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“My parents don’t know. I wanted to surprise them.” I released her and she returned to the booth, sliding closer to Ember to make room for me.
“They will definitely be surprised,” Tara replied.
“How’s it going, Ember?” My stomach twisted into a knot as I sat and forced myself not to look at her stomach.
Damn, she was gorgeous. A goddess with red hair and pouty lips. I wished Tara wasn’t between us so I could hug her, but I felt an icy chill floating around Ember.
But if I could get her alone, I was sure there would be sparks between us. Whether good or bad ones, I’d take what I could get.
Ember blinked her big brown eyes as if staring at a ghost, then sighed and lifted her menu in front of her face like a shield.
Tara and Birdie stared at each other with unreadable expressions.
“Okay, you can ignore me.” I picked up my menu and checked it over. I wasn’t hungry, but would order a beer like I’d planned with Ray.
“So… Are you following me?” Birdie’s question came out of left field. Her laser blue eyes were fixed on Raymond. Annoyance rolled off her in giant waves.
Some things never changed. Birdie had always been direct while we were growing up. She’d said everything on her mind, except for admitting her feelings about my cousin to the world. After I had found her crying during her sweet sixteen party, she’d acted like Raymond didn’t exist. I’d actually believed she’d put him in the friend zone. But she hadn’t. The more I had paid attention to her, I’d catch her quick glances at him and the hurt in her eyes when he’d be with a kitten. Raymond had treated her like family, which had made sense given how much older he was. At least that was what I’d thought until today…
My cuz didn’t even flinch. “Nope.”
I held back a smirk. Lucky for Raymond our server arrived to take our orders or Birdie might have pressured him into answering her. Not that I believed Raymond would’ve caved, but stranger things had happened today.
After the middle-aged server left, an awkward silence filled the air. The girls acted like they had a secret, and Raymond was on his phone, avoiding Birdie. I couldn’t deny they looked good seated next to each other. Didn’t “they” say age was only a number? Birdie wasn’t a teenager. She was a legal adult and turning twenty-three soon. As much as her dad Storm tried to control her and scare off men, I was confident all he wanted for his princess was for her to be happy. And for someone to worship, protect, and love her the way he did Angel. Raymond could be all that and more if he’d just let his guard down.
I drank my water and stared at Ember over the rim of the glass. Now that her shield had been removed, I could see all of her beautiful face. Her big brown eyes and dark lashes. Petite turned-up nose and full pink lips. One word came to mind: gorgeous.
Occasionally she’d look my way, then quickly divert her gaze. I hated not being able to read her expressions. She seemed a lot more closed off than the last time I’d seen her.
You’re such an idiot.
Why wouldn’t she have her walls up? Not once had I called or texted her. And then there was my suspicion that it was she who’d been inseminated.
Why would she choose to get pregnant artificially?
When would I get the chance to corner her and ask?
And maybe kiss her…
Why hadn’t I communicated with her in the last six years? A brief phone call. An email. A three-word text saying, How’s it going?
Because you’re an idiot.
4
Ember
“That was the most awkward meal I’ve ever had,” Birdie said. We were driving home, with Raymond and Dante following us.
She wasn’t wrong. I’d taken three bites of my burger and felt nauseous. The guys had finished their food, of course.
“When we get home, I suggest you talk to Dante.” My mom looked at me sidelong. “You can’t ignore him the way you did at the restaurant. He’s home. Face him, sweetie.”
I sighed and shifted in my seat.
Birdie rubbed my shoulder from the backseat. “Tara’s right. He couldn’t stop watching you. He had a look in his eyes, like he wanted to kiss you.”
“Sounds like the same look Ray had when he looked at you.” I peered over my shoulder at her in the back seat.
