“There’s nothing I’ve ever been surer of, Greta.”
“Okay. I’ll stay,” I whispered calmly, feeling incredibly happy that he had asked me to stay.
I just hoped that he couldn’t hear my heart racing right now.
29
Isaac
There was no greater feeling in the world than lying beside the woman I loved and knowing that the future wasn’t so bleak anymore. Goosebumps appeared on her skin as I lightly stroked it with my fingertips. She turned her gaze to me, as the sound of rain outside made this perfect moment really incredible for me.
“I still can’t believe you designed the entire nursery in a week,” she whispered.
“I had time and it distracted me from worrying about you. I’d obsessively check my phone every five minutes, hoping that you’d call. I really needed the distraction of the nursery.”
“So, you checked your phone every five minutes?” she joked.
“I was worried about you,” I answered, running my fingers through her hair. “All three of you.”
“We were fine,” she answered and rolled over on to her back. “You were right when you’d said that I’d call you if something was wrong, or if I didn’t feel okay. It doesn’t matter if I needed space or time to think things over, or whether we had argued and weren’t speaking. They’re your babies, and I would never let my stubbornness get in the way of their safety.”
“That means a lot to me, Greta,” I said softly with a smile and kissed the top of her head.
“I think that I was being unreasonable when I said that I wanted to go to the clinic by myself. You’re their dad, and you have every right to be there, make sure that I got there safely. I was just being a bitch. I just thought that it would be better.”
“Better how?”
She shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. “I got this crazy idea in my head that we were getting too close and I wanted to put some distance between us.”
“That is a crazy idea,” I chuckled.
“Right? I was just being a drama queen, you know. Pregnancy hormones, and all.”
“You like using that excuse.”
“It’s not an excuse!” she defended. “I wish you could feel what it’s like to be pregnant and have two little humans growing inside you. Your body isn’t yours anymore. It changes shape, I get heartburn often. I can’t shave my legs anymore. I get these weird cramps in my butt that feels like someone hit me with a bat there, and I just can’t get comfortable on a bed. Except right now, of course.”
I smiled and rested my head on the pillow. “That’s good to hear. The last part, I mean.”
“It hasn’t been an easy ride for me. Dealing with these physical changes. Some of my clothes don’t fit anymore. I had to buy one of those long sleeping pillow things just to get myself into a semi-comfortable position when I sleep. I crave weird things. Everything smells different. My hair takes twice as long to dry, and don’t even get me started on how fast my nails grow.”
I smiled and she glanced at me. “What?”
“It sounds tough, but you make it look easy. And super sexy.”
She scoffed and shook her head. “I’m glad that you feel that way. I disagree, of course.”
“Hey, do you remember that night when you were in the backyard of your parents’ house and Garrett and I had just got back from a party? You sneaked us in through the back door.”
“Of course. I was waiting to see the meteor that night. It was three in the morning, I think. I still can’t believe my parents let me stay out that late.”
“I could say the same about me and Garrett.”
“Technically, they didn’t know that you guys were going to come back home.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’d told them that Garrett was sleeping over at your place.”
I frowned. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I didn’t want you guys to get into trouble.”
“But we did.”
“Because you were stupid to come back. I had to sneak your drunk asses in through the backdoor and into my room without waking my parents. Then, I was questioned about why I was sleeping in Garrett’s room, and you and Garrett were passed out on my bed, under my favorite blanket.”
“Wow,” I whispered. “Did you get to see the meteor at least?”
“Yeah, it was beautiful,” she answered, her eyes filling with wonder. “You said something to me that night. I don’t know if you remember.”
“I don’t remember much about that time in my life. Everything was a blur, especially that night,” I shrugged and looked at her. “What did I say?”
“You told me that you wished that I wasn’t Garrett’s sister,” she answered. “At the time, I didn’t know what it meant. I just thought that they were the ramblings of a drunk person.”
“I still wish that,” I admitted. “It’ll make things less complicated.”
“Things only seem complicated because we overthink them.”
“Speak for yourself,” I chuckled.
Greta jolted slightly and looked at me. She took hold of my wrist and placed my hand on her bump, which was growing more and more every day. I looked at her, her hazel eyes sparkling and she raised her eyebrows. “They were just moving.”
“Come on, you two. Move for Daddy,” I said, feeling weird saying something like that. However, looking at Greta’s face, it seemed like the right thing to have said. That put a smile on my face.
I kept my hand on her bump, but didn’t feel anything. I sighed and pursed my lips. “Not even born yet and already, they’ve decided to not listen to me.”
Greta chuckled and placed her hand over mine. “You win some, you lose some.”
“Right,” I chuckled too. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about the room. I didn’t want you to feel left out, or anything. I just wanted to surprise you.”
“It’s okay. You did this because you wanted to give me time, and I appreciate that. That week really helped me gain some perspective on my life, and what I want out of it,” she said, smiling with reassurance. “I’d never hold it against you. You’re going to be such an amazing dad, Isaac.”
“Thank you,” I said. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and I wanted her to be the twins’ mother. She was the only person I wanted beside me, to spend my life with and raise the twins with.
It was her. It had always been her.
“Greta, I—”
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and she cocked her head.
“Are you expecting someone?” she asked.
“No, I’m not,” I answered, curious as to who it could be.
The doorbell rang again and Greta got up. “You should get that. I need to go anyway.”
“No, you’re not going anywhere. Listen to the rain outside. It’s pouring! Only a crazy person would be outside right now.”
“Well, you have a crazy person at your door right now,” she chuckled, kissing me on the cheek.
“Just stay here, please,” I insisted, squeezing her hand.
“Are you asking me to spend the night?” she asked with a mischievous expression.
“Yes, I—”
The doorbell sounded for a third time and I sighed in annoyance. “I’ll be back. Just stay right here.”
Greta nodded and I climbed out of bed. I grabbed my bathrobe from the bathroom – the closest thing I could find – and rushed out of the room. I made my way down the stairs, closing my robe and swearing at whoever decided that this was a good time to show up unannounced.
I opened the front door and my jaw dropped.
“Amber,” I said in a low voice.
“Hey,” she greeted me with a smile and noticed the bathrobe. She pouted and cocked her head. “Wow, I think I saw this in a movie once. Nice robe.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, ignoring her lingering stare.
“I was in the area, and I thought I’d drop by.”
“You were in the area? It’s after
ten!” I pointed out with a frown.
“I’m still getting settled in San Francisco, and nowhere has felt more like home than Anthony’s house,” she answered, fluttering her long lashes. “May I come in? I’m getting drenched out here.”
“This isn’t a good time, Amber,” I answered, trying to be as curt as possible.
“Just for a little while. I won’t be any trouble,” she pouted.
“No, this is not a good time,” I repeated, gritting my teeth. This was the worst time, to be honest. I could hear Greta’s footsteps above me, and I glanced upward briefly. Amber looked up as well.
“Not a good time?” she asked, raising her voice and her light gray eyes seemed to darken. “Why not? Is there someone here?”
“You know, Amber, that’s none of your business.”
“Wow, I’m kind of disappointed in you, Isaac. I thought that we hit it off pretty well, and now you have another woman over,” she said, her voice dripping with snark.
“I’m not to blame for you being presumptuous,” I snapped.
“Harsh, Isaac,” she muttered and pulled out her phone to call a cab. She glanced at the screen and sighed dramatically. “Can I use your phone? Mine just died.”
How convenient, I thought to myself. “I’ll call from the kitchen phone,” I said, as I didn’t want to go upstairs to get my phone. If I did, I knew that Amber would follow me. I didn’t want her to find a naked and pregnant Greta in my bed, despite it being none of her business.
“Okay,” Amber answered as she stepped into the house, closing the door behind her.
“Just sit tight,” I ordered her and rushed to the kitchen.
I had to rummage through the drawers, as I did not know the number for any cab companies in my area. I cursed myself for relying too much on my smartphone. This was delaying my plan to get rid of Amber as quickly as possible. Making no progress, I decided to call Information and have them connect me to the nearest cab company. After a couple of rings, I got through to someone.
“Hi! Can you please connect me to the nearest cab company, please?”
“Your location, please, sir?”
“Three-four-four-five Washington Street, San Francisco.”
“One moment, sir.”
A few seconds passed and I pursed my lips with worry.
“The nearest cab company is Washington Cabs, less than two miles from your location. Shall I connect you through, sir?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No, that’s it. Thank you.”
“Have a pleasant evening. Please hold the line while I connect you.” The call was being transferred and I heard a few clicks before it rang.
“Washington Cabs. You’re speaking to Sarah. How can I assist you this evening?”
“Evening, Sarah. I’d like to order a cab as soon as possible, please.”
“Your location, sir?”
“Three-four-four-five Washington Street.”
“We can have a car there within ten minutes, sir.”
“That’s perfect, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
I disconnected and placed the receiver back on the console. I stepped out of the kitchen and heard footsteps above, going in the direction of the stairs and I bit my bottom lip. If Greta was to come downstairs, I’d have a lot of explaining to do. But I was in love with Greta, she was pregnant with my babies, and that was it. Amber was a nobody. What more was there to explain?
I stepped out into the living area where I had left Amber, and my face paled when I noticed that she wasn’t there. I looked around, not wanting to call out her name, lest Greta hear me. I peered in through every door, but she wasn’t downstairs.
I heard voices upstairs and my pulse started to race. I quickly ran up the stairs as fast as I could.
30
Greta
I splashed cold water on my face, feeling hot despite the coolness of the room and the rain outside.
Shortly after Isaac had gone downstairs, I dressed up. But he hadn’t returned yet. I ran my fingers through my hair and stared at myself in the mirror for a few seconds. I hoped that whoever was at the door wouldn’t stay for long, because I wanted to tell Isaac something important, something that I had been wanting to tell him for a long time.
He had told me that he wanted me to stay with him after the twins were born, showed me that he wanted me in his life after all this was over, and it meant the world to me. Now it was my turn to tell him that I loved him too, that I had fallen in love with the twins and I wanted us to be a family. But I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, especially with the contract. What mattered more than the contract was that I finally got the opportunity to have Isaac in my life.
I drew in a deep breath and heard footsteps on the stairs. Glad to hear that the unannounced visitor had left, I got out of Isaac’s bedroom and walked toward the staircase. I stopped abruptly when I saw a young woman coming up the stairs. She was tall and beautiful, like a model, with long legs and shiny brown hair. Her eyes were focused on me.
“There you are,” the woman said excitedly.
My brow furrowed and I cocked my head at her. “Umm…”
The woman stuck her hand out and smiled happily. “Of course, you have no idea who I am.”
“Right. I’m Greta.”
“Greta Gray. I know exactly who you are,” she beamed at me.
“And you are?” I asked slowly.
“Oh my gosh. Where are my manners?” she giggled. “I’m Amber Lightheart, Isaac’s fiancé.”
My jaw dropped as my heart skipped a beat. “His what?”
“His fiancé,” she repeated.
Those words were like a punch to my stomach. My head started to spin.
“Isaac has never mentioned you. Or that he’s engaged.”
Amber frowned. “Well…surprise!” she giggled. “Isaac and I didn’t want to tell you, not that it’s any of your business, right? You understand that, don’t you?”
I blinked in agreement. “I’m just the surrogate, right?”
“Oh, you’re much more than that. Isaac tells me that you two go way back, which is nice. It’s so hard to find someone trustworthy these days. But we are so grateful that you agreed to this. You see, I found out a few months ago that I was infertile, so we couldn’t have the baby as per Uncle Anthony’s will. We decided that a surrogate would be the best option for us. As for our engagement, we decided not to tell you about it. Isaac told me that you had had a crush on him ages ago and that you’d agree to be his surrogate if you didn’t know about me.”
“He said that?” I asked, unable to believe that Isaac could deceive me like that.
“Yeah, he did,” Amber replied with a pout.
Another set of footsteps ran up the stairs and I looked over Amber’s head to see if it was Isaac. Still dressed in his bathrobe, Isaac panted to the top of the stairs and I pursed my lips at him. Anger filled every cell in my body, but I stood still, unable to move, frozen by the harsh reality.
“Amber, your taxi will be here in ten minutes. You can wait downstairs,” Isaac said in a tense tone.
“Okay,” Amber replied and smiled at me before turning the other way and walking down the stairs.
Isaac looked at me with pleading eyes. “I’ll be right back. Just wait for me, okay?”
I nodded wordlessly and watched as he went downstairs with Amber. But as soon as he was out of sight, I let out a gasp. My chest was tightening, thinking about what Amber had just told me. I was insane to believe him, but I also couldn’t believe that he could have done something so heartless.
Was Amber even aware that Isaac and I had slept together numerous times? And Isaac hadn’t mentioned her even once. Was he that good a liar?
My eyes filled with tears as I sneaked down the staircase and into the kitchen. Once I was in the hallway, I looked back to check whether Isaac could see me, but he was
nowhere to be seen. Tiptoeing my way through the kitchen, I let myself out the back door and ran out. It was still raining, but I didn’t care. I needed to get as far away as possible from him.
Once I was out on the street behind his house, I slowed to a pace and booked a carshare from my phone. A few minutes later, I was sitting in the car and blankly staring out the window. I held my head in my hands as I realized that I couldn’t trust Isaac. The entire time, he had been playing me and I was too fucking stupid to see it. He’d used me as a surrogate for his real girlfriend.
I felt the bile rise in my throat. Quickly, I covered my mouth and prayed that I could hold it in unless I reached home. But the driver of the carshare saw me.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror. “Do you want me to pull over?”
I swallowed and lowered my hands. “No, I’m okay.”
As soon as the carshare stopped in front of my building, I paid the fare on my phone and rushed into the building. Stepping into my apartment, I closed the door and crashed down on the couch. I was feeling heartbroken, betrayed, and like a complete idiot.
How was I not able to see that Isaac was just using me? Was I that stupid? Had my love for him blinded me to his deception?
I drew in a few deep breaths, realizing that I couldn’t deal with this situation anymore.
Isaac had not even looked apologetic when Amber had turned up, which made me feel that Amber was telling the truth. I didn’t deserve to be lied to, especially not by him. I thought I could trust him, but look where my blind faith in Isaac Marcus had led me. Sitting on my couch, five months pregnant with his two babies, I was nursing a broken heart and had no faith left in humanity.
But I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do now. I couldn’t break the contract, as that would cause more problems. But I needed to get away. I had to figure things out rationally, in a place where I could think clearly, without Isaac’s presence. I had to be far away from him, without travelling too far. The only option was my parents’ house in Tranquility.
However, I’d have to tell them the reason for why I was pregnant. I sighed. This was one big fucking mess, for which both Isaac and I were to share equal blame. At least, I wasn’t what he was – a liar, cheater, and master manipulator.
Twins for Brother's Best Friend Page 19