11
Charley
“Georgia, I can’t. They’re going to hate me!”
Clicking her tongue, she turns toward me in the kitchen. “You have got to stop this, Char,” she says. “You’re working this up way more than it’s going to be, and you’re stressing yourself out. Have you forgotten that we have loved you for over twenty-five years? I’m more than certain they are not going to hate you. We could never hate you.” Grabbing the meat and cheese tray off the counter, Georgia balances it on one hand as she passes behind me, slapping my ass as she adds, “Hate to break it to you, Char. You’re stuck with us.”
I groan, then follow her out of the kitchen. “You’re annoying, just like your brother.”
“Bitch,” she says with a chuckle. “Now, get in there and tell them!”
It’s Monday night, which meansThe Bachelor—well, technically,The Bacheloretteright now—with the girls at Georgia’s house. It’s a tradition we’ve had for years, our way of making sure there’s always at least a few hours dedicated tothe four of us each week in between family time and all our busy schedules. Typically, by the end of my Monday workday, I’m chomping at the bit to get over here, butthisMonday night is when I’m going to tell Gemma and Grace about the baby—theirnieceornephew—and all I really feel is anxiety, and a little nausea.
Whoever decided to call itmorning sicknessdeserves to stub their pinky toe daily.More like all day sickness.I also didn’t expect it to start this soon, but apparently, I’m just that lucky.
Walking into the living room, I sit down on the couch, Georgia taking the spot next to me. Grace is in the middle of telling Gemma some story about a client of hers, and it’s torture waiting for her to finish so I can get this over with. I don’t even realize my knee is bouncing a mile a minute until Georgia grabs it and squeezes. Glancing over at her, soft eyes meet mine, and I can feel her love and support.
“You got this,” she mouths, and that somehow catches Grace’s attention.
“What’s going on over here, you two?” she hums, a smile tugging on her lips as she pins me with her gaze. “More friend threesomes you’d like to share with the class?”
Laughter bubbles out of me as Georgia says, “No, you fucking perv.” Chuckling, she adds, “But we’ll be sure to let you know if there’s ever another one. Maybe you can watch and take notes.”
Ever since they found out last year about thecoupleof timesGeorgia and I partook in a threesome together, Grace teases us about it any chance she gets, and it never fails to crack me up.
Grace scrunches her nose. “I love you both, but no. There are some lines I will not cross with my sister.” Then she tilts her head to the side and smirks at me. “Charley, on the other hand, I’d be down to sit in the corner like a good little cuck and watch her with somebody.”
I snort, rolling my eyes. Are you even really friends if you don’t flirt with each other from time to time?
“Okay, but seriously, why were you two all serious and whisper-ey?”
My heart stutters, and I turn my head to the side, staring at Georgia while my palms sweat. I wish she would tell them for me. That somehow feels less intimidating and scary. But that’s not fair of me to ask.
I’m a big girl.
I can do it.
“Uh, hi,” Grace chimes in again. “What is with the somber look on your— Oh my gosh, did something happen? Is your dad okay?”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” I hurry and blurt out.
“Then what? You’re freaking me out.”
“Um…” Glancing over at Georgia again, she nods encouragingly.Here goes nothing.“About two months ago, I found out Zach is dating that girl he told me not to worry about, and I felt kind of pathetic whining to y’all about it since you’ve already listened to me bitch about him for months on end. So instead, I decided to go down to High Tide and drown my sorrows in a little tequila.”
“Do not tell me you got back together with that asshole?” Gemma cuts in, her mama bear voice firmly in place.
“Nope.” I huff out a dry laugh. “Certainly didn’t do that. But I did run into your brother there, who also happened to be drinking, and we drank a little—okay, a lot—together, played some pool, stayed until last call, then because we were both drunk, I told him he could stay at my place so he didn’t have to call an Uber. Well, that turned into us making out against a tree in front of my house, which turned into him fucking me on top of my dining room table, and it was good. Like, really fucking good. Graham has a really nice co?—”
“Whoa, whoa,” Grace cuts me off, holding her hands up in front of her. “Don’t need to know that about my brother.”
“Fast forward to a little over a week ago.” I continue, not taking in a word she’s saying. “Now I’m pregnant. I was scheduled for an abortion on Friday but couldn’t go through with it. I’m keeping the baby. Graham’s baby. And now I’m going to move in with him and we’re going to raise the baby together.” I swallow down a lungful of air. I’m not sure if I even took a breath once getting all that out. But it’s done. I did it.
Grace barks out a laugh, startling me. “I know you’re joking because my brother isn’t even your type.”Oh, but he is, my sweet friend. So much my type, in fact, that I purposely had to date guys opposite of him in college so I could get over him.
“I’m not joking.”
“Yeah, she’s not,” Georgia adds.
