Time Stands Still (Forever and Ever #51)

by E. L. Todd

  “No. Will you shut up and let me talk?”

  He covered his mouth and gasped. “Oh my god. She didn’t say Cedric is cuter than Ryan, right? Because I’ll yank that brown hair out of her skull. How dare she compare our kids like they’re dolls?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Skye is pregnant, okay?”

  “Shut the front door.” His jaw dropped.

  “But we can’t tell anyone.”

  “Why the hell not? She’s not some teenage girl knocked up by some guy she hardly knows.”

  “She doesn’t want to make the weekend about her. Conrad is the one getting married. It would be rude of her to steal the show.”

  “It wouldn’t be stealing the show. She’s been pregnant before.”

  “Just don’t tell him, alright? Let Skye do it.”

  “Oh geez.” He rubbed his palm across his chin. “How am I supposed to be around the guy and not tell him he’s gonna have another kid?”

  “Talk about something else?”

  “Like what?”

  “How about your new son?” I argued. “You have plenty of things to discuss with him. I told Skye you would keep her secret. Don’t embarrass me.”

  “Fine. Whatever.” He peeked over the seat and stared at Skye and Cayson.

  I elbowed him in the side. “Don’t make it obvious.”

  “I’m just looking.”

  “Well, don’t look.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Silke

  “Anything to drink?” the flight stewardess asked.

  “I’ll have a rum and coke.” Arsen turned to me. “What about you?”

  I could use a cocktail right now. I was a nervous flyer and I was already anxious about telling Arsen I had a bun in the oven. “I’ll have some juice.”

  The flight stewardess handed everything over before she moved on.

  “Juice?”

  “What?” I took a sip before I set it down.

  “When did you start drinking juice?”

  I shrugged. “We’re on vacation, right?”

  “You don’t want something stronger? We have a long way to go.”

  “Nah. I need to pace myself.” I had no idea how I was going to not drink alcohol during this entire trip without making it abundantly obvious I was knocked up.

  Arsen dropped the subject. “I miss Abby…”

  “I do too. But she should spend some time with her Grandma. She doesn’t see her a lot.”

  “I know. And it’ll be nice to have some alone time. Lots of sex.”

  “We already have lots of sex.”

  “But lots of loud and crazy sex.”

  “That sounds nice.” I sipped my juice again before I returned it to the tray between us. A private jet was much better than sitting in coach. Having a rich uncle paid off sometimes.

  “So, you’re in the wedding?”

  “No. It’s just Roland and Macy. Since the wedding is small they didn’t want to have half the people attending it standing up there, you know?”

  “Makes sense. So what do you want to do when we get there? Snorkel? Tan?”

  “I don’t know about you but I’m going to sleep. Traveling is exhausting.”

  “When we see how beautiful it is neither one of us will be tired.”

  “Speak for yourself.” I pulled the blanket higher over my body and closed my eyes.

  “Is your stomach flu better?”

  “Huh?” Oh yeah. “Yeah, it’s getting there. I’ll probably be back to normal when we’re on solid ground.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He grabbed book from his table and started to read.

  How would I keep this under wraps until we got home?

  ***

  After we arrived at the hotel we all showered in our rooms then met for dinner at a restaurant at the resort. Since it was late in the evening in Hawaii, it made sense for all of us to stay awake for a few more hours before we went to bed.

  We sat at a large table that could accommodate our party. It was on the balcony of the resort, facing the ocean and the beach. The humidity was less than the kind we experienced at home in the summer, but it had a pleasant aroma of flowers and coconuts. The breeze moved through my hair and made me feel at peace for the first time in a week.

  Everyone ordered drinks and I ordered an ice tea in the hope people might assume it was a long island ice tea and not notice anything. We talked about the wedding and the beautiful scenery.

  “I think we should make a toast.” Mike waved a waiter over and ordered champagne for everyone.

  Oh shit.

  Once the glasses were full Mike stood. “Thank you to everyone for coming. Cassandra and I are so excited for the big day. Our little boy is grown up and now a man—”

  “Dad, I’ve been a man for a long time now,” Conrad interjected.

  “Anyway,” Mike said as he continued. “We’re really happy for both of you and excited to gain another daughter. Cheers.” He clanked his glass against Cassandra’s before he took a drink.

  Arsen clanked his glass against mine, and I clanked my glass against my mom’s and dad’s. Everyone placed the glass to their lips and took a drink. Arsen was looking at me so I did the same. The second he looked away I spit it out.

  At least that worked out.

  “Did you just spit back into your glass?” Slade’s repulsed voice came from down the table.

  I hate my brother. I hate him.

  Arsen turned to me, his eyebrows raised.

  “No, idiot,” I snapped.

  “I saw you,” Slade argued. “God, you’re gross.”

  Dad eyed us back and forth and knew this was the kind of heat I couldn’t afford to take. “One time, I got really drunk and kissed a guy.”

  That immediately took all the intention off of me. Everyone turned their heads in Dad’s direction, shocked by what came tumbling out of his mouth. I knew it wasn’t true and it was just a distraction, but I was still shocked us all the same.

  The sound of crickets played around us because everyone was still caught off guard. Mom looked embarrassed and avoided everyone’s gaze. Arsen didn’t look at me because he was staring at my dad.

  Slade was the first one to speak. “Whoa, what?”

  “Yeah, it was a long time ago.” Dad shrugged like it was no big deal. “It was New Year’s, and I didn’t have anyone to kiss. I thought this guy was a girl…it’s a long story.”

  “No big deal?” Slade blurted. “Why did you decide to say this now?”

  “I guess it’s been on my mind lately,” Dad said. “Wanted to get it off my chest. Anyway…that steak was delicious. Anyone else agree?”

  “It was da bomb,” Conrad said.

  They started talking back and forth about dinner, and I was left out of the spotlight. If Dad hadn’t changed the conversation so quickly, I would have had to confess the truth—and that was not how I wanted Arsen to find out.

  I looked across the table and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Dad only nodded.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Cayson

  “You’ve been weird all day. What’s the deal?” I handed my surf board to the maintenance guy.

  Slade did the same. “What do you mean?”

  We walked up the beach until we reached the grounds of the resort. “Really quiet. And just…jumpy.”

  “I’m not jumpy,” he argued. “Just afraid of sharks, is all.”

  “But you aren’t afraid of sharks.”

  “Dude, stop giving me the third degree, alright?” He sped walk and tried to get away from me.

  I had to move quicker to keep up with him. “What’s the problem? Why can’t you tell me?” We got into the elevator and rose to the top floor. When the doors opened we walked out.

  “There’s nothing to tell.” He pulled his room key out of his pocket and practically ran to his hotel room.

  “Okay, now I know you’re hiding something from me.”

  “I have to poop.”

  “What?�
��

  He got the key in the slot and unlocked it. “I have to poop, alright? Get off my case.” He ran inside and shut the door behind him.

  He’d been weird all day because he had to poop? That didn’t make sense. Wouldn’t he have just gone in the bathroom near the beach? He was definitely hiding something but I didn’t have a clue what it was. I’d pester him about it when I saw him later.

  I walked into the room I was sharing with Skye and Cedric. “Slade has been weird all day.”

  She was looking at herself in the mirror, wearing a tight black dress with a gold necklace. “He’s weird all the time.”

  “But really weird. He’s hiding something from me but I don’t know what it is.”

  She clipped her earrings into her lobes while staring at the mirror. “I was hoping we could have dinner—just the two of us.”

  “What about Cedric?” I looked around when I realized he wasn’t there.

  “Mom and Dad wanted him for the night.”

  “Oh…” I was disappointed but at least we would get some alone time. “Will they have him all night?”

  “No. Just until after dinner.”

  I could get on board with that. “Alright. I’ll shower and then we’ll go.”

  “Okay.” She suddenly smiled but tried to hide it. Her cheeks tinted and her lips curled into a smile.

  “What?” I stared at her expression in the mirror.

  She quickly shook it off. “Nothing. Just thinking about something Trinity said today…you wouldn’t get it.”

  I walked into the shower and turned on the water. “If I don’t get Slade, I doubt I’ll get his wife.”

  ***

  We finished dinner then ordered dessert. Skye wanted to have a chocolate sundae over a warm brownie. I wasn’t big on sweets, but we were on vacation. I had a glass of wine, and she had water.

  “How was surfing?” She looked beautiful in the new dress she wore. Her hair was thick and curled and her spray on tan made her body look phenomenal. She always insisted she was chunky, but in my eyes she was just curvy. “It was good. The waves were nice. Big but not too big.”

  “See any sea turtles?”

  “One. The guy almost bumped into me.”

  “How cute.”

  “He was pretty cool.” I finished my glass of wine then entertained myself by looking at her.

  She took a deep breath then tucked her hair behind her ear, seeming nervous.

  “Everything alright?”

  “Yeah, everything is fine.” Her voice came out high-pitched, much higher than it sounded a moment ago.

  It didn’t seem fine but I didn’t press her on it.

  The waiter arrived with the dessert. He set it on the table between us and walked away without saying a word.

  I grabbed my spoon then looked at the plate to see where I should take my first bite.

  In the center of the ice cream was a yellow pacifier. The sucking part was inside the ice cream while the outside protruded the surface. It was so out of place I wasn’t sure if I was looking at it. I narrowed my eyes then blinked. But it was still there. “Uh…I think the waiter made a mistake.” I looked up into Skye’s eyes and saw her expression.

  Her eyes were coated with moisture, the kind that showed happiness rather than sadness. She pressed her lips tightly together like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

  And then I finally got it.

  “You’re pregnant.”

  She nodded.

  I took a deep breath as the happiness flooded. It stuck me like an avalanche, the force of nature shattering me with its truth. I dropped the spoon and chuckled because I felt stupid not figuring it out instantly. “That’s…so great.”

  “I knew you would be happy.”

  I came to her side of the table and kneeled down. I gave her a kiss before I hugged her, grateful we were blessed enough to make our family grow. Even though her stomach wasn’t distended at all, I leaned down and kissed it. “I’m so excited.”

  “Me too.”

  “Is that why Slade was acting weird?”

  She nodded.

  “Now it makes sense. Does everyone know?”

  “Just Trinity and Slade. I didn’t want to ruin Conrad’s day by stealing the spotlight.”

  I nodded in understanding. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  “But I couldn’t wait to tell you. If I had to keep it inside until we were back at home I would explode.”

  “I’m glad you told me.” I grabbed her hands and gave her another kiss. “Maybe your parents can keep Cedric for the night…”

  “You already got me pregnant, Cayson.”

  I chuckled. “Now I want to do it just for us.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Conrad

  My bare feet were in the sand and the ocean waves hit the shore behind me. The breeze had died down as the sun set. A sky full of colors of purple and pink stretched overhead. It was too beautiful to be understood. My friends and family sat in the white chairs on either side of the aisle. The beach was a public place but thankfully no one was there that night. It felt private.

  “Nervous?” Slade stood with me at the front.

  “No.”

  “You sure?” He wore black slacks and a collared shirt. But he didn’t have any shoes on either. “On my wedding day I was fucking terrified.”

  “I’m definitely not terrified.” It would be easy to argue I had some doubt. When I asked Lexie to marry me she said no. We spent nearly a year apart and in that time I lost myself and everything I stood for. I was utterly miserable. Even my family said I should never forgive her.

  But I couldn’t live without her.

  Whatever the future brought, we would deal with it. But I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this woman who stole my heart. I never knew I could love someone as much as I loved her.

  Apollo left Dad’s side and stood beside me in the sand. He parked his rear down and sat, his bow tie around his neck.

  “Awe…” Macy leaned across the aisle and patted him on the head. “He’s the best best man the world has ever seen.”

  “I’m the best man,” Roland snapped. “Not some dog.”

  “You’re both the best man,” I said calmly.

  Roland looked down at Apollo with disdain.

  “I’m here if you fall,” Slade said. “If you feel weak in the knees, I’ll catch you.”

  “Why would I fall?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “You’re nervous. Didn’t eat much…”

  “Like you could catch me.”

  “Hey, I know I’m thin but I’m strong. I could take you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I challenged.

  “If this wasn’t your wedding day, I’d kick your ass here and now.”

  “Bring it, bitch.”

  “Hey.” Macy snapped her fingers in our faces. “Conrad, you’re getting married. Remember? Slade, this is your brother-in-law. Zip it and shut up.”

  “Sorry,” Slade said with a sigh. “I just had to defend my manhood.”

  I turned back to the front and waited for the music to start. Thirty seconds later, it did. It was Hawaiian music, and in a language I didn’t understand. But it sounded beautiful—just like my bride.

  Lexie emerged from the pavilion and walked down the stairs to the sand. Her father was beside her, his arm extended for her to hold. The dress she wore was worth the fortune it cost. It made my already beautiful bride exquisite. She shined with a delicate elegance that everyone could see.

  And she only had eyes for me.

  She walked down the short aisle, her hair pulled back into a pretty updo. She wore make up but it wasn’t as heavy as I thought it might be. It was light and natural, complementing her already perfect features.

  When she reached me, her father kissed me on the cheek then stepped away. She appeared just as calm as I was. She extended her hand to grab mine, and I held i
t with confidence.

  I wanted to spend my life taking care of her.

  We faced each other in front of Slade.

  Slade performed the ceremony like he had several times. He mentioned our long relationship and even our time apart. Then he continued forward. “The bride and groom have something they’d like to say to one another.”

  Lexie went first. She didn’t have a note to read off of. “When we met I didn’t believe in love. I didn’t believe in anything anymore. But you showed me what it means to truly be loved. You showed me that I was worth something, that you would do everything you possibly could to make me happy. Never in my life have I ever felt so cherished. Every day, you make me feel beautiful. Every day, you make me feel so lucky. For the rest of my life I vow to do the same for you—to make you feel loved and cherished every single day.”

  I didn’t know what she was going to say, but I hadn’t anticipated something so poetic. It touched my heart in ways I couldn’t describe. “I’ve never loved someone the way I’ve loved you. I’ve never been the kind of man to wear my heart on my sleeve, but you bring out both the best and worst in me. I promise to treat you like a queen every single day for the rest of our lives. I promise to love you, take care of you, and be everything you could possibly need. I’ll give you the earth, the moon, and the galaxy—as long as you’re mine for all eternity.”

  Her eyes watered. “Con…”

  Slade got lost in our moment, hanging onto the words I just uttered. When the silence filled the air and it was time to move on, Slade snapped out of it. “Sorry…if anyone here objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  I kept my eyes on Lexie. And she kept her eyes on me.

  “By the power invested in me from the Internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kiss your lady.”

  I wanted to smile at his comment but I was already smiling. I wrapped my arms around her hips and gave her a kiss. It was PG and appropriate, but it made me feel an explosion deep inside my chest. I already knew I wanted to spend my life with her, but the first kiss, that beginning, was just a glimpse of the kind of life we would have together.

  It was a preview of our forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Silke