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Adam drew himself upright. “That’s not even remotely the same thing,” he blustered.
“Why isn’t it? Why is what you have with Meg any different than what I share with Jeremy?” I countered, coming to Jeremy’s side, presenting a solid unit against him.
Adam looked from me to Jeremy. “You betrayed my trust, Wyatt. Then you got my sister pregnant and left her to deal with it alone.”
Jeremy’s face was solemn. “I won’t make excuses for my behavior. How I handled the news of Lena’s pregnancy was fucked up. If I could go back and redo those few minutes over again, I would. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m here now. And that I’m in this all the way. I want to be with your sister. I want to be a father to our baby.” He drew in a breath and let it out slowly as if steeling himself for what was coming next. “As for betraying you, I’m sorry you feel that way. But I won’t feel guilty for following my heart because it led me to Marlena. And for that, I have no regrets and I never will.”
“Are you happy, Lena?” Meg asked, eyes searching mine.
I pressed myself close to Jeremy and nodded. “I am. I really am. I love him. More than anything.”
Adam had remained silent during Jeremy’s diatribe. We stood in a standoff in the middle of my parents’ living room, some crappy holiday movie playing in the background. The entire situation was slightly surreal.
Adam and I stared at each other, his jaw tense. Meg took his hand and seemed to communicate something to him through her touch alone. He picked up a bottle of sparkling grape juice. “We brought this over, thinking we could ring in the New Year together,” he said, his voice rough.
“That was thoughtful of you,” I replied warily.
Adam looked at Jeremy again. “You and I have been friends for years. I thought we knew each other pretty well. It turns out I didn’t know you at all.”
“Man, I’m sorry you got hurt—” Jeremy started to say but Adam lifted his hand, silencing him.
“In all the time we’ve worked together I’ve never seen you like this,” Adam went on, glancing at Meg who nodded with a soft smile on her face.
“Like what?” Jeremy asked gingerly.
“In love, I guess. It’s changed you. I can see that now. I should know how it can alter you completely.” Adam put his arm around Meg and kissed her. “If I’m deserving of this kind of happiness, then you are too. And I’m sorry I tried to get in the way of that.” He directed his apology to both of us.
“You don’t need to apologize, dude. If Lena were my sister, I’d be pretty damn protective too. Especially when it came to a guy like me. I’ve earned the reputation I’ve been given.” Jeremy sounded ashamed. “All I can say is that I never want to hurt your sister. She means the world to me. I’d give my life for her and our baby. I promise you that.”
My chest felt full and I had to hold back the tears.
Adam finally held his hand out to Jeremy who shook it. Then they were hugging, and Meg and I were hugging. Then Adam and I were hugging. It was one giant hug-fest.
“Okay, now that the threat of bloodshed has passed, let’s crack open this fine bottle of sparkling grape juice and maybe get out the playing cards for a round of Spades,” Adam suggested, wiping at his eyes. He was a big mushball.
I pulled him in for one last hug. “I love you, big brother,” I whispered in his ear.
He squeezed me tight. “I love you too, little sis.”
We rang in the New Year together—the four of us.
And when Jeremy kissed me at midnight and told me he loved me I knew that this was forever.
Epilogue
Jeremy
Ten months later
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Let me introduce Mr. and Mrs. Adam Ducate,” the minister announced as Adam swept his new wife in an epic kiss. It started to border on a make-out session when Marlena cleared her throat and the two broke apart.
Everyone stood up and clapped. I cradled my daughter, Daisy, to my chest and watched Adam and Meg walk back down the aisle.
“Congrats,” I said when they stopped long enough to kiss their niece.
“You’re next,” Meg winked.
We both laughed. “Yep, come December you and Lena will be the ones up there,” Adam said.
“I can’t wait,” I told them sincerely before they moved on toward the back of the church. Lena joined me in the throng as we made our way outside, the two-carat diamond I put on her finger three months ago glinting in the sunlight.
Daisy started to wake, her beautiful little face scrunched up as she geared herself up to let out an ear-splitting yell.
