UNBROKEN (Friends, Lovers, or Nothing Book 5)

by Jackie Chanel

“There’s always room in my schedule for you.”

  “Lies,” Aiden laughed. “I’ll meet you at the hotel at seven.”

  I looked at my watch. “It’s four now.”

  “Then don’t take three hours to get dressed. I’m there at seven on the dot.”

  “Yeah right. You ain’t ever been anywhere at any time on the dot. I’ll see you around 7:37.”

  “No one has time for your jokes, Sunny,” Aiden mimicked me perfectly then hung up. I stuck the phone in my pocket and walked towards the exit. I motioned for Delilah to join me.

  “What’s up?” she asked as we walked towards the elevator.

  “Can you handle the rest of this shoot without me? I just found out that I have a hot date at seven.”

  “Aww,” she squealed. “Who knew that you and my brother could be so cute? It’s like I don’t even know you guys anymore. What happened to my Rachel and Ross?”

  I squeezed Delilah’s arm and grinned. “She got off the plane.”

  Delilah squeezed my shoulders in a one-armed hug. I just smiled at the youngest Tyler kid. I know for a fact that Aiden and Delilah share a bond deeper than of siblings. Aiden claims that Paulie and I are his best friends but that’s far from the truth. Delilah is his best friend. What’s funny is that over the years, especially since she started working for me, Delilah has become one of my best friends too. Actually, she’s been a better friend to me than Erica or Daniela.

  Even though we are on much better terms, Erica still thought she could be with Aiden. She actually thought it was okay. I’ve been nothing but an honest and loyal friend to her and she almost married the father of my child, the man she knew I loved. I forgive her but that kind of disloyalty is an unforgettable offense.

  Daniela is a good friend. We became close when I was forced to spend time with the players’ wives and girlfriends while I was with Xavier. I’m no dummy though. I know exactly where Daniela stands. She loves me to death but she loves her husband, the Knicks, and everything that comes along with being Queen Bee of the Basketball Wives more. That’s how I know she secretly wishes that I’d never walked out on Xavier.

  But Delilah, she’s been straight up with me from day one. Something tells me that if things don’t work out with Aiden, she’ll still show up at work and sleep on my couch just to make sure I’m okay.

  “Bubbles, I need to ask you something.”

  Delilah planted her hands on firmly on her hips and the cheerful bubbly smile that lights up any room she’s in spread across her face.

  “You know I wouldn’t tell you what my brother has planned even if I knew. I keep telling both of you that I’m not going to be the middle man in your relationship.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. I…you…” I sniffed, fighting back tears. “You are so important to me and your brother.”

  “Aww, thanks.”

  I wiped away my tears. “Delilah Tyler-Pitts, will you be my Matron of Honor?”

  “Oh my God!” I couldn’t believe she started jumping up and down. Thank God she was wearing sneakers.

  “Yes! Yes! I will definitely be your Matron of Honor! I never got to do this before! Sara had her best friend as hers. Oh my God!” Delilah interrupted her own self. “Does this mean I’m your best friend? Of course, I know Erica is your BFF but…oh, it doesn’t matter! I’m gonna be your Matron of Honor, not a bridesmaid!”

  She threw her arms around me and hugged me. In just a few seconds, we were both crying. I eventually got myself got in a cab. I have a date with my fiancé.

  ***

  Standing in front of the full-length mirror wearing just my bra and panties, I was carefully examining my body. So far, I didn’t even look pregnant and that bothered me. My stomach was no bigger than it was a couple of weeks ago. I looked like I had a big lunch, definitely not almost sixteen weeks pregnant. I was much bigger than this with Summer. I touched my small bump and looked down.

  “What are you doing in there, little lady? You gotta get bigger, okay? The doctor told Mommy not to stress so you’d be doing me a huge favor if you started growing quicker.”

  After giving my baby a quick pep talk, I dressed in a stylish pair of rust-colored leather leggings and flowy blouse. Even though I’m tired and pregnant, it’s still Fashion Week in Paris and every restaurant that Aiden would take me to would be full of my peers and the Parisian paparazzi.

  Aiden was waiting in the hotel lobby at exactly seven o’clock. Waiting wasn’t exactly accurate. Signing autographs and taking pictures with his adoring fans was what he was doing. I stood against a column and watched the scene unfolding in front of me.

  Aiden was in his element, flashing that flirtatious smile for his fans and their cameras. Making them giggle when he complimented them. His reputation as a bad boy and womanizer was only because of the media. His fans know a different person and defend him against anyone who says he isn’t the sweet and humble person they meet in hotel lobbies and at his shows. He’s beginning to learn how to handle his fame and that was right on time.

  I’m not a fan of Aiden the superstar. Marrying that Aiden wasn’t going to happen. But the man who loves me and his children...the man who was learning how to prioritize his responsibilities with his wants, that’s the man I can’t wait to marry.

  Aiden spotted me leaning against the column and ended his meet and greet to a bunch of moans and groans from his ungrateful fans. I didn’t know how long he’d been talking to them but any amount of time that he spent with them was enough. His fans really ask too much of him.

  “I knew you’d be on time,” Aiden said as he wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me.

  “Well, there was the mention of food.”

  “You’re always hungry.” He grinned. “I like that.”

  As Aiden led me out of the hotel, I prayed that there was a car and driver waiting for us. I’ve been in cars in Europe with Aiden behind the wheel and it’s not a fun experience. Thankfully, there was a Peugeot Coupe and driver parked outside the hotel. Aiden directed her to take us to La Creole, one of my favorite restaurants in Paris. It’s not fancy or touristy and that’s why I like it. My gut was telling me that whatever Aiden wanted to talk about wasn’t going to be something I’d like. I knew this because he was quiet most of the short ride and kept his hand on my knee as if I was going to bolt if he let me go.

  We spent another ten minutes wading through more of Aiden’s fans. I heard a few ‘Congratulations on a great show, Sunny,’ but we all were aware who the real star in the restaurant was. Thankfully, the maître d’ had enough sense to seat us in an area of the restaurant that was inaccessible to the general public, a small balcony big enough for a nice-sized table and a private conversation.

  I love this restaurant because it has great Creole food and the ambiance reminds me of the French Quarter in New Orleans, which I adore. Since I spend more time in Paris for work than New Orleans, I always come here.

  Aiden ordered a vodka cranberry while I stuck to coconut water. I was keeping my eye on Aiden, watching every slight movement to see if he’d give something away or if he was going to make me wait all the way through dinner before telling what he wanted to talk about.

  “What’s good here?” Aiden asked after sitting the menu on the table. I forgot Aiden doesn’t read or speak French.

  “I’ll order for you. I know what you like.”

  “Gracias.”

  “Wrong country.”

  Our server, Guillaume, returned with our drinks and a basket of bread then scuttled away quickly as if he knew that we needed some privacy.

  “Aiden, honey, you know I’m not going to let you get all the way through dinner without telling me what you brought me out here for. What did you want to talk about?”

  “I figured that.”

  Something was off about my baby daddy. He was making me feel like I was at business meeting instead of diner in Paris with the man I love. Then it dawned on me that his manager and publicist arrived in Paris today.r />
  “Spill it,” I said. “What did Tracy and Roxy say to you? I know they said something because my show is finished. What do they want?”

  Aiden finished half of his drink before speaking. He caught Guillaume’s eye, raised his glass an inch off the table, and Guillaume brought him a refill right away.

  “Tracy thinks we should go public with our news before we get back to the states. She wants us to give People an exclusive interview from Milan and first option on pictures of Aiden Jr. or the wedding.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  I couldn’t have been more steadfast in that answer. In the back of my mind, I think I knew Aiden’s team was going to figure out a way to profit from our relationship. Aiden’s name and likeness sells guitars, underwear, jeans, cell phones, vodka, and even guitar strings. Put him on the cover of a magazine and they sell out in minutes. Add in an engagement and a new baby and newsstands won’t be able to restock their shelves fast enough.

  But Aiden wasn’t accepting my no this time.

  “You said that we had to wait until after Fashion Week to tell anyone about the engagement then you had me go to Atlanta to tell your parents who told your entire family. How long do you think it’s going to be before one of your cousins blabs on Twitter that you’re getting married? We gotta say something. I don’t like that you’re not wearing your ring either and I want to tell my sisters about the baby.”

  “There were a lot of I’s in that statement,” was my short reply. “What about what I want?”

  “What do you want?”

  “A nice quiet pregnancy and the wedding of my dreams.”

  “You’re getting the wedding of your dreams,” Aiden pointed out. “All you have to do is plan it. We’re an A-list celebrity couple in Hollywood. There’s no way you’re getting a nice quiet anything. I think we should do this. A People exclusive pays a shitload of money.”

  “You don’t need more money.”

  Aiden laughed. “Don’t every say that. Look at it this way; if we give them the exclusive then we control the story that is put out there. We can tell the truth. Do you want Melrose or some other gossip blogger puttin’ the story out there and putting Erica in the middle of that fire?”

  I didn’t want either. However, Aiden always forgets or disregards that bout of bad press that I barely escaped from with a successful business intact. Even though Ramey Hall had fabricated almost all of her story, Aiden’s beloved People Magazine took her story and ran with it. I could only imagine what people were going to write once they found out that Aiden was engaged with a new baby on the way only six months after Erica called off their wedding and ended their very public relationship, considering that they think I’m the one who broke up his first marriage. No one, no matter who told the story, would believe that I was with Aiden simply because I loved him.

  “You’re trippin’. No one remembers that Ramey bullshit,” Aiden said in response to my apprehension. “I proved that Ramey was a gold-digging liar already. Besides, I haven’t seen or talked to Ramey in about a year. She has her wine king’s money and doesn’t need mine anymore. No one is thinking about her.”

  I raised my eyebrows in obvious disbelief that it’s only been a year since he last spoke with Ramey. They divorced right after Summer was born. She’s almost five. Why did he talk to her last year?

  “A year ago?” I asked. “Why were you talking to Ramey a year ago?”

  “Really, Sunny? That’s what you’re worried about?”

  “Yeah. Why are you still speaking to her? I thought you hated Ramey.”

  Aiden sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. The expression on his face was unbothered by my question but his body language spoke a thousand times louder than his words.

  “You know that I’ve never hated Ramey. I hated what she did and I hated who she became when she was doped up on Xanax and pills. She was my wife, Sunny, and I loved her. Shit didn’t work and we both moved on. You don’t have to worry about me and Ramey. She’s not a factor in what we have going on and never will be.”

  “I don’t want you talking to her.”

  Aiden chuckled condescendingly. “The last time I talked to Ramey was over a year ago. I’m not talking about my ex-wife anymore. So, here’s the thing. We’re doing this People Magazine exclusive interview. We won’t sell pics of the kid. You won’t have to do another public interview about us again unless you want to. Deal?”

  I realized that Aiden was trying to appease me so how could I argue with that deal? After the magazine hit the stands, every entertainment publication and blogger would want an interview and Aiden was giving me a pass to turn them all down. Aiden Tyler had just made me an offer I could not refuse. What could I say? Saying no would be ungrateful and lead to further problems and future arguments. This was a battle I chose not to fight. He knew it too. His smug stare as Guillaume sat our appetizers in front of us said it all.

  “One interview and don’t let me find out you’re still having conversations with your ex.”

  “Why? Your ex is still sending you flowers and texts. You don’t see me bitching.”

  “Xavier never publicly tried to ruin your career. Let’s not compare the two.”

  “Anyway,” Aiden dove into his boudin. “All Tracy has to do is make the call. You know this means we gotta push back our baby announcement until we get back to LA. We can’t tell them here.”

  I was barely listening. There was delicious steaming hot food on the table in front of me and little Winter Sky was starving.

  Chapter 11: Forevermore

  “E, YOU STUPID AS HELL! You know good and damn well that I tagged that ass all over the courtyard! You barely got any hits in! If Sunny hadn’t pulled me off of you, you wouldn’t have walked away from that fight!”

  “You’s a lie and a half!” Erica’s voice carried up the steps even louder than Jordan’s. I’ve only been at Sunny’s for a day and I was ready to go back to my house.

  Sunny and I were lying in her bed listening to the commotion going on downstairs. Even she’s sick of it. She came up here an hour ago after telling her family that she wanted to take a nap before we hit the streets of Los Angeles tonight. Sunny shuffled in the bed against me. When I caught her eye, she gave me a tired grin.

  Sunny was so exhausted after we got back from Italy that I’ve been trying to leave her along and give her space. She was a good sport about the People interview and photoshoot. The very least I could do after she worked so hard in New York and Paris was to take Summer and let Sunny rest.

  However, we still had the pressing issue of telling everyone we love about the baby. We couldn’t wait any longer. Sunny was starting to show and the magazine comes out in a couple of days so we put together a big announcement for the family. Since we’re announcing our engagement and pregnancy to the world in two days, we got everyone to come out here for a few days. We told them that we wanted to celebrate Sunny’s first successful fashion show. Her parents, her favorite cousins, Kat, and Daniela flew in last night.

  Aside from having a house full of people, I’m worried about Sunny. She hasn’t been herself lately. She’s tired all of the time. I’m beginning to wonder if Dr. Margolis was right about her needing to be on bed rest. I’ve been reading a lot on those pregnancy websites and this doesn’t seem normal. Plus, she hasn’t left the house in three days, not even to check on Delilah and Kirk.

  “Aiden,” Sunny spoke softly. “Do you think this was a good idea?”

  “What?” I asked. “Telling the family about the kid right now or having all these people staying in your little ass house?”

  “My house is far from little,” she laughed. “I have four bedrooms and a guesthouse!”

  “Okay,” I laughed.

  “But for real, I really thought most of them were going to stay at a hotel. Only the twins said they were staying here.”

  “Well, they fooled you,” I teased. “Bet you don’t ever invite them again without booking them in a hotel.
You really should send everyone to a hotel tonight and send Erica back to her apartment.”

  “Maybe so,” Sunny shrugged as she pulled the sheet tighter around her shoulders. “Do you think it’s a good idea to tell them now though? I’m just not in the mood.”

  “Well, it’s too late to call this off now. That People interview hits the stands and the web in two days. Do you want them to find out online or by us? I don’t care either way.”

  At this point, I don’t really care about any of it. I’m worried about the missing luster in Sunny’s eyes and the paleness of her skin. I’m worried that she gets winded walking up the stairs and she’s only seventeen weeks along. She keeps saying that she’s fine but she is not. This is not normal. From what I’ve read, she shouldn’t be feeling like this after the first trimester.

  “Did they deliver the picture?” she asked.

  “Everything is ready. Trust me. I took care of it. All you have to do is go downstairs and let me do this.”

  “I guess now is as good a time as any,” she uttered as she slid out of the bed. “I’m starting to show and I don’t have the time or energy to be trying to hide my stomach.”

  Sunny pulled on a pair of jogging pants then pulled her hair into a ponytail so she wouldn’t look like she just rolled out of bed. I walked up behind her and kissed her neck.

  “When’s your next doctor’s appointment?”

  “Ummm, I was going to send the dates to Mona. I think the next one is next Wednesday. I gotta check my schedule. Why?”

  “Send them to me,” I told her. “Mona doesn’t need to schedule my personal stuff.”

  “Mona schedules everything for you,” Sunny snorted. “Including your personal stuff. Not that you have much going on that doesn’t revolve around your music.”

  “Whoa! What’s the attitude for? I just asked when your next appointment is because I want to go with you.”

  “It’s a regular checkup, Aiden. Why do you need to come?”

  “Because something isn’t right and I want to talk to your doctor.”

  Sunny sighed and stepped away from me. “Listen, I understand that you missed this part of my pregnancy with Summer but I keep telling you that nothing is wrong. I’m fine. I feel exactly the way I did with Summer. Don’t read too much into what people say online and in those pregnancy books. It’s different for everyone.”