by Megan Smith
Mom chuckles, “Don’t rush, sweet girl. When it’s the right time it’ll happen and it’ll be with the right person.”
I sigh, “I know, Mom.” I look over to Ryder who has a block in his mouth. “I told him I loved him today.”
Mom’s eyes go wide in surprise, “And how did that go?”
I take a sip of my coffee, “Surprisingly well.” I laugh. “He didn’t say it back right away and I was afraid I’d put my foot in my mouth but he just wanted to say it back on his own terms.”
Mom pats my leg, “He’s in love with you, Jay. Sometimes men don’t see what’s right in front of their face until it’s too late.” She takes a deep breath. “Just make sure you’re a hundred percent sure that your decision is just that. Yours. You don’t want to live with regret for the rest of your life like your dear mom.”
I give her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
She gives me that pointed stare, “Don’t pity me. Yes, I live with some regrets but you know what?”
I shake my head.
“You and your brother make up for all the regret.” A single tear slips down her cheek.
I turn my head so she doesn’t see my own tears fall. She didn’t deserve the shit that my dad put her through. Every woman deserves to be treasured but he treated her like a piece of shit.
When I’m finally able to dry my tears I slip onto the floor and play with Ryder. He’s such a good baby. I know it’s way past his bedtime but I was trying to keep him awake in case we needed to run out to the hospital.
Ryder yawns and rubs his eyes. I stand up and pick him up off the floor. “I’m going to go get him ready for bed.” I tell my mom.
She stands and gives her grandson a kiss on the cheek. “Night, Ry.”
I take Ryder into his room and get him changed into his jammies then take a seat in the rocker and rock him to sleep. It doesn’t take but a few minutes until he’s sound asleep.
Mason taps on the door. “Hey, we’re going to get out of here. I need to get Hailey to bed.”
I place Ryder in his crib and cover him up before I walk to the door and slip out. “Still no word from Hunter?” I ask Mason as we head back downstairs.
He shakes his head, “No, nothing yet.”
Hailey is standing near the front door with her coat on and Elle’s arms wrapped around her.
“Tired?” I ask Hailey.
Her lips pull up in a small smile, “Yeah. I feel like all I do these days is sleep.”
I shrug and wrap my arms around my best friend when Elle steps back. “You’re pregnant with double trouble in there; of course you’re going to be tired.”
Hailey sniffs, “I was supposed to go with Kenzie when she had the baby.”
I rub her back as she clings to me, “Aw, Hailey.”
I look over towards Mason who’s shaking his head back and forth. Hailey sniffs again before releasing me.
“Sorry.” She wipes at her face.
“Come on boo, let’s get you home.”
Hailey nods and lets Mason guide her to the car. I step out on to the porch and wave as they pull away, waiting until Mason beeps the horn before turning and going back inside.
Elle is in the kitchen talking with Andrew, she turns to look at me when I walk in. “We’re going to head over to the hospital. We’ll keep you updated with what’s going on. Hunter said it was going to be a while though.”
I smile, “Sounds good. Ryder’s asleep so I’m going to try and catch a little sleep too.”
I walk them out and lock up. Cooper comes from the living room and leans against the wall. “Tired?”
“Yeah,”
Cooper nods his head towards the stairs and I lead the way up to the guest room. Cooper takes his hoodie off and tosses it on the floor. Next he takes his t-shirt off and tosses it to me. “You can sleep in that if you want.”
I put it on the bed and remove my shirt and slip his shirt on. I inhale deeply, the crisp clean smell of Cooper relaxing me. I take off my jeans and climb into bed where Cooper is already laying down.
I lie facing him and he reaches over and rubs his thumb over my cheek. We lay there staring into each other’s eyes for a long time before my eyes grow heavy.
I yawn. “Merry Christmas, Coop.” I whisper.
“Merry Christmas, Jay.” He leans over and places a kiss on my forehead. “I love you.”
I don’t say it back and I’m not quite sure why. I think deep down inside I know that something is about to happen between us. I feel it in the pit of my stomach.
We may have moved one foot forward tonight with the trust ring and confessing our love to each other but we also just took two huge steps back it feels. All I can do at this point is hold on for this bumpy ride we’re about to take.
I’m a little disoriented when I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing. I breathe a sigh of relief when I look over and see that Jaylinn is still asleep next me. I look around for my phone and spot it on the floor next to my discarded jeans.
“Hello,” my voice cracks.
“Hey bro, Kenz had the little princess sometime in the middle of the night.” Mason says, sounding exhausted.
I rub the sleep from my eyes and sit up in bed. I take a second and listen to hear if Ryder is awake then take the phone away from my ear to see that it’s just after eight.
I yawn, “They’re both ok?”
Mason yawns too, “Yup, just wanted to let you know. I’m going to try and get some sleep now.” Mason yawns again. “Hailey’s been up half the night. Her feet are swollen and it’s going up her legs now too.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Is she going to be alright?”
Mason grunts, “Yeah I guess. I’m taking her into the doctor’s tomorrow to have her checked out. She keeps trying to act like it’s not a big deal but I don’t give a shit, she’s going.”
“I hear ya. Well when Ryder and Jaylinn get up we’ll head up to the hospital. Maybe we’ll see you up there?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Alright, later.”
I look over at Jaylinn who’s now awake and looking over at me. I lie back down in bed and pull her close. She snuggles up against me and throws a leg over one of mine.
“Kenz had the baby in the middle of the night. Want to head over to the hospital when Ryder gets up?”
Jaylinn nods her head and starts drawing circles on my bare stomach. We lie there just holding each other in comfortable silence. I thought Jaylinn had fallen back to sleep but then she sighs.
I slide my hand around her neck and pull her face to mine, “We’re okay.” I kiss her forehead. “I heard what you said to your mom and yeah it kinda felt like a kick in the gut but I realize it’s my fault.”
Jaylinn sighs deeply and confirms that she needed to hear that we’re still ok. “One step at a time.” Jaylinn lays her head back down on my chest.
She lifts her head and looks at me again. “I love you, Cooper.”
“I love you too. You’ll forever be my always Jay, don’t ever doubt that, ok?”
Jaylinn smiles. I kiss her forehead and tuck her head back down on my chest, hoping she knows I’m serious by the erratic beat of my heart.
A few minutes later Ryder starts crying for his dad. Jaylinn gets up to use the bathroom while I go and get him from his crib.
I push open the door and my nephew is standing up in his crib. I walk over to him and when he sees me he instantly calms down.
“Hey big guy.” I take him out of the crib and lay him down on his changing table. I go about changing his diaper and his clothes. Jaylinn walks in and snakes her arms around my stomach and lays her head on my back.
“You want to head over to the hospital now?” I ask her.
Ryder starts babbling “Dada.”
Jaylinn steps to the side of me and tussles Ryder’s hair. “Yes, we are going to see dada.”
An hour later, after both Jaylinn and I have showered, we head over to the hospital. We sign in and stop a
t the gift shop and get flowers and a teddy bear.
We knock before walking in MacKenzie’s room.
“Come in.” MacKenzie calls out.
We push the door open and Ryder yells, “Dada,” then throws his hands out for Hunter. He’s such a daddy’s boy.
I set Ryder down and he totters to Hunter who is holding his new bundle of joy. “Hey Ry,” Hunter greets his son.
Hunter holds the baby out to me so that he can pick up Ryder. I cradle her to my chest and Jaylinn stands in front of me on her tiptoes so she can get a good look.
“Olivia Grace, meet your Aunt Jaylinn and Uncle Cooper.” MacKenzie says from her hospital bed, looking just as beautiful as always.
“Oh my God, Cooper, look at her.” Jaylinn croons.
I smile, looking down at her. “She’s perfect just like her mom.”
Olivia is the tiniest little thing I’ve ever seen, much smaller then I remember Ryder being. She’s wrapped tightly in a white, blue and pink blanket with a matching hat with a bow on the front.
Jaylinn walks over and gives MacKenzie a hug and a kiss. “She’s gorgeous Kenzie.”
“Thanks.” MacKenzie says with a yawn. “Sorry, I’ve barely slept.”
“How much does the little princess weigh?” Jaylinn asks.
MacKenzie looks over to me holding Olivia. “She’s six pounds four ounces, and eighteen and a half inches long.”
Jaylinn walks back over and takes the baby from me while I go and hug my sister. “Congrats Kenz, she’s beautiful.” MacKenzie holds me to her a bit before letting go. “How are you feeling?”
She rubs a hand over her still protruding stomach, “A little sore from the surgery but they just gave me some pain medicine so I’ll be better soon.” She looks over to Hunter who is holding Ryder and showing him the view out the window.
“You ready for the craziness?” I ask, nodding in their direction.
“Oh yeah, Ryder’s going to be a good big brother just like my brothers were.” MacKenzie winks at me.
Jaylinn brings Olivia over to MacKenzie then wraps her arms around me. “We’ll head downstairs and grab some lunch or something and give you guys a little bit of family time.”
MacKenzie looks over to Ryder and Hunter. Hunter is pointing to the baby, “That’s your little sister, big guy.”
Jaylinn and I excuse ourselves and go find the cafeteria. Since our little talk this morning things seem to be a bit better between us.
“So, are we still going out for New Year’s?” Jaylinn questions me.
“Yeah, you still want to?”
“Of course, just wanted to make sure you did since Kenzie had the baby and all.”
I shrug, “Yeah, it’ll be fine. Mom and Dad will take Ryder for the night if they need help.”
We sit and talk about Jaylinn’s upcoming class schedule and the spring soccer camp that she volunteers for. About a half hour or so has passed and we decide it’s time to go get Ryder and let his parents get some rest.
Before we know it, it’s New Year’s Eve and Jaylinn and I are getting ready for our night out with Jackson and Chloe. MacKenzie is home from the hospital now and is doing well. We all agreed that we would meet at their house later tonight seeing as Olivia is too little to take out. Mason was entirely against the idea of leaving his house since the doctor put Hailey on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, but she wasn’t having it. Mason lost that battle after Hailey called the doctor and put Mason on the phone and they assured him that as long as she kept her feet up and was relaxed, she would be fine.
Jackson and Chloe are all meeting here at my place and heading over to Oceans for a few hours. I’ve already showered and pre-gaming downstairs while Jaylinn is still upstairs getting ready. When I was in the shower earlier Jaylinn snuck in and placed a red tie around the hanger that held my black button down and blue jeans. I took the hint that she wanted me to wear it.
There is a knock on the door, I tip my head back and take my shot before going over and letting Chloe and Jackson in.
Chloe is standing there looking hot in her silver little dress and stilettos. Her hair is up and her make-up is heavy.
“Let me in, jackass,” Chloe says, pushing me out of the way. “It’s fucking freezing.”
Jackson follows behind her, watching her walk. “You know, I told her that if she wore some damn clothes that wouldn’t be an issue. Does it look like she listened to me?”
Chloe turns and narrows her eyes at Jackson. “It wasn’t an issue when you were trying to cop a feel was it?”
Jackson chuckles, “Well no...”
I shake my head and go back into the kitchen. I pour myself another shot and hold an empty glass up towards Chloe and Jackson. Both nod so I grab two more shot glasses and pour theirs. I hand each one of them their drinks, “To a better year than the last one.”
The three of us empty our shots and place them down on the counter. I turn to head towards the stairs to ask Jaylinn if she’s ready but she’s standing right behind me with her hands on her hips.
She looks absolutely stunning. She’s wearing a tight red dress with black floral lace over top that stops mid-thigh, with matching stilettos. The dress just covers her tits with the red but the black lace goes up and around her neck, leaving her shoulders and back exposed. Her hair is up in a mess of curls and the side bangs she always wears, because she claims her forehead is too big, are pushed off to the side revealing more of her face than normal. Her make-up is dark with just a touch of red and bright red lipstick that I can’t wait to take off her.
Jackson whistles and Chloe says, “Damn girl.”
Jaylinn blushes but turns so that we can see the back of the dress. My dick is straining against my jeans and I shift slightly so it’s not noticeable. She’s fucking gorgeous. When she turns back around I reach out a hand and pull her to me.
“You about ready?” She asks.
I place a kiss on her shoulder and whisper in her ear, “I’m about to drag your ass upstairs and say the hell with tonight.”
And I mean it. In all the years I’ve known Jaylinn I’ve never seen her dressed the way she is right now. Even though I’m scared as hell to fuck our arrangement up, I’d be willing to with the way she looks tonight.
Jaylinn lets out a small gasp and tries to cover it up by clearing her throat. She tries to take a step away but I hold her back, making sure she knows I’m serious, and as unnoticeably as possible grind my dick against her hip.
Jaylinn clears her throat again. I look up to see Jackson giving me that ‘I know exactly what you’re up to’ look and Chloe blushing fifty shades till Sunday. Jaylinn giggles, “So are we ready to get out of here?”
“Yeah, let’s go before you get pregnant before losing your virginity.” Chloe says with a laugh, as does Jackson and Jaylinn.
When we pull up to the club it’s packed. It’s really no surprise since this is a new club and really the only one in this town on a major party night. The four of us walk in and make a beeline for the bar before looking around for an empty table. It takes us a little while but eventually we find one that’s in the back which suits me just fine. It’s not the greatest table to see the stage but it’s out of the way from all the traffic to the bar and dance floor.
Chloe asks Jaylinn if she wants to go dance but Jackson puts a stop to that. “You two aren’t going anywhere dressed like that without us.”
Jaylinn raises her eyebrows at me daring me to tell her she can’t go. I sit back with a smirk on my face. I don’t have to tell her she can’t go because Jackson isn’t going to let her out of his sight if his wife is on the dance floor with her.
I take a sip of my beer, watching Jackson grab Chloe’s and Jaylinn’s hand. Jaylinn turns to me and glares. I smile in my victory and tip my beer to her.
I watch as Chloe and Jaylinn make a sexy steamy sandwich out of Jackson and he’s eating up every minute of it. A few guys have tried to take the girls away but Jackson put a stop to that real qu
ick. As I sit here at our table I keep catching a blonde watching me from across the way. I try not to pay too much attention to her as I don’t want to give her the wrong impression but I hate the feeling that someone is watching you. I finish off my beer and place it back on the table. I look over to Jaylinn, and Jackson has a hold of her hand as she spins her phenomenal body around him and Chloe who are grinding up against each other.
I go to get up because I can’t stand seeing Jaylinn’s body rubbing up against anyone else’s any longer. The blonde across the way has moved from her side of the room and it takes me a second to find her. Some guy has blocked her path. I make my way to the dance floor as the coast is clear but not before turning one more time. There is something familiar about this girl. That’s when it feels like someone sucker punched me in the gut.
It’s Brittany.
She looks different though, her long blonde hair is now cut super short and she’s not wearing some trashy outfit like she used to.
I quickly divert my attention away from the train wreck that I’m sure is about to occur. I reach the dance floor and grab a hold of Jaylinn and turn our backs in Brittany’s direction. There are so many people down here I’m sure she won’t be able to find us.
Jaylinn’s back is to my front and she shakes her ass against me. I grab a hold of her hips hard, “You’re not playing nice tonight, are you?” I speak into her ear so she can hear me over the music.
Instead of answering me, Jaylinn reaches behind me and pulls me closer to her. We dance like this for a few minutes and the whole time I’m looking around making sure I don’t spot Brittany. I really don’t want to ruin the mood for the night but I need to get Jaylinn out of here without her seeing her half-sister.
I turn Jaylinn around and her eyes are dark and hooded. She’s turned on and I groan internally. She drapes her arms around my neck, swaying back and forth and causing friction between us. Fuck.
She pulls my head down to her level of reach and bites me on the neck. I squeeze her hips and pull her body closer to mine. She continues to bite all the way up my neck to my ear lobe. I’m panting and there is a tingle low in my stomach. The girl hasn’t even touched me and I’m about ready to explode.