by Rose, Ashley
BROTHERS & BEST FRIENDS
by
ASHLEY ROSE
OTHER BOOKS
jaided
nondescript
full court press
Brothers and Best Friends
Copyright 2013 Ashley Rose
All Rights Reserved
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and events are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, places, events or locations is entirely coincidental.
No part of this eBook may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author/publisher, except in the case of brief quotations for the purpose of writing critical articles or reviews.
Chapter One
Janine Bradley sat with her head pressed against the window of the bus, wondering if she was insane.
Jess Rossini had moved to New York City the week he turned eighteen, and Janine hadn't seen or heard from him since. After all, she was just his best friend's dorky little sister. Why would he talk to her? She still thought about Jess a few times a week, and had dreams about him that she'd be too embarrassed to ever tell anyone about. He had been her first love, even if he didn't know it. When she found out about her little problem, he had been one of the first people she wanted to talk to.
Janine imagined Jess would be quite shocked when he saw her. She didn't care. She needed to talk to someone and he was the only person she could imagine telling, despite her close relationship with her brother. John was, after all, her brother, and he wouldn't take it well. He would fly off the handle and nobody would be any better off, just more upset.
Janine had no idea what she was going to do and she was completely freaked out. So after having spent days thinking about Jess and how he had always been there when her brother wasn't, she was on a bus to New York City. She had a backpack, thirty-four dollars, and an address. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake. She hoped Jess was still the sweet, concerned guy he had been three years earlier.
From the bus station, Janine took a taxi to Jess's building—big and brick, just like many of the buildings she had seen on the drive there. The August heat made her sweat in the short minute she stood outside his building on the sidewalk, working up the courage to go in. Hands shaking as she checked her phone's GPS one more time to make sure she was in the right place, she entered the building. It wasn't the nicest apartment building she'd ever seen, that was for sure. Her stomach rolled with more than just nerves, and she decided the baby must be nervous, too. Or maybe it was just trying to make her miserable. She took a few gulps of air and smoothed her red shirt. Once she was sure she looked presentable, she knocked on the door.
A few seconds went by with no answer. As she was about to knock again, she heard stumbling, and a muttered curse. The door opened slightly and the guy behind it straightened. Janine's heart fluttered a bit. Jess looked older than he had at eighteen, and even more handsome. He wore a white T-shirt and black faded jeans with a black watch on his left arm. He glanced at her face for a few seconds, then allowed his gaze to travel over the rest of her. Finally, after lingering briefly on her bare shoulders, his eyes found her face again.
"You here to see Todd?"
She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Excuse me?"
He raised his eyebrows right back. "Do you have the right apartment?"
Her eyes widened. "You don't remember me?"
He frowned and looked her over again, narrowing his eyes slightly. She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head to the side.
"Done?" she asked when he had made it back to her face.
"I don't think I remember you. If you wanna give me something more to go on maybe you'll refresh my memory, but on sight I'm not remembering you."
"You really don't remember me?" she said in amazement.
"Well, you know where I live, so I'm assuming I've brought you here, but I'm sorry, I'm not...maybe a name?"
"Janine," she said, barely stifling a giggle.
"Janine." He nodded and looked at her again.
She watched as realization hit him in the face.
"Janie?"
She smiled. "You look surprised."
His jaw fell open a bit and he struggled not to look her over again. He leaned against the frame of the door.
"What are you doing here?"
Her smile weakened and she looked down, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"I needed to...talk to someone."
He blinked. "And I'm the first person to come to mind?"
"No, actually you were the second, but John was...I didn't want to talk to John. I know this is really strange, me showing up on your doorstep after three years. But I...I don't know, it seemed like a...good idea."
"Does John know you're here?"
"No."
"Your parents?"
"No."
He nodded and looked at a spot over her head then back at her. "Does anybody know you're here?"
"No."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you want to come in."
He backed up, letting her in. As she walked by, he allowed himself a quick glance to see what she looked like from behind. He quickly jerked his gaze back up to eye level. This was his best friend's little sister, for Pete's sake.
"You've changed a lot since I last saw you. How old are you now, eighteen?"
"Yeah," she said with a nod.
"You look..." He briefly looked her over again. "Different."
She smiled.
"Yeah, I'm two inches taller and about forty pounds smaller. I would hope I look different," she said. He nodded.
"You look different too," she said. "A little bit older. Not much," she added quickly. "I mean..." She frowned and bit her lip, wrinkling up her nose. "I'm gonna quit talking."
He smiled and walked closer. "Do you want a drink or something?"
"Um, no."
He nodded and turned back to face her. "Okay, so...don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?"
Her smile waned again and she looked down, then back up at him. "Um, I sort of...I find myself in...something of a predicament."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You?" She had always been a geeky little straight-A student who spent her weekends at home or following him and John around. He never pictured her getting in trouble. Then again, he had never pictured her blossoming into a girl he'd think he might have brought back to his place one night. "Uh, what kind of trouble are you in?" he asked. "Legal trouble, or...?"
"Oh, no," she said, her eyes widening. "No, nothing like that."
"Okay. Well...why didn't you go to John? I thought you guys were really close."
She started playing with the hem of her shirt again. "He's my brother. He's very protective of me."
"Yes, I know."
"That's sort of why I'm afraid to tell him."
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. That's actually the problem."
He sat down on the couch and stared up at her. "You've lost me," he said.
She fiddled with her shirt and sat down next to him on the couch.
"I'm going to tell you something very important, and I haven't told anyone about this yet, and...I mean, is it okay if I tell you?"
He frowned and nodded. "Yeah."
"It's serious. I've been so scared, and I don't know what to do, and I didn't know who to tell. I couldn't very well tell John and I was so embarrassed. I just wanted it to go away. Then I found it wasn't going to go away, ever, and I didn't know what to do or what to say, so I didn't say anything." She took a breath.
/> He frowned more and sat up. "What is it?" he asked warily.
She swallowed. "Well, see, you know how John's in college right now?"
He nodded.
She nodded. "Well, I went to visit him one weekend a few months ago...about three months ago." She frowned and twisted the hem of her shirt. "I—" She broke off. Her voice was unsteady. She took a breath and tried again. "See, the thing is...I...I'm sort of...I'm, um...I'm pregnant," she finally blurted.
Jess let out a big breath and his eyes widened. "Have you told the father?" he asked.
Janine's eyes filled with tears and he wished he could take the question back. He wasn't good with weepy females. "There—" She stopped again, clearing her throat and trying to gather her composure. "There is no father."
He frowned. "Excuse me?"
She tilted her head back slightly to clear the tears then lowered it again, still twisting at her shirt. "I don't even have a boyfriend. I didn't—" She stopped and shook her head. She stopped playing with her shirt and covered her face with her hands. When she was fully composed, she looked up, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, so instead she spoke to his arm.
"I went to see Johnny at college and there was this party that some of his friends were having. I didn't want him to have to miss it. Well, some girl ran into him and was talking. She wouldn't stop talking and talking and talking, so I decided to wander around and see what everyone else was doing." She rolled her eyes. "There was this guy. I have no idea who he was, but he sort of gave me the creeps when he looked at me. As soon as I could, I got away from him. But he had offered me a drink. I should have known better than to drink it! I don't know where my head was..." She trailed off and hid her face again.
By now, Jess was sitting forward at full attention and staring at her. He already knew the rest of the story.
"But I...and he..." She had to stop talking again and pressed a hand against her mouth, trying not to lose control.
Jess sighed sympathetically. He pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and dissolved into tears. He rubbed her back and tried to murmur reassurances. The sweet little girl who used to follow him around like a puppy dog had been raped. Janine wasn't the only one feeling sick to her stomach anymore.
Chapter Two
Janine finally stopped crying after a few minutes, but stayed in his arms, enjoying the comfort and warmth of his embrace.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm sorry I cried on you." She sniffled a little. "I don't usually do that."
"Don't worry about it," he said. Then he sighed. "Did you leave your mother a note or anything?" he asked gently.
"Yes, I told her I had something I needed to do and that I would call her around dinner time."
He glanced at his watch. "That would be now."
"I'll call."
He nodded and smoothed her hair back as she sat up straight. "You don't want your family to worry."
"Thank you," she said.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"About the...pregnancy?"
She absently rubbed her hand over her stomach. "Well, I guess I'll have to tell my family eventually. I mean, unless they think I'm living with a beach ball under my shirt, they're going to notice the belly."
He nodded. "So you're going to keep it?"
"The baby? Well, yeah. It isn't the baby's fault that the provider of the sperm was a pervert." She looked genuinely confused. "Why wouldn't I keep it?"
"Well, some girls choose to...not have it. They feel...I don't know, they feel they can't...keep it."
"Oh. I'm not them. I don't feel that way," she said.
"Okay. Then, yeah, you're definitely going to have to tell your parents. And John."
She sighed, pulling her phone out of her purse. "I know."
He took her hand and she looked back up at him. He looked as helpless as he felt. "I don't know what to say, Janie. I don't know what to do in this situation."
"Just being here's enough," she told him.
He nodded and let go of her hand. Janine dialed her home phone number. Her mother answered on the second ring.
"Hi, Mom," Janine replied.
"Janine! Where are you?"
"That's...a funny story. Um, I'm sort of in New York."
"I gathered that," her mother said dryly. "What I want to know is why you left alone and if you're on your way home yet."
"No, Mom, I meant the city. I'm in New York City."
"What!" her mother screeched.
Janine held the phone away from her ear and grimaced.
"What are you doing in New York City?" her mother demanded.
"I came to see Jess."
"You—" Her mother stopped and took an audible breath. "Are you with him now? I gather you haven't been mugged or shot at yet."
"Nope, I got straight in a taxi and came straight to his apartment. No mugging or shooting as of yet. In fact, I haven't even seen a drug dealer or a gun. I'm quite disappointed in the big, bad city."
"Why would you go see Jess?"
"That's...an even longer story. Anyway, I just wanted to call and let you know I'm safe and...you know, just to let you know what I did."
"I can't believe you did this. Did he know about this?"
"No. Actually he didn't even recognize me at first."
"Well, he never was the brightest bulb in the box."
"Hey, it isn't his fault I was fat and ugly the last time he saw me. I wouldn't have wanted to remember me either. In fact I do my best to forget."
"When are you coming home?" her mother asked.
"I don't know. I just got here. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
"Where are you staying? I know you're not getting a hotel; you're underage."
"Mom, I'll be fine. I'll call you tomorrow."
Her mother sighed. "Fine, Janine."
"I love you. Bye."
"Love you, bye," her mom replied, and hung up.
"Mad?" Jess asked.
"Yes, but not explosive."
"Okay. Well, I'm going to make something for us to eat. My roommate, Todd, he's the one that made the mess in the living room, he works until nine tonight, so he won't be here to bother you until then. I assume you're staying here tonight?"
"I don't really have anywhere else to go," she said shyly.
He nodded. "Okay. Um, Todd sleeps on the twin mattress in the living room. I take the bedroom because I pay more rent. I can crash on the couch tonight and you can have the bed," he told her.
"You don't have to do that. I mean, I showed up here and completely surprised you. I don't want to kick you out of your bedroom too. You should sleep in your bed."
"I don't want you sleeping in the living room with Todd. That's enough to make anyone uncomfortable, but most definitely you."
"Well..." She didn't really want to argue with that. "I can sleep on the floor in your room," she said. "All I need is a pillow and I'll be fine," she insisted.
"Yeah, that's the act of a true cad. Make the pregnant girl sleep in the floor while you're sleeping in a comfortable queen bed."
"You're not a cad."
"Exactly, and that's why you're taking the bed. I can sleep on the floor. Won't be the first time."
"You know, this is ridiculous. It's a queen bed, so it can definitely fit two people. We can just share the bed and nobody has to sleep on the floor."
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said.
"Jess, you're...you," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've known you half my life."
"Right," he drawled. "So I'm an asexual old man. Good to know."
She giggled. "No, there's nothing asexual about you. I'm just saying I'm not afraid to sleep with you. Next to you," she quickly amended, blushing.
He gave her a half smile, half smirk. "Well, that's good to know, I guess."
"It is good. Not all that surprising, though. I don't think there's a female alive who thinks
you're an asexual being. Well, except my mom. She's never been that fond of you."
"Which I'm grateful for, as the alternative would be kind of disturbing."
Janine grinned. "It would, wouldn't it?"
He smiled and nodded. "A little bit. What do you want to eat?"
She raised an eyebrow and looked at her stomach. "What are you going to let mommy eat today?" She paused as if awaiting an answer. Then she shrugged. "Seems to be in a good mood at the moment. But if I get sick after I eat it isn't the food's fault, it's this unruly little child. He doesn't seem to like when I eat anything but maybe a cracker or an apple, and the apple thing is iffy. My brother actually thinks I'm on a diet."
"It's so weird to think of you pregnant," he said, glancing at her stomach.
She nodded. "I thought so too at first. Even more when it started making me sick, but now I've pretty much gotten used to being a statistic," she said lightly, offering a smile.
"Ask if it'll let you eat bacon and cheese."
"Together?"
He nodded. "On a potato with sour cream. It may not sound all that great, but trust me."
"What do you say, little one?" she asked her stomach. "Well, it isn't lurching, so I think that means okay."
He smiled as he stood, then gave a little bow to her stomach. "Coming right up, Your Majesty."
She smiled. "The baby does tend to act like royalty and it isn't even born yet. Can you imagine when it comes out?" She looked up at Jess's hair intently. "I think I'd like it if he had hair like yours." She touched her own hair. "You never know, it could happen. My mom has black hair and my dad had blonde and I came out with...this."
He reached down and took a lock of her peculiar hair. It was sort of a brownish golden copper. A variety hair color. He wrapped a strand around his finger. There had to be at least three different colors in that one strand. "You know, it could be a girl."
"Well, your hair's perfect. It would be a good color on a girl as well."
"I think if it's a girl, it would do better with your hair. You have...really beautiful hair. I never noticed it before."
Janine blushed. "Thank you. I've always thought you had gorgeous hair, too."