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“She did,” Lauren said. “And I’m torn, Liam. Torn in ways I never thought possible. I know my best friend’s hurting, but I’m hurting, too. All of this happened behind my back leading up to my wedding, of all the times for this to happen. I spent my entire honeymoon ignoring phone calls and trying to salvage what part of a vacation I could before Todd was called back into town, and then I get back and Sam wants to have dinner to try and convince me that her screwing around with all of my brothers wasn’t planned? Like that makes it any better.”
“You said she tried asking you for permission to be with all of us. What did you mean by that?” I asked.
“Damn it, Liam. Is that really all you’re going to focus on?”
“The focus has been on you for months, Lauren. It’s time for you to refocus. If you care about Sam at all, then you’ll try to see this from her point of view. She’s pregnant, her parents officially want nothing to do with her ever again, and she’s being tugged between her best friend and four men that love her.”
The call fell silent, and I knew what question was coming next. Samantha had called me after the meeting with my sister and gave me the rundown of what had happened. She said she wanted to “warn us” in case she came after the guys or me. I figured I would get out ahead of it before things got worse, but something told me I would only be adding to the conversation Lauren was already fighting against.
“So, you guys do love her,” she said.
“We do. And I know you don’t understand it. You act like we wholly and completely get it, but we don’t. We’re still figuring things out as we go along. You act like we planned all of this behind your back, but we didn’t. We all had drinks, we all congregated, and emotions that had been welling inside of all of us for years came out. It’s not ideal, and it’s not normal, but that’s what happened. And we’re all owning up to that and trying to make the best out of the situation.”
“But all four of you? That can’t happen, Liam. That shit just doesn’t happen.”
“Well, it’s happening now,” I said. “Samantha’s incredible. She’s intelligent and driven. Beautiful and cunning. Headstrong and stubborn and wise beyond all of the years she’s been on this earth. That woman’s been through hell and back, and I won’t let you or anyone else put her through anymore hell. This isn’t about her any longer. She’s growing a child, and every emotion she experiences affects that tiny life she’s growing. So, from now on, until you can come to a personal decision on your own as to whether or not you’ll accept this, you deal with us.”
“And you think Sam’s going to like that?” she asked.
“Right now? She doesn’t have a choice. And neither do you. You’ll deal with us until you can approach Sam without the negative emotions you’re experiencing. It’s our job to protect her, even if it’s from you.”
“Well, my honeymoon was great. Thanks for asking. I appreciate it. And yes, these past few months have been about me, but I’m not the raging bitch you all think I am,” she said. “I’m hurt, Liam. Like I told Sam, I’ve had to stand in the shadows and piece all of this together bit by bit because no one I considered my flesh and blood decided to talk to me. I’m not having any more of a different reaction to this situation than any of you did to me dating and getting engaged to Todd.”
“And you stepped up to his defense, did you not?” I asked. “You were the one that told us age was nothing but a number and that when it was right, it was right. No matter what anyone else thought or said to the two of you.”
The phone call fell silent and I knew I had her.
“We love Sam,” I said. “I love Sam. And we’re going to be there to take care of her through this trying time in her life. And beyond. So, if you want to be the friend you think you are to Sam, then you’ll support her. The way she supported you with Todd.”
My sister hung up on me, and I groaned. Fuck. This had spun too far out of control. I gathered my things and went straight to Samantha’s house. I needed to check in on her. To hold her in my arms. To reassure her that this would be okay, no matter how it turned out.
I drove over to Samantha’s and knocked on her door. She opened with red-rimmed eyes, h held her arms out for me, and I took her into my embrace, holding her close as I stepped us inside. I shut the door behind me and could feel Samantha quietly crying against my chest. It killed me to see her like this.
“Lauren won’t answer my calls,” Samantha said.
“Maybe that’s for the best for now,” I said.
“Why? Have you talked with her?”
“I have. She just needs time to process everything.”
“I want my best friend back.”
“I know you do. Come here.”
I ran my fingers through her hair before I scooped her up into my arms. I walked her back into her bedroom and sat down on the edge of her bed. She curled into my lap as tightly as she could. Balled up into a little ball and finally let those tears fall. Tears I knew she’d been holding back for weeks.
Finally, we were getting somewhere.
“Samantha, look at me.”
She shook her head as her face crinkled up again. I crooked my finger underneath her chin and guided her eyes to mine. Tears began to brew again, and I caught one on the tip of my thumb. I didn’t want her to cry. I didn’t want her to hurt, all I wanted to do was make the pain go away.
“I love you,” I said, enraptured by her beauty and her pain.
I watched her eyes widen as I bit down on the inside of my cheek.
“I love you, Samantha. Every part of you. And if there’s any chance that you want to be with me, then I want to explore it. Because you’re all ther
