by Kelsie Rae
Hastily, I grab two ties and pin them to my t-shirt before walking over to the rest of the gang.
“Hey,” I greet them.
“Hey!” Indie returns “Two boys, huh? I went with two girls.” She motions to the pink ballerina pins on her sweater. “Ya know, ‘cause it would make Nathan wanna pull his hair out.”
We all chuckle as I have to forcefully remind myself to keep my hands at my sides, instead of wrapping them around Natalie’s waist like I so desperately want to.
Natalie opens her mouth to say something, when Sophie interrupts us by standing on a chair to get everyone’s attention.
“Hey, guys! We’re going to do the reveal right now, because I’m dying of curiosity! I see that there are a variety of guesses floating around, and I’m super anxious to see who’s right so….” She waves Nathan over to the center of the room. He’s holding two black paper mache spheres the size of basketballs with the words Baby #1 and Baby #2 written on each separate sphere, in case they’re different genders.
“I wanted to have a balloon guy fill a box with pink or blue balloons then let them out at Central Park, but Nathan was pretty adamant the weather was too chilly for that.” She rolls her eyes. “So, we came up with this idea.”
Nathan walks over and hangs the black sphere marked Baby #1 from a hook in the ceiling, which is when I notice how the furniture has all been pushed aside to make a large, open space in the center.
Once it’s hung, Nathan addresses the room. “We all know how difficult it is for Sophie to be told no, so I decided she can take her anger out on this. Inside are pieces of blue or pink confetti that’ll be hell to clean up—”
“Which you promised to do!” Sophie interrupts with a wicked grin.
He shakes his head, smiling. “Yes, Tink. As revenge for not letting you freeze your ass off in Central Park, I’ve agreed to clean up the mess that will inevitably cover every inch of this apartment while you soak in a warm bubble bath, surrounded by candles, while munching on crispy French fries.”
“That are fresh!” she quips.
He snorts. “Yes. That are fresh.”
Carefully, she climbs down from the chair and places a soft peck against his lips before whispering something into his ear. His smile stretches so far that I’m surprised his face doesn’t split in two.
And in that moment, I know Sophie will always be taken care of. I know that me moving across the country to be closer to her in case things fell through was a moot point. Because with that look in his eyes? It’ll never happen.
Rhett clears his throat loudly to bring the two lovebirds back to the present, and Tink sticks her tongue out at him.
“Yeah, yeah. Now where’s my bat?” she calls out, her voice dripping with authority.
Nathan walks over to the coat closet and retrieves a foam bat before handing it to my baby sister.
“Why, thank you.” She blows a kiss at him and is about to start swinging when she yells, “Wait! Where’s my theme music?”
Nathan shakes his head before using the Bluetooth on his phone to play Eye of the Tiger, the theme song to Rocky.
She nods her approval then lifts the bat and gets to work.
The sight of my pregnant sister, who looks like she swallowed a small watermelon, with a foam baseball bat in hand and a look of utter determination painted on her face, is enough to make the whole room roar with laughter.
It takes her a solid five swings before the sphere finally breaks, revealing a light pink explosion of confetti. My sister is in awe, grinning as the small pieces of paper flutter in the air. Nathan reaches for her then plants a soft kiss against her forehead. In response, she wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes tightly, like she just might float away from absolute happiness if he wasn’t there to ground her.
“One down, one to go,” he murmurs against the crown of her head.
“Then you better get to it!” Sophie bosses, pinching his butt and releasing him so he can get to work.
I shake my head at the interaction.
Nathan’s a saint.
Hanging up the second sphere, Nathan grabs the bat and gives it one solid hit before another set of pink explodes, this time with the addition of glitter.
Nathan’s laughter is contagious as he lifts his palms in the air and lets it fall into his hands.
I look over at my sister to find her covering her face as tears stream down her cheeks.
“Two? Two girls?” she squeals excitedly.
Nathan picks her up and swings her around the room as cheering ensues from the rest of us.
Indie’s laughter stands out to me as she elbows Rhett in the ribs. “Told ya.”
Rhett chuckles good-naturedly before he plants a loud, smacking kiss against her mouth, shutting her up the only way he knows how.
My attention shifts to Natalie, who is busy grinning at her best friend as she soaks up the news that Sophie’s going to be a mama to two little girls. It takes her a second to feel my gaze, but when she does, she turns to me. With vulnerability shining in her eyes, her grin slips.
I’d give anything to know what she’s thinking right now, but I know she won’t tell me. Not here, anyway.
“Glitter, Soph? How the hell did you manage that?” Nathan shouts through bouts of laughter.
Sophie has the decency to blush as she grimaces. “I may or may not have bribed the shop to add a little when we dropped off the sealed envelope. I was still mad at you for not letting me take a peek.”
He reaches for her in the blink of an eye, dipping her back until her hair almost brushes the floor, then blows a set of raspberry kisses against her neck. She squeals in surprise before shoving him away as she tries to catch her breath from laughing so hard.
Instead of retaliating, she addresses the group. “Thank you so much, everyone! You’re welcome to stay and eat some more food or just hang out. But don’t help Nathan clean, okay? He owes me.” She winks playfully at Nathan who is busy shaking his head at her antics.
I turn back to Natalie to see she’s already disappeared. Searching the premises, I find her near the banquet table as she fills up a small plate with vegetables and dip.
Walking up to Natalie, I let my hand brush against her bare arm as I reach for a croissant filled with chicken salad.
She jumps at the foreign touch before looking over her shoulder. As soon as she sees it’s me, she melts like warm butter, smiling softly. “So, two little nieces, huh?” she murmurs shyly.
I casually look her up and down, making a point to linger on the exposed skin across her chest that gives me a glimpse of her cleavage. We haven’t had sex yet, but we have gotten to know each other in…other ways. She’s ridiculously inexperienced, and I’ve been okay taking it slow. There’s no rush when it comes to us, because I feel like we have forever.
The thought is scary as shit, yet comforting in a completely foreign way.
“Mmhmm,” I hum. “You look….” My voice trails off as I continue my perusal.
“I look…what?”
Picking a carrot off her plate, I pop it into my mouth before chewing with a smirk. “Good enough to eat.” I stay with my front to her back, attempting to be inconspicuous, though I know there’s no point.
She laughs dryly. “And you look way too interested in my boobs to be just a friend.”
I smirk. “That’s because you and I are a hell of a lot more than friends.”
Looking over her shoulder, our eyes connect. “Is that right?” she asks innocently, batting her long lashes while tempting me more than any woman has a right to.
I grab another carrot from her plate, scanning the room to confirm my suspicion. When I see my sister greeting another couple with her arms in the air and a grin on her face, I smile.
"Sophie seems thoroughly distracted right now," I note, lazily tilting my head in my sister's direction. Natalie follows my line of sight before dragging her gaze back to mine.
"So?"
"So, I think you should gi
ve me a tour of the apartment."
She rolls her eyes before reaching for a few more baby carrots to replace the ones I’ve stolen. "I don't think that's a very good idea."
Subtly, I bend forward, brushing my front to her back before whispering in her ear, "I think that's a very good idea."
She shivers slightly as a quiet gasp escapes her cherry red lips.
"Meet me in the bathroom." It's not a question. It's a command. One I know she'll follow.
Casually, I saunter away, feeling her gaze on my back as I approach my future brother-in-law. No, there's not a ring yet, but I'm almost positive there will be in the near future, if Nathan has anything to say about it. Which, obviously, he does.
"Hey, Nathan," I call. "Where’s your bathroom?"
"Yeah." He points toward a hallway. "Second door on the right."
I lift my chin in silent thanks, tucking my hands into the front pockets of my jeans before moseying over without a care in the world.
Following Nathan’s directions, I find the guest bathroom without an issue and only have to wait a couple of minutes before a soft knock thumps on the opposite side of the door.
My lips tilt up in a knowing smirk as I open it and am greeted with the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.
Her expression screams innocence while her eyes promise so much more.
“Well…here I am,” she huffs like she can’t believe she actually listened.
I grin. “Here you are.”
Her brows nearly touch her hairline as she waits for my next move.
In the blink of an eye, I give it to her by reaching for her arm and tugging her inside, making sure to quietly close the door behind us.
The movement catches her by surprise, and she opens her mouth to squeal, only for me to swallow her cry with my lips. Digging my fingers into her hair, I devour her, pushing her against the wall with my large frame. She sighs, and the sound goes straight to my groin. Her hands claw at my back through my t-shirt, and the feeling is exquisite.
“We need to go home,” I whisper.
“And why’s that?” she asks coyly. The soft brush of her dainty, little hands glides down my back before gripping the waistband of my jeans.
I lean forward, my breath fanning across her face. “Like I said…You look good enough to eat, and I’m starving.”
Trailing my fingers down her bare shoulders, I reach her breast and squeeze. She moans, tossing her head back against the wall and shutting her eyes.
“Dammit, Marcus! You can’t do that.” It’s not a request for me to stop. I can hear the plea in her voice. She wants the exact opposite, and if we weren’t in her best friend’s, and my little sister’s home, I would probably give it to her. Hell, I’d give her whatever she wanted without asking questions.
She owns me.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
Diving in, I connect my mouth with hers, showing her how I feel with my body when I’m too scared to use my words.
She tugs on my front belt loops, pulling me closer. Slipping her tongue into my mouth, I—
“What the hell?” a voice screeches, scaring the shit out of Natalie and me. The intrusion mimics an electric shock with how quickly we jump away from each other.
My head swivels to my left before my eyes connect with my little sister’s.
Shit.
“About freaking time!” Sophie squeals in excitement before bouncing up and down like the Energizer bunny. She pushes between us for a group hug like this isn’t awkward at all. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Natalie’s and my make-out session in her guest bathroom made her day.
Huh?
“I am so freaking happy for you guys! Seriously, would it be weird if I snapped a selfie to document the momentous occasion when Marcus finally pulled his head out of his ass and made a move? How long has this been going on? Have you guys used the ‘L’ word yet? I knew something was up! Give me the details! Wait.” She turns to me before pounding her pointer finger against my chest. Pretty sure I’ll have a bruise tomorrow. “You. Shoo. I have some much-needed girl talk that needs to be voiced ASAP. Now, if you don’t mind.” She shoves me out the door before slamming it behind me.
Part of me is worried I just left Natalie with a very hungry wolf, starving for information. The other part of me doesn’t care.
Sliding my hands into my front pockets, I release a chuckle under my breath.
She can handle herself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Natalie
I knew this was going to happen. I mean, how dense can I be? Then again, maybe I was sick of hiding my relationship but didn’t know how to tell my best friend. Maybe this was my subconscious way of coming out of the closet, so to speak. I don’t really know, but I can tell you that my heart is racing faster than a speeding bullet as the door slams behind Marcus, leaving me alone with Sophie.
I watch as she takes a deep breath with her back to me before she turns on her heel and grins from ear to ear. “First, and most importantly, I am so freaking happy for you, Noogie! I can’t even describe how excited I am that you guys are finally together! I knew something was going on!” She pumps her fist into the air victoriously. “How are you, though? How have you been feeling about the whole thing? How long has this been going on? Fill me in!”
I can’t contain my puzzled expression. “Wait, you’re not mad?”
She sobers slightly before wrapping me in a giant hug that instantly soothes my nerves.
“Of course, I’m not mad,” she starts. “But I do need to ask you something.”
My spine goes ramrod straight. “And what’s that?” I feel like I’m in the doghouse, and I don’t blame her.
She pulls away, keeping me at arm’s length. “Why were you so scared to tell me?”
I shrug, because I don’t know what to say. And because she’s awesome and can read me like a book, she waits patiently for me to figure it out. “I…I guess I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”
Her brows furrow for a second before smoothing over. A soft smile graces her lips in understanding. “You mean you didn’t want to get your hopes up, and you were afraid that telling me, and the rest of the world, that you two are dating would put more pressure on both of you to make it work, and that scares you.”
See? Like a freaking book.
I feel like I’m going to cry. Biting my lip, I try to hold in the tears that have surfaced at her observation. She pulls me in for another hug, and I bend down to rest my forehead against her shoulder, trying to get a hold of myself.
“I really like him,” I confess on a soft cry.
She shushes me while rubbing her hand up and down my back. “I know you do, Noogie. And that’s not a bad thing. But I get it. It’s scary putting yourself in a vulnerable situation, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get hurt. This is where the trust comes in, Nat. You need to trust him with your heart. It’ll all be okay. I promise.”
Shaking my head, I stand up and wipe the few stray tears that slid past my defenses. “It won’t be, though.”
Her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
A strangled breath escapes me. “I need to tell you something.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marcus
Nathan corners me with a knowing smile and a pat on the back as soon as the door slams behind me. “Congratulations. Looks like you don’t need to get Soph anything for Christmas. You just fulfilled her biggest fantasy.”
I chuckle. “And what’s that?”
“Falling for her best friend and living happily-ever-after,” he jokes.
“I guess we’ll see how it goes. Speaking of congratulations, congrats on the two girls, man. How do you feel about being outnumbered?”
An easy smile spreads across his face as he stares into the distance. “Man, if they’re anything like their mother, then I couldn’t be more excited.” His voice is laced with awe, confirming my decision from earlier. He really is a good guy.
; “Then I’m happy for ya. And if you ever need help with the whole PMSing thing in a few years, I’ve got ya covered. Three little sisters made me a pro.”
He laughs at my joke, and we shoot the shit for a few more minutes before a puffy-eyed Sophie exits the bathroom with Natalie trailing behind.
What the hell?
Nathan and I rush over to the girls while trying not to make a scene. Inconspicuously, I wrap my arms around Natalie and pull her into a hug. I wish I could take a moment to appreciate the fact that she’s letting me touch her in front of her friends instead of pushing me away, but by the way she’s shaking in my arms, I think I have other things to worry about.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper to Natalie as she buries her face into my chest.
She shakes her head then peeks up at me. “I want to go home.”
Nodding, I turn to Nathan, who’s busy comforting my sister. I try to catch his attention, and when I do, I tilt my head to the exit. He nods his understanding.
“Okay, let’s go.”
My hand brushes against her lower back as I usher her toward the exit. She reminds me of a robot as she mechanically puts one foot in front of the other.
She’s scaring the shit out of me.
Grabbing our coats, I help her slide her arms through the holes before adorning my own. Before I know it, we’ve stepped over the threshold and are walking down the hallway, one step at a time.
“You’re scaring me, Natalie.”
She nibbles her lower lip but doesn’t say anything.
It’s excruciating.
We stay in silence until reaching the street where I entwine our fingers and drag her to a halt. “Talk to me, baby. Please? Was she mad about us? I mean, she seemed okay when I left…what’s going on?”