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“What Stassi’s trying to say is that we’re dating,” I finish.
It comes out so fast, like a flyby, totally the wrong way I wanted it to. We’re not even just dating. We’re far more than that. I don’t think it sinks in. Cooper gives us a blank look. “What? You’re dating who?”
I point at Stassi, then at me. “We. Us. Each other. We’re not just dating. We’re together.”
Aidan squints. Cooper looks between us and then lets out a laugh. “Get the hell out of here.” He’s waiting for the punchline. When it doesn’t come, his voice is a warning. “You’d better be joking.”
“No. And it’s good. It’s fine.” With every shake of my head, I realize what a mistake this is. Because that isn’t even the bombshell. There’s a warning light flickering inside me.
Abort. Abort!
Aidan looks at Stassi.
“You—and him—” Aidan jabs a finger in my direction. “No. No. Our sister has more sense than that.”
Stassi says, “I have plenty of sense. And I’m an adult. I really don’t need your stamp of approval. But we wanted you to know.”
“Stassi,” Aidan says, his face going red with anger. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
My face falls. For some reason, dickhead Jonathan got their seal of approval. And yet I’m, from the eye daggers they’re giving me, lower than a piece of shit. The sting is immediate, breathtaking. My best friends think I’m good enough to lobster with, but not good enough to date their sister. “What’s wrong with me?”
“We ask that every day,” Aidan mutters.
“For one. Did you forget? You were practically boning Carlina, two days ago, in public,” Cooper says with a snort.
“Like hell I was.” It takes everything I have to keep my voice a low volume.
Mrs. Hutton clears her throat. “Cooper.”
The room goes silent.
Leah smiles at us, smoothing things over. “Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Stassi so happy.”
“That’s because she’s obviously gone insane,” Cooper growls.
Aidan nods in agreement. “Whatever. Fine, have your fun, Stass. But don’t think it’s going to last. I’ve had waits for food at Rossi’s Diner that have lasted longer than most of his relationships.
“Right. How many times did you break up and get back together with Carlina? A thousand? And that was because you missed her tits,” Cooper says smugly, pushing his plate away. “Geez, Static … I thought you had more sense than that.”
“Cooper,” my father bangs his fist on the table. “Enough.”
My first instinct is to tell Cooper to go to hell. I’m just about done with this. Stassi is insane for wanting to date me, because they think they know me. But they don’t, not anymore. Granted, it’s all my fault for being so damn convincing, putting up that front, making them think I was the last person on Earth who’d be good for their sister. I don’t know how I can undo it. Maybe I can’t.
Choosing my words carefully, I open my mouth to explain that to them.
But Stassi beats me to the punch. “I’m pregnant.”
When it’s out, I swear the air gets sucked out of the room.
Absolute silence. It seems to stretch on forever.
Then Aidan throws down his fork and leans back in his chair. “Well, that’s just fucking great.”
Cooper does nothing but glare, his eyes cold, murderous almost.
Mr. Hutton clears his throat.
“Well,” he says, tears in his eyes, reaching over to give me a handshake. “I think it’s great. Mrs. Hutton and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Exactly,” Mrs. Hutton says, clasping her hands together. “Grandparents, again! What a blessing.”
I do my best to ignore the brothers.
“No one’s more shocked by any of this than we are,” I say. “This wasn’t planned. But it happened, and we’re really happy. We’re looking into moving in together.”
“How exciting,” Abby says, rocking Bodie in her lap. “Closer to work?”
I look over at Stassi, who nods as I say, “Probably around Sapphire Shores. We’re exploring options.”
“Not that shithole you both live in,” Cooper mutters. “That’s no place to bring up a kid.”
“We’re looking into options,” I repeat, since Stassi seems to have lost her voice. She’s just staring at the pasta on her plate. “Something close to work, but it doesn’t have to be in the city. And we won’t have to worry about daycare, because once the baby is born, I get parental leave and so I can help with the night shifts, trading on and off so she can get some rest, and later go back to work, if she wants.”
I venture a quick look at the brothers, who still look like they want to tear me limb from limb on top of this very table. Cooper’s ripping apart his napkin and Aidan is gnashing his teeth so hard I can hear the grinding from across the table.
“Well,” Mr. Hutton says, pushing away from the table. “Now that the meal’s over, boys, I think this calls for a celebration. Let’s go to the basement, why don’t we? Have a cigar to mark this occasion?”
