Page 54 of Accidentally in Love

I grunted at her in response and looked through the cabinets in the kitchen. I found the mixer underneath the sink. Gem was unpacking boxes of books onto the bookshelf when I stepped back into the living room.

“You sure you’re okay?” I asked.

She waved me off and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m good, Nol. Actually, this move was simple because Avery said I could keep all the furniture since she won’t need it at your place.”

I glanced around. “What about the stuff at your place on South Street?”

She shook her head. “I live in a tiny studio and sleep on a futon. I’m going to take it over to my dad’s at some point. My lease isn’t up for a bit.”

“Call me when you do, okay? I’ll come do it.”

“Nol, you’re such a softie. I’m fine.”

I rubbed my beard again. “It’s the right thing to do, Gem. We’re family.”

She smiled at me. “Have you told my sister that you love her yet?”

Time shifted as her words hit me. Was I so obvious to everyone?

“What?” I choked out.

She stood up and gave me a knowing grin. “That’s why you asked her to marry you, right? Because you love her. Not just because of the baby.”

I nodded.

“Then tell her.”

“I don’t know how. I don’t deserve someone like your sister. I think she feels like she baby-trapped me, but I think it’s the opposite. I baby-trapped her.”

Gem’s eyes softened at that, and she put a reassuring hand on my arm. “You didn’t. I think the baby’s pushing you two where you need to be. It’s fate.”

I rolled my eyes at that. Gem was kind of into all that woo-woo shit. I didn’t believe in fate. Okay, that was a lie. I believed in fate; I just thought it was an asshole. Was it fate to lose my family and have to raise my younger brother? Was it fate that my ex-wife never wanted kids? Fate could eat a bag of dicks as far as I was concerned.

“Did your sister leave anything else here?” I asked instead, changing the subject.

Gemma frowned but pointed to the box on the coffee table. I shoved the mixer inside and hefted the box into my arms.

“Nolan?”

“Yeah, kiddo?”

She blanched. “Gah! Stop it with the kiddo shit.”

I liked to tease Gemma since she was so much younger than me. “What’s up?”

“Don’t be mad at me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

She bit her lip and ran a hand across her tattooed arm. That was a telltale sign she was nervous. “I let it slip to Dad that Avery’s pregnant.”

“Okay… wait, what?”

She gave me a guilty look. “I thought he knew. She didn’t want to tell him at Thanksgiving.”

“Why not?”

She gave me an annoyed look. “Because she wanted to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner, but you were a crotchety asshole to her.”