Brother’s Best Friend

by Kaylee, Katy

  I saw rage build in him and then he went to the door.

  “Tony. Where are you going?”

  “To see my friend.” His words were clipped, like he was spitting each one out.

  “No. Stay here and we can talk.” My phone beeped with a text. Crap. I quickly pulled it from my pocket.

  Rush. Need help. Jenn’s text said.

  “I need to see to business. Stay here, Tony and we can talk.”

  “About what? About how you and my friend are lecturing me about cheating on my wife, all the while betraying me.”

  “He’s your friend not your spouse.”

  He glared at me. “And yet neither of you told me. Which suggests you wanted to keep it a secret. Which means you knew I wouldn’t like it.”

  “Yes, but I don’t live my life around what you like and don’t like, Tony.”

  I’d never seen such disappointment and anger directed toward me from him. “Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be knocked up.”

  “You take that back. This is my baby you’re disrespecting.”

  He jerked back. “Babies are beautiful things, Sof. But this one is an accident.”

  “Get out.” I’d wanted him to stay so we could talk. But now he’d hurt and disgusted me. “Go back home to your wife and kids and lover.”

  His face contorted like he was holding himself back from saying something. Then he pushed past me and out the door.

  I took in deep heaving breaths, trying to get myself settled. My phone pinged again.

  “Yes, I’m coming,” I said to my empty apartment. For the first time, the last thing I wanted to do was to go down and run my bakery. But I had responsibilities and a staff to think of, so I sucked it up and went to work.

  26

  Jake

  Since seeing Sofia for my boss’ dinner, I’d been restless and unsettled. I felt like I was in a room with many doors but couldn’t decide which one to walk through. I was sure I wanted Sofia in my life. Hell, I was wearing the wedding ring again, not having taken it off after our dinner nor getting my grandmother’s back from Sofia.

  And yet, I still hadn’t told her how I felt. I hadn’t even seen her or talked to her in several days. I knew she was probably too busy to connect. I was curious about how her call with Tony went. I hadn’t heard from him in a while either.

  “Jake.”

  I jerked my head to the sound of Val, and realized I was distracted again when I needed to be focused on a partner meeting.

  She gave me a face that said, get it together. “Did you finish the corporation set-up for Mr. Madigan.”

  “Yes. He also set up a retainer with us for future consulting or legal issues.”

  “Good job, Jake,” Mr. Wallace said. “I like how you give ’em what they want and then sell them more.” Only Mr. Wallace could treat legal services like car selling.

  “Yes, sir.”

  The rest of the meeting I was able to keep up and focused. I was relieved when we were dismissed. It was afternoon and I needed my pick-me-up of strong coffee.

  I was just leaving the conference room with the rest of the partners when a commotion sounded from the main area.

  “You can’t go back there,” I heard Gina call.

  Tony came barreling around the corner, his eyes dark and hard, his hands balled into a fist.

  Shit. He knew about me and Sofia.

  “Tony—”

  “You son of a bitch.” He swung and I was too slow to get out of the way. His fist connected with my jaw. My head snapped to the side at the force, knocking me sideways. I bumped into Val who’d been next to me. Fortunately, we were both able to stay standing.

  “Call security,” I heard Mr. Wallace say.

  “It’s okay,” I straightened up. “You okay?” I asked Val.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “You’ve been fucking my sister.” Tony’s arm cranked back, but two male associates who’d run in grabbed him.

  “It’s not like that, Tony.”

  “Cheating already?” I heard someone say.

  Pissed that someone would say that, I said. “Sofia is his sister.”

  “Why is he mad that you’re fucking your wife?” someone else said.

  Apparently, Tony was too worked up trying to get loose and tear my head off because he didn’t respond to the comment that Sofia was my wife. He was crazed and I was worried for Sofia.

  “Can you call her for me?” I asked Val. “Make sure she’s alright? I’ll handle Tony.” I turned back to him. “Tony—”

  “You lectured me on my behavior but all the time you’ve been fucking my sister, knocking her up. You’re a fucking bastard.”

  It took a moment but then his words sank in. I knocked her up?

  “There must be a mistake,” Mr. Wallace said. “You said you weren’t having kids yet.”

  “There’s no mistake.” Tony hissed.

  “Call the police too,” Mr. Wallace told someone.

  I stared at Tony, knowing I needed to respond, but I was confused. Sofia couldn’t be pregnant. She would have told me.

  “I saw the sonogram, Jake. You’re not only a fucking asshole for fucking her, but to leave her slaving in that bakery…living in that tiny studio…how is she going to raise a kid in that?”

  “What’s he talking about?” Mr. Wallace asked.

  I knew I needed to think fast and come up with some explanation, but I couldn’t get past what he was saying about a baby.

  Security rushed in and took a hold of Tony.

  “Hand him over to the police,” Mr. Wallace said. “Mr. Dunne will be pressing charges.”

  “This isn’t over yet, Jake,” Tony yelled as security escorted him away.

  “I need to check on Sofia.” I hurried toward the back elevator to avoid Tony.

  “You need to talk to the police,” Mr. Wallace called.

  “Later. I need to check on my wife.” I poked the down button, but not before Mr. Wallace joined me.

  I didn’t say anything as the elevator made its descent.

  “We’ve got a little bit of time for you to tell me what’s going on, Dunne.”

  I had no clue what to say. “Sofia’s family doesn’t know we’re married.” That was true.

  “And the baby? You both said there wasn’t one.”

  My head jerked to look at him. Was he serious? I was just accosted by my friend for fucking his sister and he’s focused on the baby. Shit, is there really a baby?

  “He must be mistaken.” I couldn’t wrap my head around why she wouldn’t tell me, so the only logical explanation was that Tony was confused. He was pissed off enough to not be thinking straight.

  “He has mental issues?” Mr. Wallace asked.

  Tony might have had a temper, but I’d never thought of him as being mentally unstable. He’d always been a good, loyal friend. I shook my head. “I don’t know what’s going on, sir. That’s why I need to see Sofia.”

  The elevator stopped on the ground floor and the doors opened.

  “Check on your wife, Dunne. Let us know that she’s okay. We’ll take care of this guy until you can make your statement.”

  I nodded. I didn’t want Tony arrested, but neither did I want him getting near Sofia when he was crazed like that.

  I stepped off the curb, nearly getting run down as I waved for a cab. I gave him the address for Sofia’s bakery. I went to pull out my phone to call her and realized I left it in my office since we weren’t supposed to bring it in meetings with us.

  It took forever to get to midtown but finally the driver pulled in at the front of the bakery. I paid him and rushed out of the cab and into the shop.

  “Where’s Sofia?” I barked at Jenn.

  She jumped. “She was here but just went back upstairs. I think she had a fight with her brother.”

  I hurried out of the bakery and to the apartment entrance. I took the stairs by twos and rapped on Sofia’s door.

  “Go away, Tony.”

&n
bsp; “It’s Jake.”

  The door opened and I knew from the guilty and sad expression on her face that Tony had been right. My initial instinct had been to hold her and make sure she was alright, but that was quashed by the realization that she’d been lying to me.

  “Oh God, did he hit you?” She reached up to touch my face, but I pushed her hand away and stepped into her studio.

  “Yes, for fucking you and knocking you up.” I turned on her. “Tell me that’s not true, Sofia. Tell me he was just acting like a raving lunatic.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, which was confirmation.

  “You didn’t tell me.” I turned around, running my fingers through my hair as I tried to figure out my whirl of emotions. Finally, I turned around. “Either you’re a liar or a cheat, like your brother.”

  27

  Sofia

  Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. The worst thing that could happen did. Jake found out about the baby before I told him. I wanted to throttle Tony but, in the end, it was my fault. I should have told him sooner. Now I had to scramble to make it right.

  “Let me explain,” I said.

  “Yes, explain it to me Sof. Are you a liar or a cheat? Is that even my baby?”

  “Yes. Jake. Yes it’s your baby. I’m not a cheat.” I couldn’t get my brain and mouth to work together.

  “So, you’re a liar. You were going to have this baby without me? Never tell me? After all I’ve done for you? What I felt—” He stopped himself.

  “I was going to tell you. I started to so many times.” I felt desperate to make him understand.

  He glared at me with his hands on his hips. “And yet, I found out when your brother showed up to kick my ass at my office. In front of all the partners.”

  “Oh god. I’m so sorry about that—”

  “That’s what you’re sorry about? That Tony found out about us and hit me?” Jake’s face filled with disgust. “I don’t give a fuck about that, Sof. What I’m pissed about is that you’re pregnant and didn’t tell me. How long have you known?”

  I swallowed, knowing the truth was going to make him angrier and any chance for us to be together impossible.

  “When, Sof? Yesterday? Last week? Before you moved out?”

  I nodded.

  “Which?” he snapped.

  “Before I moved out.”

  He looked at me like he didn’t know me. He was right. The woman he knew wouldn’t have done what I did. And yet I did.

  “I’m sorry Jake. I…I…” Did I tell him I loved him? Would he believe me?

  He turned away for a moment and I hoped he was going to calm down and have a rational talk where I’d be able to apologize and make amends.

  “Why?” It was a simple statement said with such hurt.

  “I was afraid.”

  He spun around. “Of me?”

  “Not of you. Of how you’d respond. You were adamant that you didn’t want marriage or kids—”

  “You think I would abandon you?” Now he looked offended.

  “No.” I shook my head vehemently as I moved toward him, wanting to touch him. But he stepped out of my reach.

  “No, Jake. I knew you’d do the right thing.”

  “Then what the fuck, Sofia?”

  “You don’t want a wife and kids. I didn’t want to make you resent me. This thing between us was a business deal. A fake marriage.”

  His eyes flashed with heat. “A marriage certificate from the state of New York, my grandmother’s ring and baby say different.”

  I studied him. Was he saying he thought we were real?

  He stared at my hand and must have seen that I took the ring off. He, on the other hand, was wearing his. My heart couldn’t decide whether to beat erratically or to simply stop. It seemed to be doing both.

  I picked the ring from the side table. I wanted to slip it on, but his hand was extended out, palm up.

  He took the ring, then removed his and put them both in his pocket. “What were you planning, Sofia?”

  I wiped a tear from my cheek. “I didn’t have a plan. I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t found the right time.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  I went to the table and picked up the sonogram picture. “This is your baby. Our baby.”

  His jaw clenched as he looked at the sonogram. I saw his eyes well with tears, and I was hoping they were related to the miracle he’d helped create.

  “It’s beautiful. I heard the heartbeat too. I wished you were there. I’ve felt so guilty—”

  A loud bang sounded on my door. “Sof?”

  Jesus, couldn’t Tony leave me alone? “Go away.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Is Jake in there with you?” Tony’s angry voice reverberated through the apartment.

  Jake inhaled a sharp breath, and the anger returned on his face. He stalked to the door, pulling it open.

  Tony clenched his fists. “You were going to have me arrested, you motherfucker.”

  “You assaulted me.” Jake’s voice was calm. Eerily so. Like he didn’t care anymore. I would so much rather have had the anger.

  “You fucked my sister, you asshole. And abandoned her while she’s carrying your child.”

  “Stop. Both of you just stop.” I tried to get between them.

  “I fucked my wife who failed to tell me about our baby when she moved out to start her bakery.”

  What? Was he really going to put it like that?

  He looked over his shoulder. “But I’ll remedy that. A baby makes an annulment hard, sweetheart, so you can expect divorce papers.”

  “What the fuck?” Tony looked at Jake and then me. “What’s he talking about?”

  “It will include custody papers.” He gave me one last scathing glare and then went out the door.

  “Jake, no.” I rushed to the door but Tony stepped in front of me.

  “What’s he talking about, Sofia?”

  “I need to stop him.” I tried to get past Tony, but when I reached the door and opened it, I heard the front entrance door to the building shut. I could run after him, but what would I say?

  I returned to my living area and collapsed on my couch in a weeping heep.

  “Hey?” In an unusual display of sensitivity, Tony sat beside me and pulled me into his arms. “What’s going on Sof?”

  “I told you not to leave,” I said. “I told you to stay so we could talk. Why couldn’t you do that one thing?

  “I couldn’t let what he did stand, Sof. He betrayed me.”

  I looked up at my brother. “You don’t know that. You don’t know anything.” I started to cry again.

  “Then tell me. I’m sorry if I fucked things up for you, but I’m here.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder. As much as I was upset at him, I was at myself, and I ended up being glad he was there.

  I told him about Jake’s and my deal.

  “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said when I finished.

  “I know.” I sniffed.

  “So, he paid for the bakery downstairs?”

  I nodded.

  “Jesus. He must have wanted the partnership bad to spend all that. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s an asshole. I won’t let him take your bakery or your kid, Sofia. I promise.”

  “He won’t take the bakery. We have a prenup that makes it mine. And I don’t think he’ll take the baby.” I remembered how his boss didn’t want Jake distracted with a family. While I believed Jake would be committed to his career, maybe even more so now, he wouldn’t abandon his child.

  “He’ll pay for this, Sofia.”

  I wasn’t sure if Tony meant monetarily or by some sort of retaliation.

  “I’ll make sure his colleagues know just what sort of fraud he is.”

  “No, Tony. His work is everything to him. And it wasn’t like I didn’t get something in return.”

  “Yeah. Knocked up.”

  “Stop saying it like that. And stop threat
ening Jake. I’m the one that fucked up here.”

  “Why are you defending him?”

  I looked up at Tony. “I love him.”

  “After what he did? The way he just walked out?”

  “He’s angry and hurt. With good reason. I hate myself for that.” The guilt was crushing.

  “He’s not worth it, Sofia.”

  “How can you say that about your friend?”

  “A friend that fucked my sister.”

  I growled and slugged him. “Stop that. It wasn’t like that. If you must know, I seduced him.”

  He scoffed. “I’m sure it wasn’t hard.”

  “Not once I took my clothes off, no.”

  “Jesus, Sof. I don’t need to hear that. God, you’re my sister.”

  “Yes. Who’s in love with your friend, who’s been really good and sweet to me.”

  Tony rolled his eyes. “You don’t know love, honey. You’re strong and smart, but when it comes to men, I know you’re naïve. I bet Dunne knew it too. Fucker.”

  “Tony!” I pressed my hands on his cheeks and gave a shake to get his attention. “I’m not a virgin and wasn’t when I started all this.” He didn’t need to know about my tryst with Jake five years ago at the lake. “I know my heart and I know I love him.”

  “Then why not tell him about the baby?”

  I looked down, feeling ashamed. “Because I wanted him to ask me to be with him because he loved me, not for a baby.”

  “Ah, hell, honey.” He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. “Love is a motherfucker, isn’t it?”

  I was sure that was how Vera felt, but not Tony. But I didn’t want to fight so I held my tongue. Instead, I looked up at him again and said, “Leave Jake alone, okay? And don’t say anything to Mom and Dad. That’s for me to do when I’m ready.”

  He stared at me for a long time.

  “I mean it, Tony. I love that you look out for me, but I’m a grown woman who can handle her life.”

  His brow quirked up. “You’re pregnant.”

  “Don’t make me remind you that you can’t even manage your own shit.”

  He made a face but came around. “Fine. I’ll leave Jake alone and won’t tell Mom and Dad.” He shifted. “Why don’t you come home, Sof. Mom and Dad will love your baby and help you. You can bake for the restaurant.”