the deep grieving stages from losing both her parents tragically.

  “Darling, the only other options are abortion or adoption, are you willing to do that?’’

  I feel everyone’s eyes snap to Joan’s, furious at her words. How can she even ask that? I’m about to butt in, thankfully, Malik get’s there first.

  “Joan,’’ he snaps. “That’s not even an option.’’

  “I’m asking Harlow,’’ Joan says softly, looking back to her granddaughter.

  “Grams, I could never do that. I love them both so much already,’’ Harlow answers confidently, her eyes spilling with tears.

  “Then there’s your answer. No matter how hard life gets, how hard it will be raising two babies, remember this exact moment. Remember the choice you could have made and how that choice made you feel. Always come back to this moment because life, honey, is beautiful. Bringing two children into this world is just magical. It’s a precious gift and I have no doubt, no fear, but every bit of faith in you that you will be the best mother you can be,’’ Joan speaks, her voice soft and quiet. It’s then the tension in the room eases, my own shoulders sagging with relief. Joan didn’t want Harlow to make a choice, she wanted her to realise she was making the right decision.

  “Thank you, Grams,’’ Harlow whispers, leaning forward to give her a hug.

  “Twins, this shit is awesome,’’ I blurt out. “As long they don’t turn out to be girls; then you’re fucked, brother.’’

  Everyone laughs, even Harlow who pulls away from Joan to look at me. Malik looks pissed and I can see in his eyes that he’s just started praying, no, demanding the twins are boys. Though, they could be like me and Myles.

  “Let’s just be thankful they’re okay and healthy,’’ Granddad speaks up, his voice soft too and looking at Harlow like she’s gifting him the world. Sappy fucker.

  “Twins! I can’t believe we’re having twins. It’s real, look?’’ Harlow tells us again, her eyes on the frozen screen of the baby.

  “Yeah, Angel, it’s real and I promise with all of my heart that I will take care of you. All of you,’’ Malik vows and that’s when I decide it’s my cue to get out of here.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  LAKE

  It’s been a few days since Harlow collapsed and everyone found out she and Malik were having twins. She’s been in bed for the past few days resting; neither Malik nor Joan letting her lift a finger. She hates every moment and has made sure everyone knows it.

  “If one more person asks me if I’m okay, I’m going to snap. I mean really freakin’ snap,’’ Harlow growls from her bed.

  I laugh. “They’re just worried about you,’’ I answer.

  We’ve been watching a TV series called Chicago Fire that we found out about a few days ago. Since then we’ve done nothing but watch it in Harlow’s room on Netflix. It’s been addictive.

  “There’s worried and then there’s Nan and Malik. They’re in a whole new category of their own. I need to get back to college, work out if I’ll be able to take the time off when I have the babies.’’

  “Have you told them you’re pregnant?’’ I ask.

  “Not yet. One of the girls in my class mentioned her sister needing loads of time off during her pregnancy and that in the end the college let her go. She wouldn’t have passed, but still, I’m scared that will happen to me. I’m only in the early stages and already I’ve been rushed to hospital.’’

  “You had low blood pressure,’’ I remind her. “And carrying twins.’’

  “True. I’d still rather work with my college teachers so that I don’t end up the same as that girl. I need to finish to get my diploma.’’

  “You will,’’ I promise her. “You have a great network of support around you. All of them would help you out any way they could.’’

  “True again. I just don’t want to rely on everyone. I guess I want to prove to everyone and all the stuck up people who bitch about young moms not able to bring up their kids properly that I – we – can do it. My mom used to tell me she got a lot of stick from people, even her friends, because they thought she was too young, too immature to bring a child into the world, but she proved them all wrong. She was the best mom I could ever wish for. She’d show me pictures of everything I did from when I was too young to remember doing them. I loved it. I remember always wishing that I would be half the mom she was to me.’’

  “People talk crap. Ignore them. Yeah, some teenagers don’t have the maturity to raise a child, yet, most of them raise their kids better than most parents in their forties. A girl, Demy, her mom was like sixty-three. Her mom didn’t have her until she had a decent job, money in the bank and in a solid marriage. By the time all that happened she was forty-five. She didn’t have the energy to do the things young moms can do. It’s not that they neglected her, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t as active in her life as other mothers were in their children’s lives. She would get picked on a lot too for having older parents. Most people presumed she lived with her grandparents,’’ I tell her. Demy wasn’t jus
t left out of sleepovers or having friend’s sleepover, she was also left out with up-to-date technology, TV shows and the new fashion.

  “You’re totally right. I guess it doesn’t matter how old you are, to be honest. As long as the child is happy I don’t think it matters. And I’m going to love my babies with all of my heart and soul,’’ she smiles.

  I smile back. I’m so excited for her. I’m also hoping I’m around to see the twins being born. Sadness creeps in every time I think about leaving.

  The door to Harlow’s bedroom opens and Malik walks in. He’s been at a job all afternoon and is covered in paint.

  “Hey,’’ I wave and get up from the bed, knowing he’s going to want to shower and want some privacy. “I’m going to head downstairs, I’ll catch up with you later,’’ I tell Harlow.

  “You don’t need to go,’’ she whines, pressing pause on the TV.

  My eyes flick to Malik uncomfortably. I don’t want to tell her I’m leaving so her boyfriend can have some privacy but I also don’t want to get her upset.

  “It’s fine. I need to check on Thor anyway,’’ I smile.

  “I’m still gutted he won’t come up here,’’ she pouts, her accusing eyes narrowing on Malik. I hear him chuckle and I grin.

  “What can I say? He loves me,’’ I laugh.

  “Boo hoo! See you later,’’ she grumbles, making me laugh. I wave bye and head downstairs to my room. Joan should be back soon so I’ll have some peace and quiet until then.

  *** *** ***

  When Max walks into my room two hours later he startles me. I look up and my jaw goes slack at the sight of him in my doorway. He’s in his dark jeans, a blue hoody, and his Nike trainers and wearing his dark blue Nike cap. He looks more like a boy in this outfit, but if I’m being honest, he looks fitter. I’ve seen him wearing just his boxers, work clothes, and seen him dressed up, well, for Max anyway, so you’d think I’d get used to the different looks he can pull off by now.