Page 21 of Happily Ever Maybe

But no, it was my mother. I didn’t want to talk to her rightnow. Not because I didn’t love her, but because she had probably heard aboutthe incident on the news. And I hadn’t called her.

“Answer. I already have the family group chat on alertbecause they’re afraid I’m going to get myself blown up again. Thankfully, itwas just you this time,” Daisy said lightly, but I heard the hurt behind it.She had nearly been killed. And Kingston had been there, nearly getting hurthimself. Their families had been through so much, while mine was relativelynormal. Their daughter just happened to like putting herself on the line.

But I was pregnant now. Which meantI needed to think about what I was doing with my life.

I answered as I moved off to the side, trying my best tokeep some things quiet.

“Are you okay, Jennifer?” my mother asked, and I realizedshe was on speakerphone.

“I’m fine. I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about,other than the fact that nobody died.” Because Gus was fine. He was alive. Iwould know if he wasn’t. “I’m still waiting to hear about Gus, though.”

“Gus? Oh, no. Do you want us to be there with you so you’renot alone?” my sister asked. She was infatuated with Gus. She was a decadeyounger than me and still a baby to me.

“He’s going to be fine. We’re just waiting to hear details.”

“If you say so,” she said.

“Are you okay? Did you get checked out?” my dad asked, hisvoice low.

Tears came to my eyes, and I swallowed them down. I loved myfamily. They were strong, caring, and had no idea what to do with me most days.I had been out there climbing trees and jumping off roofs as a little girl,wanting to play with the boys in the neighborhood, when my mom had only wantedme to stay safe. She hadn’t wanted me inside playing with dolls or cleaning thehouse and baking cookies. No, she’d wanted me to live my life and have fun, butI usually tried to live it to the limit.

I put my hand over my stomach, my voice shaky as I explainedto them that I was fine and would update them soon.

Because I was pregnant. I was going to be a mom. This littlebaby would likely grow up to be a person who jumped off roofs and putthemselves in danger. Both of their parents were like that. Gus was wild buttried to be safe. Yet he always put himself at the forefront. He sacrificed hisbody to protect me, despite the fact that I couldprotect myself. He had safeguarded the child he didn’t even know existed.

I needed to tell him. And I would. I was just so damn afraid of what would happen.

I didn’t even know where we stood in our relationship. Wewere friends who had decided it would be too complicated to want more. Not thatwe didn’t want more, but because we didn’t want the complications.

Well, here was one hell of a complication. A consequence ofour actions. Ones that had been some of the best of my life. But now we neededto figure out what the hell we were going to do.

“Jennifer?”

I whirled to see Sawyer, Gus’s brother, and tears sprang tomy eyes. “Is he awake?”

Sawyer ran his hands through his hair. “He texted me. That’sall I know.”

I looked at my phone, looking for a message that wasn’tthere. I ignored the twinge of pain at that, considering he’d texted hisbrother. “He’s okay? He was the one who texted? Not someone with his phone?”

“I think so. He said he was fine. You’re not in the backwith him?” he asked, before seeming to understand the answer. “Because you’renot family. Fuck. Okay, I’ll go see what I can do.I’ll get you back there, I promise.” He looked me upand down and frowned. “Are you okay? Have you been checked out?”

For some reason, tears began falling then, and I just threwmy hands around Gus’s brother and held on tight. “I’m fine. But your dumbass brother threw himself on top of me. Protected mefrom the blast.”

Sawyer held me tightly. I took a step back, just as he did,trying to catch my breath. I was shaky, but it had nothing to do with thepregnancy. It was the adrenaline rushing through my body.

“That sounds like Gus. Let me go see him. If they let me.And then I’ll go kick his ass for sacrificing himself, then hug him for doingthat and protecting you, then kick his ass more for not texting you.”

“Yes, he should text us. We’re all waiting out here. Andthose who aren’t here are dealing with the situation and waiting for updates,too.”

“I’m on it. The whole family is on their way. Their drive’sjust a little bit longer.” I remembered then that Gus’s family lived in CastleRock, so the drive up I-25 would be terrible at this time of day.

“Just let me know. I’ll update the others with this littlebit of information.”

Sawyer shook his head. “I’m sure he wants to know you’reokay too, you know.”

“Then go kick his ass so I can do it.”

“I knew I always liked you.” He walked through the doors,and I turned towards Kingston and Daisy, who stared at me, hands on their hips.They never looked more like cousins than in that moment.