The Malone Brothers Boxed Set

by S. L. Sterling

  "Good, thanks. Yourself?"

  "I'm good. Listen, Chase, I have a family event to go to in a couple of weeks. I just broke up with my boyfriend. My mom and dad are expecting a plus one, and I was wondering if you would be interested in accompanying me? I promise I will make it worth your while."

  I turned and met her eyes, but the only person who ran through my mind was Sophie. "Um, I, ah… I can't. I have a prior engagement," I lied.

  "But you don't even know what weekend it is," she laughed.

  "I said I am busy." I picked up my coffee cup, pushed by her, and left the room, walking back to my office.

  I walked into my office to find my cell phone vibrating on my desk. I set the mug down and picked up the phone. I saw a message from Sophie was waiting for me. She had texted to tell me that she was just now getting to the doctor. I'd gotten the appointment time wrong.

  I blew out a breath and instantly the need to know calmed. I was just about to text her back when reception buzzed my office to let me know my next appointment was waiting for me. I dropped my phone and left my office to go meet my clients. Sophie would have to wait, and this would help me pass enough time to hopefully keep my mind off the news.

  Soon one appointment turned into two, and the next thing I knew, it was almost six. I had shut off my laptop and grabbed my cell and checked the last messages exchanged between Sophie and me. It was still the same: she hadn't said anything more, but I was sure she should know by now.

  I grabbed my jacket from the back of the door, shut the lights off, and made my way down to the parking lot. I pulled out of the parking lot, my wheels spinning, and began the drive across town to Sophie's office.

  19

  Sophie

  It was a little after four-thirty, and I sat in the waiting room flipping through one of the parenting magazines that sat on the table. I was still waiting for the doctor to call me in for my results. I glanced at the clock. I was glad that I had canceled my appointments for this afternoon. This was taking far longer than I had originally thought it would.

  I shifted in my seat, trying to get comfortable again. I picked up my cell phone, glancing at the messages Chase and I had exchanged, trying to figure out what I could say to him to ease his mind.

  "Sophie," I heard my name being called and looked up to see the same nurse who had taken my blood work earlier standing waiting for me.

  I smiled. I could barely contain my excitement. I already knew that the answer was going to be yes. I could feel it. My period was two weeks late, I was bloated, and call me crazy, but I could already feel the life of my unborn baby boy or girl living inside of me. I hadn’t told Chase, but I'd taken a drugstore pregnancy test and gotten a positive result and figured I should see the doctor just to be sure. I quickly folded the magazine and placed my cell phone in my purse, zipping it closed.

  I followed her as she led me down the hall. I stopped abruptly when she stopped outside of one of the exam rooms and opened the door. "Just have a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly."

  "Thank you." I walked in and took a seat, once again pulling out my cell phone to figure out what to message to Chase. I read over his last few messages and was just about to let him know I would call him as soon as I got home when the door flew open and the doctor came flying into the room.

  She smiled and took a seat across from me, quickly signing into the computer. "Sorry to keep you so long, Sophie. The lab was behind. It's been a crazy day here today," she said, blowing out a breath and typing yet another password into the computer.

  "It's not a problem, really. I booked this appointment more as a formality than anything. I'm pretty sure I already know the answer anyways."

  "You do?" she said, looking over at me. "Well, why don't you tell me then, and we will see if the power of intuition is right," she said, leaning forward and placing her arms on her knees.

  I smiled. "Well, my period is a week late. I am so bloated and tired all the time. I finally broke down and took one of those drugstore tests and it came back positive. I mean, I didn't really need to because I already know I am pregnant. I can already feel him or her inside of me," I said smiling, resting my hand on my belly.

  "I see. Well, I always tell my patients that those tests at the drugstore aren't always accurate, and that is why I suggest popping in for a visit too. I am glad to see you took my advice." She sat back and flipped across a couple of screens, reading over what I guessed were my test results. She looked over to me and back to the screen before saying anything.

  "Yes, I'll agree with you, all the symptoms line up, so I wasn't really surprised when I got a positive response on the test."

  I smiled.

  "Sophie, hon, I'm afraid your test results have come back negative."

  The room spun as her words hit me like a punch to the stomach. "That's...that's impossible. I mean, I have symptoms. I have all the symptoms."

  "Sophie, you have symptoms of many things, not just pregnancy. You said on the intake form you have been feeling very stressed, your diet has been off, and you haven't been sleeping well. Those three things right there will make your period late."

  "No." I sat there biting my bottom lip. "No, are you sure you have the right results? Dammit." I closed my eyes tightly, trying to fight off tears.

  "Sophie. It's okay to be upset." She placed her hand on my knee.

  "Dammit, just tell me, are you sure?"

  She nodded. "Yes, Sophie, I'm sorry. There is no baby." She was silent for a couple of minutes. "You know, sometimes, when we want something so bad that we—"

  I held out my hand up to stop her. I didn't want to hear any more. "Well, then, I guess there is no reason for me to take up..." I swallowed hard. "Any more of your time." I grabbed my coat and purse and was just about to head out the door when my eyes began blurring and my head began throbbing. I stopped and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  "Sophie."

  I inhaled deeply, turning and looking towards her, nodding through tear-filled eyes, and took off down the hall. I rushed out of the office and down to the parking lot, taking the stairwell so that I didn't have to be in the elevator at the same time with anyone for fear I couldn't hold back the flood of tears that I felt coming on. There was no way I would be able to look at anyone. I ran across the parking lot to my car, quickly unlocked the door, and climbed in.

  I slammed my door shut, threw my purse into the passenger seat and buried my face in my hands and let it all out. The final nail had been hammered in. I wasn't pregnant. I had slept with my best friend at first in hopes of becoming a mother, and it had been all for nothing. Instead, I had fallen in love with him and couldn't even tell him. I didn't even have him to hold me through all this heartache, because that was what it was, pure and total heartache. I felt as if a part of me had died and that no amount of time would fix me.

  I had taken my time after my appointment to drive back to the office. It was now a little after seven, and I sat in my office with my door closed. I had struggled my way through the last appointment of the day that had been waiting for me when I had gotten back. My work day was over and now I sat with a hot cup of chamomile tea trying hard to concentrate enough to be able to go over the client file for my appointment tomorrow morning. All I really wanted was to go home and curl up in bed, put the heating pad on, and zone out in front of the TV.

  I looked to my cell phone that sat on the corner of my desk, the little blinking red light reminding me that I still hadn't contacted Chase after I received the news. I really didn't have any desire to talk to him or anyone. I reached for a scrap piece of paper to make a quick note when I heard a loud, deep voice out in the hall. As the voice crept closer and my anxiety built, I was about to get up and see what was going on when my door opened and Chase strode in, Marie following behind him.

  "Sir, I can't let you interrupt her...I told you, she asked for privacy. I'm sorry, Sophie, he came barging in and wouldn't stop, even after I told him you weren't taking any more clients
tonight. I didn't mean to have him interrupt you. I know you said you wanted not to be bothered."

  I looked into Chase’s blue eyes and instantly felt a fire deep in the pit of my stomach. I glanced to Marie who stood there ringing her hands. "It's fine, Marie." I smiled weakly. I met his blue eyes again and sat back down behind my desk. Marie nodded and pulled the door closed behind her, leaving us alone.

  "What the hell? Is she your own private security or something?" Chase chuckled.

  "Chase, I had asked not to be bothered. She was simply doing her job," I bit out, closing the file on my desk and shutting down my laptop, then shoving both into the bag that sat at my feet.

  "Do you have a minute?"

  "Not really. I need to get home and get this work completed. I have an early morning tomorrow, and I am really very unprepared for it." I grabbed my coat and threw it around my shoulders.

  "Listen, just give me a minute. I sent you a message today, and you didn't respond, but I've been thinking. I want to be a part of this pregnancy. I want to help you in whatever way you need. I know I said I didn't, but I do. I want to help you decorate the nursery, buy supplies, change diapers, and have my allotment of baby time."

  I looked into his blue eyes, which were now filled with so much hope, want, and excitement that I didn't know what to say. It was enough that I was crushed, but now to have to face that crushing look in his eyes, an indescribable feeling came over me. I had no words. Nothing I could say would make it less painful, so instead I just stood there staring back at him.

  "I want to be there for the next doctor appointment, for all the appointments, especially the ultrasound. I want to be there to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I just need you to tell me when and where to be, and I'll make it happen. I want to be there for all the firsts. I want to be there for you when you deliver, when you go home. I want to be there to see his or her first steps." He pulled his phone from his pocket and flipped until he found what he was looking for. "First, we will start with the next appointment. Tell me when and where." When I didn't say anything to that, he looked up and met my eyes.

  "Why the sad face? I thought you would be happy to have some sort of support system. Some help..."

  I let out a sigh. "I would be grateful for the support system, but it doesn't matter, Chase." Those were the only words I could get out. I swallowed hard, continuing to pack my bag so that I could avoid what I knew was coming, what I knew had to come. I had to tell him, but honestly, I didn't even know how.

  "Sure it does. Why would you say that?" He set his phone on the desk and approached me. He placed his hands on my arms, stopping me from what I was doing. He placed his finger under my chin and raised my head so he could look into my eyes.

  The longer he looked into my eyes, the more my eyes burned, and I tried so hard to muster up the courage not to cry, but as soon as I blinked, a tear slipped from the corner, giving me away. "It doesn't matter, because there isn't a baby. It didn't work. I'm not pregnant."

  I could see the stunned look in Chase's eyes, and then I slowly felt his hands slip down my arms as the words hit him full force. "But...that's impossible."

  "But nothing. It's not impossible. There is no baby. So you're off the hook. You don't need to pretend to want to be here for me, Chase. You don't need a baby. You’re a hot, single guy with your life in front of you. My little experiment, all the planning, didn't work, so things will go back to the way they were. You can go back to dating all those gorgeous women, and I will go back to my boring old life of lonely weekends, taxes, and the occasional shitty date. Thank you for trying. I've got to go though."

  I turned away from his stare, zipped my bag closed, picked up my purse, and left my office, leaving Chase standing there against my desk. There was nothing more to say. I didn't look back. I couldn't. I didn't want to see the joy of him being off the hook, and I didn't want him to know any more than he already did that I was completely crushed.

  I took my time walking down the hall and into the lobby where Marie sat. I approached her desk and stopped to hand her a few important documents. "Can you please make sure these get faxed tonight before you leave, and just so you know, Chase is still in my office. He is welcome to stay as long as he needs. Just let him have some time okay."

  "Sure thing, Sophie. Have a good night, and I will see you tomorrow."

  "You as well."

  I drove slowly on my way home, a drive that would normally take me ten minutes taking me twenty. I had never been so happy to walk into the quietness of my condo. Not caring, I left a trail of my belongings all over the floor and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. My heart had been heavy and my head hurt, and now I felt worse because I had walked out on Chase, but I hadn't had a choice. I didn't even know how to handle what I was feeling. I took my water, shut off the light, and made my way to my bedroom.

  I shut my bedroom door, turned on the heated mattress pad so it could warm up, and put the TV on. I washed my face, tied my hair back into a messy ponytail, and changed into my favorite flannel pajama pants and T-shirt. I pulled the large blinds across the floor-to-ceiling windows, something I never did, and pulled the duvet down and crawled into bed. I fell into the large pile of pillows and pulled an extra one into my body. As I inhaled, all I could smell was Chase. The longer I lay there inhaling his scent, the longer I had to hold onto the sob that was threatening to escape my throat.

  When my chest felt like it was going to explode, I finally succumbed, and a loud sob escaped me, echoing through the room. I held onto that pillow, inhaling his scent, and cried, wishing that Chase's arms were wrapped around me, trying to comfort me. I not only cried for the loss of something that could have been but for the loss of Chase as well, because no matter what, I couldn't have him as a lover or a friend. That was when the full realization hit me. I had lost both him and a baby this afternoon.

  20

  Chase

  I drove around the city aimlessly for three hours, after I had left the quietness of Sophie's office. I'd waited at least a half hour after she had left before I got behind the wheel of my car. I was now down at the waterfront.

  I shut the engine off and began walking through the park back to the spot where Sophie and I had shared our second first kiss only a few weeks earlier. I sat down on an empty bench and looked out over the water. Memories flashed through my mind. I smiled at the memory of the look on her face as our lips had parted the first time.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling me out of my memories. I checked my messages to see that my brothers were waiting for me at our normal restaurant location. I was about to message them to let them know I wasn't coming but decided getting out with them would do me good. I needed to pull myself out of this funk.

  Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of Wings and Things. I immediately saw that all of my brothers’ vehicles were parked. I cut the engine and checked my phone once again for any message from Sophie. I was hoping for anything, a hello, fuck you, die bastard die, whatever she wanted to send, but there was nothing.

  I removed my seatbelt and shoved my phone back into my jacket pocket. Walking into the restaurant I was greeted with an onslaught of waving women, most of whom I had slept with at one time or another over the years. We apparently needed to change up our location, I thought to myself, but I was polite, greeted them, even making small talk with some. I approached the bar, ordered a beer, and made my way back to where my brothers were waiting.

  I slid into the booth beside Hunter and shoved my face into the menu that sat waiting for me. Carly dropped a beer in front of me, flashing me one of her smiles. When I didn't make eye contact and only mumbled a thank you, she walked away with a look of disappointment.

  "What the fuck is up with you?" Bryce questioned, looking between Carter and Hunter.

  "Nothing?"

  "Nothing? What the fuck? Four months ago you and Carly were all over one another. You'd take her home, screw her brains out, and now you barel
y acknowledge her?" Bryce seemed a little pissed off and picked up his beer and took a swig.

  "Mom would be so disappointed with you," Hunter said facetiously, trying to get under my skin. I knew he was doing it on purpose, since he was the only one who I'd really confided in, yet he still didn't know the outcome.

  I did my best to ignore them, letting them carry on with whatever conversation they had been in the middle of before I'd arrived. I wasn't really all that hungry, and I finally shut the menu, downed the remainder of my beer, and was well into my second one before I heard my name mentioned.

  I looked to Carter who sat there staring at me. "You sure you're all right?"

  I nodded, downed the remainder of my second beer, and signaled for another one.

  "Jesus, you should slow down there, bro. You have a car to drive home," Carter said, nodding towards the empty beer bottle.

  Hunter turned to look at me. "Did you finally hear anything?"

  I nodded. For the past couple of weeks, I had let my brothers believe that everything was back to normal with me and that I was back to my old dating ways. I had made up dates with numerous women to avoid our nights out. I'd made up stories of the girls I had taken home, but the truth was that, since I had left Sophie's apartment that Monday morning a few weeks ago, I hadn't been able to look at another woman, because the only one that was on my mind was Sophie. I'd spent my nights at home, watching movies, texting or chatting with Sophie on the phone, even spending one more night in her bed, but now I feared my lies were about to surface, because telling them all one thing via text was different than sitting in front of them.

  "Well? Is she pregnant? Did you fulfill her need? Did your super sperm win?" Hunter and Carter chuckled at Bryce's insinuation. I, on the other hand, did not.